Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-10
Eattle Of Gross Lance.

We end il the Lynchburg "Repuol'can' u
+ho nth inst, tho following account OF lh'h
h,,t,e from the pen of it's editor, Il. T.. '1lasS'
ubo il will be seen, was ''thcre to see:
ur,porAITERs FLOYD BRIGADE,
August 18th, 1861.
ro,rhed here last evening just in time TO
.l.ie;nate this morning in our first engage
nment with the enemy. :, ,d
When I arrived yesterday at T. a., liouuu
tho brigade drawn up in beautiful line Oh oas
IN and Gen. Floyd and his statf upon Inc nelu
commentary expectation OF an attack iron
!, TrIer's command, which had driven IN
~ ~ tickets. and was in q mile Of our llnes.-
!, artillery was posted on the brow OF the
In wbich we occupied, commanding tne
main nn road, while to the right and left our m
Can,rv lines extended, protected by some has'-
" thrown up rail brcast-works. The enemy
IA no, attack IFS, however, and, at night 'ail'
onr men were ordered TO stand upon their arms
al u;oi,t while our horses stood under thelf
saddles. and their riders slept in their pootS
and spurs. h,
During the night our scoul brought uS ac'
c,,o,, Information as to the position oil Inc
enemy, and Gen. Floyd determined to attack
him dear the dawn of morning. 1t was ar
,,nraI that Col. Heath should advance IN the
ce,tre. Col. Reynolds to conduct the right
.iny while Col. McCauslin was to cut OF the
enc,ny's retreat by q circuit to the left.
Al o'clock 4. NJ, the Brigade was i'll mo
tim. and the clear ring of the Generals stem
,orisn voice was heard along the lines in tho
rrcsh morning air like the blast OF n trumpet.
No wore all instantly TO our arms and to our
saddles, and advanced rapidly at double quick.
A heavy fog hung over tho hills and along the
valleys, and VIC approached almost upon the
enemy's pickcts before they saw US. They
fred and ran, distinctly in our view, and not
4 hundred yards in our advance. Our men
gave . shout ct the sound of that SORT Of music,
ard dashed Oh with accelerated speed. In n
few minutes We discovered the blue coats Of
the enemy, AZ they stood drawn up near a
church by tie road side, while TO our right
and behind z fence stood another column Of the
enemy. Is SOON as Col. lleath's regiment
.;ncrcrd from the woods into the open tiald,
which commanded the church, they opened fire,
and after a few rounds, the enemy hastily re-
treated across O corn Geld and To the brow o'
. rrecigitatc and commanding hill. In The
m9lntilnc, Col. Reynolds regiment bad opened
un lie cucmy upon the right, and they too we're
soon made 10 beat f preclpltate retreat, as shout
on shOu! Of our men rent the air. zen. Floyd
then gave the command to throw down the
fence an the right Of the road, and charge the
enemy Oh tho hill. In al instant, and almost
at Il single stroke Of the arm, the fence went
down, and our men, led on b. their gallant
Colonel, (Hcath,) dashed ecross the c~orniield
an! charged to the top Of the bill, driving the
enemy to q still higher eminence, completely
commanding the first. Here the s~har9est part
o. the conflict occurred. The eneny EaiI
teired their position with considerable ob5ti-
macy, wnundirg several Of our men AID killing
some.
Our lire becoming too hot again lcr the
cncmY, they retired To m adjoining wood.
Again our men dashcd or to the charge, as
cending the brow Of the second hill, and shoot
ing as they went. 1T this stage Capt. Jack.
sons artillery wgs hurried to the front. 1t
came dashing through the field and 10 the brow
ui the hill, and letting Iy vi rounds, the
enemy disappeared through the woods. In the
meantime, Capt. llart's artillery had crossed
the field and assembled an adjoining hill, but
not in time to give the enemy n few Of his grape.
! The llcs:ia;s wcrc nov in full retreat on all
hands, and rs they descended from The hill TO
the ravinc and road upon the other side, Col.
MaCauslln pitched into them with his force,
whea the whole broke and took to the woods,
every man lQr himself. Had not the Yankee
;,u!uile, ran before his men, he would doubtless
f..Yt been captured h this part Of our force.
Pursuit was Immediately determined upon
~ OAR General. On cur gallant men rushed
in more than double quick time, and continued
TIC Iursui! inr sOme ciSh: or ten miles, but
with no ctte: i. suit than the capture Of il mum.
Lcr Of prisoners, ionr baggage Wagons, one
ambulance, and several guns aud other articles,
1 Huc chest OF mrhic;ars was captured, which.
is noa in the hands uf IN friend, DR.. H!r'ycs,
from Wy,ac"i!!c.
We attacked the c.cIi" 81 early ard MEX
pectcdiy Ina! they evidently had to leave
wilho,l! breakfast, for, AZ 81" passed their
camp. bushels CT stolen roasting cars, lnanti-
ties CT beef, pigs and bread were found on their
FIRES.
have no. learned the loss Of the enemy,
hut it was ~sareral killed, many wounded, and
still Il e2ca.er number taken prisoners. Ali OF
them were uhioans, and We learned from
lhem that Colonel Tyler, his Lieut.. Colonel,
Surgeon md Preacher, all ran soon after the
engagement opened. They cursed them
sounily for their coward ly conduct in desert
Ing their men 80 early in the action. They
had Ief. their main provision train (thirty
vacoas) some Is miles in the rear, or VIZ
should have captured the whole of them.
All Of our men and officers acted with the
greatest g~allantry and courage. Col. Heath
led in front Ct his men and was shot through
the coat. \ minnie ball wounded the horse oil
Nlsior lIounshcll. Col. Reynolds was also
shot through the coat. anl came near losing
his life.
General Floyd, wh0 is rs brave as 4 lion,
followed with his staff, and in his red hunting
shirt, upon the very heels Of his troops, (fre,
uuen,Iy in their very Inidst,) encouraging
,ncm b. his example an! commanding Voice.
j Captain Sneal's company, of Amherst, was
actively in The fight, and performed sdnlra'
hv and Captain Henry, of Amherst, though
/ not properly belonging to the fighting depart.
. ,nen, OF the Brigade, shouldercd his gun and
J was in the thickcst Of the fight. Our friend,
! ~t,ant.in Peters, was also with us in The thick
est Of the fight make these special men
|. lions, merely because they are our hnmt peo'
. Die, and their friends will feel 4 deeper inte
reat in them than in others "ho acted equally
az well.
!; Col. Tunpkins' regiment waa held i'll reserve
and did not, ! think, get actively into the fight
} The Colonel and his men, however, was holly il
j th,. chase, md took many OF the prisoners, the
) Colonel himself taking Captain shurtlcft, ant
} others. ,
hnyt. heard The conduct Of Lieutenant Col
J Kinney ard Major MaTbone highly spoken OF.
; Onr scouts arc still bringing i'll prisoners
) Among The last IL a Swapping negro, who has
! excited unuch curiosity among our darkies.
This battle will be known AZ that OF Gross
Iauss and ID Of far more Fignifcancc Lhan tho
number killed aud Wounded woild indicate.
, CO.. TyIrr'S romrnah'i vas ol'' OF The very
} best Of The enemy; be one OF their crach ON
} GERS. 1t has for a long lime been proving
/! through nj! this country, holding 1t IN complete
! subsection. Tyler it was who boosted that NJ
yonld march to Lewisbu.g at all hazards, ant
would catch Floyd and Wise and feed them on
hpsns Il has now been defeated, routed and