Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-11

[ AoDcrti, Autrlin =
q d Captain Doyes companies. The ssirmshers on
I the right led and placed 10 order by Major
Baylor, whose coolntss aud skill called forth the
/ praise or the whole command bis bearing was
most admirable, and would have done credit TO
veteran After the dopoyment Of our skrmishers tee
firing soon began. The balls from the enemy flew thick
aud fast heads, aad their whizzing BY
means pleasant music siw, aud also did some con-
siderable dodgDg of the head, bat became
TONED TO the sound. The whole Regiment pressed on
rapidly, and all under FIRE. The frst thing
that attracted my attention the fact that the
niys De OF skrmsheIs 0uh inktd as 70 the right II
lett y niiny hundred yards but they seemed TO have
bat Re stomach for the fight many Of them breaking
to the and throwing of their kuapsacks and blank
eta as they ran away When came in view Of the
e Of our lne about 100 yards in advance, Capt Avis
was hoty engaged with the enemy, who had stationed
themselves behind Portefslds house and the adjacent
farm buildings on the left of the main road Here the
FIRE very heavy Capt Avs massed his company aud
ordered a charge With the bayonet, which orcer was
promptly and ga!snty executed and the enemy, in grea
numbers fed in Wild confusion from their places OF shell
ter They ran through orchard in OF the house
where they we're exposed TO a heavy fire from Avis Ro
berts' Williams, Antrm's and D1yles companies Great
numbers OF them fell and the ground whitened with
their blankets thrown away ia their rapid light Avis
continued TIE pursuit to the l, also did Gfiuuan sill
f,riher 10 the left. Newtonr Roberts, Williams, An
trims and Dayle companes continued TO advance tljng
the m.iu road log barn stable the right of the
ROAD, when Duil0ng DV ulSn pOa aDu
rail and stake Gt rdered fence enclosing the stable
yard These last named companies ordered TO take
shelter behind the stable or barn. The fire from The
enemy this poGt very heavy and the balls we're
necessarily palierng upon the fence and upon the roof
of the stable The men essayed 10 climb the feuce
Capt Doyle ordeTfd them to desist and stepped out u
the ine and opened gate aiding the yard through
which the spassed rapidly iniO the yard, with
. cut less. At this pOin, the battery OF tho enemy
operei upon with she'll the prcjecte passed at least
ore hundred feet heads. Toe shown full
upon II ia passing over and the sound Of The burning
fuse rcscmbled the escape OF eteam from small en-
gap ard the smcke from the burning fuso in the sunlight
locked Ike steam 0ae Of the Inquired with great
eirnesness, thaIsa "steam firing" amt IL. second
followed, coming ati nearer to the roof Of the
sable Il seemed the enemy we're aiming a. US. Col
Harper ordered the companies behind tie barn to file
tho right in open wheat field partly cut and
shocked Capt Doyle led GU. at the head OF his company
and led The way, followed by the rest down ravire
as 20 shelter the men from the enemJ's ire. At this
point one Of Capt. DoylGs men mortall7 wounded
He was taken up by bis comrades aud carried about 2J0
yards TO branch where he Left being quite dead
We then retired to wood the right OF the line from
whence originally advanced. We had driven in the
enCmys whole line Of skTnShers under the protection
Of thtis gus When toe enemy battery opened upol
u.s. our whole command were Within $50 yards Of it,
r. wEos force Of tbe enemy drawn up in order Of
battle the top OF tie h at about the same distance
ffom Il. not until the battery opened fire that
ihink not less than 5000 From our position
in the hollow / could no: the battery and
did not get sight Of II until we had ascended tEe
--ae of t.ss hsses,--s We fei iact 90 egs
original p0sitiOn Tue euelDys skrmislers, whom We
bad driven Ia, oulnunbered u. III the proportion CT at
three After retreat 10 the right ground
side OF the hollow dsiaclly the skirmisi
80 whom had driven from the field, rallypg ia tie
of the enemy line Oi batla They rallied III tNn
b1des aud not les than 200 strong. There
lyn rfgimeus WI nepgftanel a LFisDner
taken the fiedthe let Wisconsin aad the lth Penn
sylyapia Capt. PeldetoD, with one gun Ia hgh siA
pouuder covered retreat So as he opened ire
upon tho enemy the whole FIRE OF their battery d.
