1862 March 14 Raleigh, [W.] Virginia

[from the diary of Charles Hay, Co. H, 23rd Ohio]

Raleigh, Va. March 14th.
Our little village was thrown into quite
a blaze of excitement this afternoon, in
consequence of the commission of a new
bold & daring assault by a party of
‘bushwackers’ on a squad of Gilmore’s
Cavalry, 7 miles from town. I must
modify my language a little. Instead of
“bold & daring,” “mean & cowardly” would
be more in place. What I mean by
the first words are, their audacity in
coming so near our forces in hostile array.
But to narrate the circumstance; It was
the custom of the com’d’g officer to each
day send a patrol of Cavalry on the
road to the South, (that being the direction
towards the enemy) in order to keep
accurately posted on affairs in that section.
They had never been molested before this
time, when a party of concealed “bushwhackers”
from a hill commanding the road,
fired a volley upon the little party,
(8 men) instantly killing two, & wounding
one. One was captured. The others narrowly
escaped with their lives. I have dilated
some on ‘bushwhackers’ & ‘bushwhacking’
in another place, so that my opinions
are pretty well known. The incident
related, is but an instance of the
hellish atrocities committed by “bushwhackers”.
May they be exterminated without mercy
or without form [?], is the humble prayer
of a humble servant of our venerable
Uncle, Samuel, & to this end, he is
willing to pledge his abilities for “three
years, or during the war.”
Weather fine, & pleasant for March.


see also the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton for an account of this incident.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 13925