Interesting letter from Frank A. Haskell.
The Portage Register publishes an interesting letter from our fellow townsman Frank A. Haskell of the Wisconsin 6th. now Acting Assistant Adjutant General of Gibbon’s Brigade to his brother in that city. It relates to the late battles about Manassas and in Maryland, We copy some extracts:

THE FIGHT NEAR GAINESVILLE
On the 29th of August on the turnpike from Warrenton to Centerville, near Gainesville King’s division encountered the right wing of the enemy.
I will not say now whose was the fault, but of the division consisting of four brigades, two were not engaged at all, and one other but lightly. But Gibbon’s, the 2d, 6th and 7th Wisconsin, and 19th Indiana, which the rebels have named the “Black Hat” Brigade – they wear black felt Army Hats – went into the fight. This was their first hard battle, as the sun was going down upon this pleasant August day their line was formed that they stood face to face with three times their number – nowhere a hundred yards distant, and in some places not more than twenty – and for nearly an hour and a half until entire darkness came upon the earth, the little hill whereon they stood was a roaring hell of fire. Retiring never an inch. with no confusion, now standing up, now flat upon the earth, now swaying backwards or forwards to get advantage on ground, the devoted 1800 blazed with fire. Line after line of the rebels confronted them and was swept away or broke in confusion. Fresh regiments would again appear upon the grounds, their discomfited ranks had left and with a cheer would rush on for a charge upon the “Black Hats”.  But their rebel cheer was drowned in one three times louder by the Badger boys, and their lines met the fate of their predecessors. No battle was ever so fierce before – no men ever did better than did the men of Gibbon’s Brigade. With the darkness came cessation of the rebel fire, and then, and not till then, ours ceased. We had yielded not an inch and our pickets covered our advanced lines. Then came the taking off the dead and wounded. Then we learned the extent of our loss.
Now was the hardest part of the battle – to learn who of our friends were killed or wounded. 771 of the brigade had fallen. I cannot give the names of any; you have read them in the papers. At a little past midnight we were ordered to leave the scene of our terrible battle, and having cared for the wounded as well as we could and taken as many as the ambulances would hold with us, we silently took up the line of the march of Manassas Junction. As the daylight came on the next morning none of us could look upon our thinned ranks, so full the night before, now so shattered, without tears.and the faces of those brave boys, as the morning sun disclosed them, no pen can describe. The men were cheerful, quiet and orderly. The dust and blackness of battle were upon their clothes, and in their hair and on their skin. “but you saw none of these; you only saw their eyes, and the shadows of the “light of battle,” and the furrows plowed upon cheeks that were smooth a day before, and not now half filled up. I could not look upon them without tears, and could have hugged the necks of them all.

THE BATTLE OF SOUTH MOUNTAIN
OUR FORCES HERE, I SUPPOSE EXCEEDED 30,000. THAT OF THE ENEMY WAS FROM 30,000 – 40,000. By one or two o’clock P.M. the battle became general. Reno, first attacking on the left, and Hooker on the righ; the turnpike was the center, and was guarded on our side by our numerous batteries. At about 4o’clock P.M. Gibbons’ Brigade, which belong to the bully Joe Hooker’s corps, but was that day detached, got orders from Gen. Burnside to move up the turnpike towards the gorge and attack the enemy and dislodge them. This was the hard place of the whole line but this Brigade never falters, and amid Hooker’s thunder upon the right, and Reno’s upon the left, the “Black Hats” moved steadily on to their work,

At the sun an hour high in the afternoon with its rays streaming full in their faces, they were engaged with the enemy’s infantry, largely their superiors in numbers and posted behind stone walls and in woods, the rebel batteries meantime hurling shell among us to which our own artillery replied with interest. The rebel artillery was silenced, the brigade drove all before it up the gorge as darkness came on, and we heard first the cheers of Reno, then of Hooker, upon our left and right telling us that all but the center was won. Wisconsin through commencing last and with its work not done could not fail to do that work well before it slept. So above the roar of the battle went up the cheers of the Wisconsin men in response to those of their friends upon the right and left and with the coming on of night they redoubled their work.-

At about 10, P.M. the battle closed.- the enemy was dislodged from the gorge, and the Brigade rested upon their arms- the 6th where they fought the others, relieved by fresh troops, who came and took their places and the fell back a few yards, first for more ammunition, then for sleep. And the victory was won along the whole line and the rebels were in confusion and retreat upon the other side of the mountain.