r,cted him. This doubtless saved fom heavy os
Ths re Of Capt. r. most effective. saw two Shots
ore pru .hed through column Of infantry drawn up
OF the ene line and short distance to the right
Of the enemys battery That column scattered lie c ar
bfOre the wind The other hot which saw fired struck
OF the g1ns Of the enemy. The artllefs away
fom IT, aud that gun red more during that action.
After the rout of his first lne Of skirmshers the
my threR ont line upon the left and threatened 10
oulnk in that direction and TO cut off our retreat
the companies Of Captains Doyle, Antrim, Williams Ro
ber.s and Waters q mention them 10 the order they
cupiei in our new lne Capt. Dsye's company being on
the left Of the hle The second line sent out by the
enemy f1red better than his rst-soon retiring and
having masters OF the field. We did not pursue them
we did the first The third sent cut by the enemy
against Us we're Regulars. They out in gallant
style and in splended Order their lines sLaght
on dress psrada) firing they advanced We retired
gradually before them they greatly odtnunbered u un
Ill we gained skirt OF ysry thick wood bordering a
wheat field. Here we bal.ed and opened heavy fire
upon them. They nevertheless contiaued to advance
unt they reached fence separating the wheat field
from the pasture field through which they had driven
Here they halted for few minutes The fence
thick with bushes and trees From this point they fred
heavily hut without fleet About this time or
dsred TO retreat TO the turnpike, and accordingly Il
companies of Captains Waters Roberts, Williams aud An
trim retired through the woods in the direction Of the
turnpike leaving Capt. Doyles company still engaged
with the enemy the extreme lett. Captain ID. bad
not heard the order 10 retire. The enemy, about tue
time the order TO retreat given, crossed the fence
into the wheat Id, which stood tall and rank aud sd
vanced upon the wood which Doye's company still
cupsd That gallant company poured in upon them th es
or four heavy fes the las; at about 100 yards when
they wee deed by their Captain to retreat which they
did in double-quick. The enemy came to the fence
sep rating the wheat fed from the woods from whence
D5ylc had jlst retired aud there they baed and fred
two or three tremendous voleys into the woods. From
their FIRE 1t med il at least 800 hundred
4itnted their force Ct that point When this firing
heard by the OF the Regiment at that time half
mile distant great fears entertained for the safety
Of Can't Doyles command bu. in a few minutes @ pt |
Dayle brought his company up, not having lost mau
In the last cor tet
Our Regiment mustered about $50 men en- ih. morn.
ling OF the 6ght Capt Harmana fne company was no.
with us teiog ont on pcket. We llst two men killed
and nine wounded Providence surely watched over
and protected us. We for more than two hours
Ingared in su open country Gyhng enemy !, SIS
han 600 sirong with sr pieces OF artillery. We
uder Gre ell the while from The tim, the firing first
ommenced until left the field. The souad OF Shz-
ing balls and bullets was never out of our The
onduct of our officers from the highest TO the lowest
tade was above all prize TIE bittled moro like
erns ured to the dangers of by long years ot
tryice mid OF blood and carnsge, thaa Of m.n
esh from the peaceful avoca,ions Of country home,
fnot one of them had before been under fie,
Ter before saw the waving of hostile banner.
To our ID be the glory, Him the hymns Of thanks
vrg and praises be sung r surely he has nerved our
r,s and made to be valiant and strong in the fight,
Ia has brought diseoni upon the enemy.
Tbe loss OF the enemy very heavy. From rea.
g. sources Of Information may safely set down his
is at 800 killed and wounded Gen. Paterson, in h'
de to Gen. Scott, sets down his loss as very tritpg
n in the came note he sets down our fofets engaged
vh him at G 900 or 1000. So you sec the General
Hut stick to the truth We halted within one and
nf, n hat mined