The national Republican., 1861-10-17
SOUTHERN INTELLIGENCE.
THE FLOYD AVID WISE DIFFICULTf
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We d1d the ybllowine aecount bft Ne opera.
tionsM M Floyd's and wise's forces IN Western
Virginia since the battle Of Carnifex Ferry
in the Richmond Dispatch of October 2. It's
authorship was attributed in Richmond to Col.
Henningsen, who arrived in tho rebel capital
with General Wise on'the 10th ult. It is severe
on Floyd, and is pronounced too partial to Wise
by the Richmond papers:
Camp Defiance, September rs, p. Mon the
lith Of September, ,Gen. Floyd and his forces
encamped on the summit Of the Big Sewell,
and ordered the Wise legion, which, to cover
| MS rear, was drawn up in order Of battle at
tS Log Lane, to camp east Of him at smales, on
The troops Of tho Wise legion, whb were in
no antable humor at SO much retreating, and
especially at being obliged to retire from Dog.
wood Gap, without fighting, were much eS.
| hausted, and annoyed at having been kent on
the road from six in the morning till eleven at
| night, mixed up with an interninable train of
wagons belonging 70 the Floyd brigade, for the
without being able to obtain any deanite order
| as TO their destination.
| onthe eastern slope of the Big sewell, be-
tween two small farms called Dixon's and
vaughsn's, Gen. Wise selected his camping.
~.
and which undoubtedly Is, with Dogwood Gap,
one OF the strongest positions between the Allie.
ganiss and the Ohio river. - -"
ON me 18th and 18th, Gen. Floyd was indus.
trlousiy occupied throwing up field works to
the westwardof the summit Of Big seweil. The
| position, however, was not one tenable against
superior force, and this General Floyd seems
TO have found out. On the night of the 18th TO
from the Big Sewell, with about 900 men, to
Meadow Bluff, destroying much baggage and
abandoning much provision. His troops we're
under the impression that Gen. Rosecrans was
pressing on with Is 900 men. After passing the
Wise Legion, he ordered Gen. Wise, on the fol-
lowing day, to prepare to cover his rear ami
to follow him to Meadow Bluff, having informa.
ton that the enemy was advancing one column
by the wilderness road. 49,
y was impossible for Gen. Wise to comply
with both orders, even had they been positive,
and In fact one was not executed at ali, ItWas
only by maintaining its position at all hazards
That tho legion could protect tho rear of the
Floyd brigade. The experience of Dogwood
Gap, occupied IN force with artillery BY tue
enemy = few hours after the Wise Legion lef,
" BY Gen. Floyd's order, showed clearly, and
the event at Camp Defiance subsequently con
frmed, that on the abandonment Of the latter
position the enemy would Immediately occupy
| 1t in force.I Floyd's brigade was much demor
allied since his retreat from Camp Gauley and
the following retreat. The Wise Legion, willing
enough to tight, would have been equally de.
Bluff affords no position. No real demonstr,,
| tion had yet or has since been made on the
| wilderness road, nor did there exist any reason
why there should be, since the enemy could
| more conveniently, II In force ffcenf, strike
the turnpike further eastward, as, for instance,
at the Little Sewell, ,.l,.. i. , - C1iC7 r
: II the Wise legion had retreated, and beo1
followed up by superior forces, its existenoe
was imperilled, and thereby the rear of tile
Floyd brigade -left unprotected. But, at ali
| events, that rotreat was impossible of exc Gu
ton without the abandonment OF baggage be.
causs Cen. Floyd had detained many wagons
tation of the Wise Legion, and because the
| roads had been so much cut up by the vast
train Of the Floyd brigade, ,n.'J :, ToII1
The writer counted twenty eight wagons be.
Gen. Fioyd's brigade, witch was just twenty II
| more than accompanied the regiment which
closed up Wise's oounn.I .l D..':"-'T
| Under these circumstances, Gen. Wise re.
solved to make stand where he was On.
camped, and where, on the morning after his
| reaching the ground, he had begun to throw
up entrenchments. Here II was impossible fol
IN enemy to bring more than two guns, or 4
thousand men, to bear on any part Of his posi-.
tion; and on every point, within = few minutes,
Gen. Wise could bring six Of his eight pieces
and two.thirds Of his force into play, besides
the advantage of entrepchments. In addition
most OF the officers Of the legion spoke openly
Of resigning, II compelled 70 retreat any fur.
| ther. ''- u ''... ..'.
On the 18th, General Wise addressed The
troops of his legion, stating substantially thai
hitherto he had never retreated but in nbedi.
ence to superior orders that here he was de-
termined to mako stand; that his force con.
sisted only Of loo infantry and artillery. and
that the enemy was alleged to DO l5, 900 strong
that this he did not believe, but that his mon
must be prepared TO fight two or three, or sew.
eral to one; and even If the enemy were in the
full force stated, the position admitted Of sue.
| cessful defence, and he was determined to abide
| the issue. He warned them that they would
prot. .biy be attacked 'front.' and rear for sue,
soldier who fclt doubtful of the result, or un
willing to stand by him in this trial, to step for.
ward, promising that they should be marched
at once to Meadow Bluff. This speech, deliver.
fantry and to the artillery, was received with
the widest enthusiasm. Not one solitary indi
vidual in the legion failed to respond, and the
spirits % OF the corps were % raised and maintained
The provisions and baggage wagons were
withdrawn into safe positions and the camp on
all sides strengthened. In this attitude the le.
gion remained till about the goth, when II was
| strengthened by tho arrival of Capt. Romer's
artillery company, with one gun, and by that OF
one Virginia, one North Carolina, aud three
Georgia companies, which sweed the forces
of the Wise legion TO over 1000 men. About
this time Gen. Lee arrived in General Floyd's
camp, at Meadow Bluff, and wrote to General
Wise, advising him to fall back, If exeoutable
without delay. Before acting on this advice.
General Wise requested General Lee to inspect
the position in person. On the 22d General
Lee arrived at Camp Defiance, and, after
careful survey of the ground, ordered General
Wise to maintain his position until further
orders. "
The enemy had, meanwhile, advanced 10
within three or four miles, and several skir.
mishes had taken place between his outposts
and the remaining cavalry of the legion under
Major Bacon, formerly captain Of mounted
rangers in Nicaragua, and afterward aid 10
General Garnett, and wounded by the side Of
that General when he fell. The rest of The
cavalry WAS still under its gallant Colonel, J. I.
Davis, and Lieutenant Colonel Clarkson, south
of the New river, where they had pushed
daring and successful foray up to within twelve
miles Of Charleston. -
One night General Wise, with a few picked
companies, including the Richmond Blues and
Mississippi Rangers, of tho second regiment