Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1861-08-27
For the Spectator.
Battle OF Hainesville.
CAMP BEE,
-Four miles N. Of Winchester,
Juiv Sth. 1851.

uioHiaNa oi leisufe 10 give you some account OF
what saw OF the combat of the Cd o July, be-
tween our regiment, (the 5th,) aided by one guu
OF Oapt. Pendleton's battery, and the Federal
forces under Gen. Patterson. We received or
ders to march and took up our line of march o
ward the enemy at quarter rast 7, a. IN. After
proceeding along the road leading from Vim
chester to WIiamsport, about three miles, the
column was halted, and the West Augusta Guard,
Capt. aters, consolidating our advance guard
were deployed, to the right of our line of march,
as sklrmishers. They were soon support. d by
the Rockbridge Rifles, Capt. Letcl,er. On our
left Capt. Grinnan's Company were thrown out
Capt Avis Company pushed forward along the
road, closely followed Capt. Newton's, Capt. vii
lians, Capt. Roberts, Capt. Antrin's and Capt.
Doyle's Companies. The skirmishers on the
right were led and placed in order by Mai. Bay
lor, whose GOODNESS and skill called forth the
praise of the whole command his bearing was
most admirable, and would have done credit to
a veteran. After the deployment of our skir-
mishers the firing soon began. Tie balls from
the enemy flew thick and fast over our heads.
and Their whizzlng was by no means pleasant
music. | saw, and also did, some considerable
dodging OF the head but soon bt came accustoln-
ed TO the sound The whole Regiment pressed
on rapidly, and all were soon under fire. The
first thing that attracted my attention was the
fact that the enemy's line of skirmishers out
isnked US to the right and left by many hundred
yards; but they seemed to have bur little stom-
ach tor the light, many of them reakiDg to the
rear and throwing off their knapsacks and blan
kets as they ran away. When came in view
of the centre of our line, about 100 yards in
advance, Capt. Avis was hotly engaged with the
enemy who had stationed themselves behind
Porterfeld's house and the adjacent farm BALD
ings on the left of the main road Here the fire
was very heavy. Capt. Avis masaed his COM
pany and ordered charge with The bayonet,
which order was promptly and galan ly exe-
cuted, and the enemy, IN great nuinbeis, tied 10
wild confusion from their places of shelter They
ran through an orchard in rear Of the house
where they were exposed TO a heavy fire from
Avis, Roberts, Williams, Antrms and Doyla's
companies. Great numbers of them tell, and
tie ground WAS whitened with tileir blankets
thrown away in their rapic flight Avis con-
linued the pursuit to the left, also did Grnnan
| still farther to the left. Newton's, Roberts,
| Williams, Antrim's aud Doy|e's companies con
binued to advance along tie main read to q log
barn or stable on the right of the road which
| building was surrounded by high post and rail
and stake and ridered fence enclosing the sta
| BILE yard. These last named conpanies were
ordered to take shelter behind the stable or barn
| The fire from the enemy at this point was very
/ heavy, and the balls We're necessarily pattering
| upon the tence and upon the root OF the stable
! The men essayed to climb on the fence; Capt
! Doyle ordered them to desist, and step I'D out
of the line and opened gate leading into the
yard through which the men passed rapidly into
the yard without loss. At this point the battery
OF The enemy opened upon Us with shell; the
projecte passed at least 100 seet over our heads
The sun shone foil upon it l passing over, aud
| tha of no hlc1 In
1 escape of steam from small engine ard the
smoke from the burning fuse in the sunlight
! looked like steam. One of the men inquired
| with great earHestness, that's ''Stetne .ft5Rg, I"
aini ifs A second soon followed, con,ng Sill
nearer to the roof of the stable. 1t seemed the
enemy were aiming at Us. Col. Harper ordered
/ the companies behind the barn 10 filo out to the
1 right in an open wheat field partly cut and
shocked. Capt. Doyle led out at the head of His
company, and led the way, followed by the
rest down & ravine SO as to shelter the men from
the enemy's fire. At this point OF Capt.
I Doyle's men was nortally wounded. He was
taken up by his comrades aud carried about $50
yards to branch where he was lett, being quite
dead. We then retired to a wood Oh the right
of the line from whence we originally advanced.
i We had driven in the enelnys whole line OF
skirInishers under the protection Of their guns.
4 When the enemy's battery opened upon Us, our
whole command we're within 250 yards OF it,
The whole force Of the enemy was drawn up ia
order of battle. On the top of the ll, at about
tue same distance from Us, Gt was not until the
battery opened fire that saw the enemy drawn
up in position,) their number, tbink, was rot
less than 5000. From our position il, the boil
low could not see the battery, and did not get
q sight OF it until We had asceDded the bill on
our side of the hollow, as we fell back to our
original position. The enemy skirmishers W hom
= We had driven in, outnumbered us III the pro-
portion Of al least three to one After unr re-
treat to the right ground on one side OF the bol
low, | distinctly saw the skirlnishers WHOM we
had driven from the field rallying in tie rear OF
the enemy's line of bate. They rallied in two
bodies and were net less than 1900 strong There
were two regiments Of them, as we asc-rtained
: from a prisoner taken on the feld-the 1s5 Wis
consin and the 11th Pennsylvania. Capt PEN
dleton, with one gun "a light six-poander) cover
ed our retreat SO soon as he opened fire upon
the enemy the whole fire. OF tIair battery was
j directed at him. This doubtless saved us from
heavy loss. The fire Of Capt. 2. was most eff
!, lective. saw two shots. one ploughed through
column of infantry drawn up in rear of the
;. enemys line and short distance to the right OF
the enemy's battery. That column scattered
! like chaff before the Wind. The other shot
which | saw fired strucE one of the guns OF the
enemy. The artillerlefs ran away fro 1t, and
that gun fred no more during that action.
After the rout of his first line of skirlnishers.
the enemy threw out new line upon the left
aud threatened TO outtiauk Us 10 that direction,
and to cut off our retreat--the companies oi
Captains Doyle, Antrim, Williams, Roberts anc
! Waters, Il mention them in the order they occu-
pied in new line, Capt. Doylo's company be-
ing On the left Of tie iine.) The second line
sent out by the enemy Jared no better than his
frst-soon retiring and leaving as masters Of the
field. W Q cid not pursue them as we did the
first. The third sent ouLby the enemy against
US were Regulars. They came out in gallant
style and in splendid order her lines as straight
as ours on dress parade,) firing as they advanced
Ne retired gradually before them Obey greatly
outEumbereG us) until We gained skirt of very
thick wood bordering wheat field. Here we
halted aud opened heavy FIRE upon them They
nevertheless continued 10 advance until they
reached a fence separating the wheat field from
the pasture field through which they had driven
as Here they halted tor a few minutes. The
: fence row was thick with bushes and trees
From this point they fired heavily, but without
effect. About this time We were ordered to re-
treat to the turnpike, and accordingly the COM
panies of Captains Waters, Roberts, Williams
and Antrim retired through the woods 10 the
direction OF the turnpike, leaving Capt. Doyles
company still engaged with the enemy on the
extreme left. Capt. D. had not heard the order
to retire. The enemy about the time the order
to retreat Was given, crossed the fence into the
| - 1 ' 4 I'll n,It. NIB i Z