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM
Our brigade moved out to battle a little after sunrise and before we had moved a hundred yards toward the enemy their second shell- the first just passed over out heads – dropped and exploded in the 6th Wisconsin and killed or wounded thirteen men and officers- Capt. D. K. Noyes of Baraboo being among the latter. He has had his right foot amputated saving the heel and ankle joint- is dong well and will undoubtedly recover. We moved on to battle and soon the whole ground shook at the discharges of artillery and infantry. Gainesville, Bull Run, South Mountain were good respectable battles but in the intensity  and energy of the fight and roar of firearms, they were but skirmishes in comparison to this of Sharpsburg. The battle raged all day, what short intervals during which charges were being made in the disposition of troops. At night we were in occupation of almost all we had gained of ground; this was a good deal The enemy’s dead and wounded were nearly all in our lines. The slaughter upon both sides is enormous. All hands agree that before they had never seen such a fearful battle. The loss of the Brigade was in killed and wounded, 880 – 47.5 percent. of the men engaged. The victory was complete, but not decisive. The 18th was consumed in maneuvering and ascertaining the position of the enemy and on that night he skedaddled out of Maryland leaving his dead unburied, his wounded uncared for and a large amount of arms and some guns in our hands. About twenty stands of colors were captured by us – two by the 6th Wisconsin. The flag of the 6th received three bullets in the flags staff and some fifteen in the flag! that of the 2d Wisconsin – 3 bullets in the staff and more than twenty in the flag. We are now near the field. I hope you may never have the occasion to see such a sight as it is. It will not attempt to tell you of it. But amid such scenes we are all cheerful, the men were never more so – victory in two hard great battles and the rebels out of Maryland made us glad.

 INCIDENTS
THROUGH ALL THESE FOUR BATTLES WHICH I HAVE HINTED AT, I HAVE BEEN AND AM UNHARMED. I CANNOT TELL HOW ANYONE COULD HAVE SURVIVED; BUT WE ARE ALIVE AND HAVE THE BELIEF THAT HE WHO CONTROLS THE DESTINIES OF NATIONS AND MEN, HAS SAVED ME, AND WILL , UNHARMED , IN MANY MORE BATTLES.

I have not been afraid of anything in battle. One does not mind the bullets and shells much, but only looks to the men and the enemy to see that all is right. I saw many incidents of battle that would interest you, but cannot now tell them. One however I will tell, On the 17th, about 10 o’clock A. M., I was sent to Gen. Hooker with a message. I had to ride through a hailstorm  of bullets from the enemy not a hundred yards and off and was upon the gallop upon my pet horse “Joe,”  a fine creature, fleet as a deer, and brave  as a lion , who had carried me in all the battles, when a musket bullet hit him full in the side, he jumped into the air – the blood spurted several yards from the wound, and he staggered to fall. I dismounted and patted his neck to take leave of the faithful creature. He leaned his head against me like a child. But I must leave him; I started, and he whinnied after me and tried to follow. I went to him and again stroked his neck and patted him. He seemed to know as much as a man. I again started to leave him. He again tried to follow, but his poor legs could carry him no more ; he whinnied for me feebly, and fell, and was dead in a minute. I could not help a tear for him.

Captain Bachelle of the 6th Wisconsin had a pet Newfoundland dog that he had raised, and which was always with him. Master and dog both fell dead together upon the field shot with bullets.