This just in. Correspondent Bill Donegan reports on the fighting between Union and Confederate troops in the area of Bulltown in the new state of West Virginia:
Bulltown, West Virginia, Saturday October 9, 2011
The Federals win big at the tactical.
Kevin Scaggs said after the tactical Sat., “The confederates were completely confused and didn’t know what to do. They detached six men from their line to go after two federals who had out-flanked their left, and they sent six more to look for federals to their right (where there was no one!)”
I was left behind with another private to guard the federal rear and the federal right flank Sat. while the main body of federals probed the confederate lines at Bulltown. We could hear the battle unfolding to our left as we kept watch on our rear and the right flank. We had decided after a considerable spell, to advance along with the rest of the federals.
Myself and a new recruit, advanced through heavily wooded terrain. From our position we could still guard the rear and our right flank. I went on ahead of the other private, about 30 yards or so. I could see the confederate column to my left. If I’d had a Henry repeater I could have picked them all by myself, but I decided not to fire and give away my position. Instead I worked my way back to the Federal main body and reported the confederate position to the first private I met. He and I decided to work our way around the confederates and to get behind them. When we had done this we open fire on them. They were so surprised that they scattered. They could not retreat so they went on towards the main federal body, which wiped them out. We were then captured while reloading by one of the confederates who had been detached from his main body. He thought that he was marching us towards captivity when he realized that the confederate battalion had been killed, wounded or captured.
Three cheers for the men in blue, hip, hip, huzzah!
Bill Donegan
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