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Oliver Boardman correspondence and journals, 1861-1863

04_1862-04-24 Page 04

that because we had not been fighting there had been none going on. if you do youd miss it. they commenced early in the morning and of all the noise ever made I think this would have taken the lead once in awhile it would stop for a few seconds or breaths and be so still that you could have heard apin fall (in the mud) then it would break out with a roar that could have been heard all over the continent if they had listened close enough. but the worst of all was the enemy was making the most noise. they had at least two men to our one our forces were so scattered they couldnt fight to any advantage I think it was bad management in the generals having us so scattered when they almost knew we were going to be attacked  our pickets had been skirmishing  alittle with them for two days before the attack I think the generals put too much confidence in our own strength our line of Camps was at least four miles long and they were scattered around through the woods with about a brigade in a place without any regularity about it  the consequence was when they attacked us with such aforce they kept us scattered most of the day and took a good many prisoners besides getting possession of a great many of our Camps we occupied more ground than we could hold against such aforce. it encouraged the rebels and they fought desperately whooping and yelling like they were possessed they said our brigade was the only one that stopt or checked them any length of time up to twelve oclock and our Regt was about all that done any good in our brigade 
there were several Regiments that helped us some but it seemed as though they couldnt fire more than two or three rounds till they would give way and another would come up and try it with the same success  but that wasnt the way we done we lay within about eighty yards of them and held them there

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that because we had not been fighting there had been none going on. if you do youd miss it. they commenced early in the morning and of all the noise ever made I think this would have taken the lead once in awhile it would stop for a few seconds or breaths and be so still that you could have heard apin fall (in the mud) then it would break out with a roar that could have been heard all over the continent if they had listened close enough. but the worst of all was the enemy was making the most noise. they had at least two men to our one our forces were so scattered they couldnt fight to any advantage I think it was bad management in the generals having us so scattered when they almost knew we were going to be attacked our pickets had been skirmishing alittle with them for two days before the attack I think the generals put too much confidence in our own strength our line of Camps was at least four miles long and they were scattered around through the woods with about a brigade in a place without any regularity about it the consequence was when they attacked us with such aforce they kept us scattered most of the day and took a good many prisoners besides getting possession of a great many of our Camps we occupied more ground than we could hold against such aforce. it encouraged the rebels and they fought desperately whooping and yelling like they were possessed they said our brigade was the only one that stopt or checked them any length of time up to twelve oclock and our Regt was about all that done any good in our brigade there were several Regiments that helped us some but it seemed as though they couldnt fire more than two or three rounds till they would give way and another would come up and try it with the same success but that wasnt the way we done we lay within about eighty yards of them and held them there