The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-01

hour on Sunday night. 1t loses none OF its
in tercst, however, by the slight delay in its
publ cation:
Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch
CAMP DEFIANCE,
september %, 10 r. M.
On the 14th of September General Floyd
and his forces encamped on the summit OF the
Big Sewell. and ordered the Wise Legion,
which, to cover his rear, WIS drawn np in
order of battle at Locust Lane, to camp east
of him at Sm1lcs's, on the turnpike. The
troops of the Wise Legion, who were in nc
tmiable humor at so much retreating, and
psp"claily at being obliged TO retire from
Dogwood Gan without fighting, were much
exhausted and annoyed at having been kept
ON the road from ih the mor:.lug TIL
eleven at night, t,miXcd up with an intermina-
Bite train of wagons belonging to -he Floyd
brigade, tor the purpose OF only proceeding Il
!eW miles, and though net being able 10 OBJ
tam any detiHrte order as to their destDa ton.
pn the eastern slope of the Big Sew,li be-
tWten TWO small farms called DlXOn's and
Vaughn s, General Wise selected his camp
ing ground at the place since called Camp
Defiance and which undoubtedly is with
Dogwood Gap, one of the two strongest posi-
tons between the Aileghanies and the Ohio
river. On the 18th and 18TH Gen Floyd was eu-
dustrlousiy occupied throwing up field works
10 tne westward OF the summit OF Big Seueii.
ihe position, h0wevfr, WAS not one tenahle
against superior force, and this Gen. Floyd
seems to have found out. On the night OF
The 10Th 10 the 18th he made Il very precip-
tate retreat from the Big SpWell with about
3o'" men To Meadow Bluh, destroying much
n;tSs"Se ana abandoning much provision.
HIS troops were under the i'm preston that
ten RoStncranZ was pressing Oh with JUuJ
men.
After passing the Wise Legion he ordered
General Wise, On the following day TO pre-
pare 10 cover his rear and follow him
TO meadow Bluff, having information that
Tue enemy was advancing one column by
the wilderness road Ii was i'm possible
/
ofcefs, even had they been positive and
IN TACT one was not executtbie at all
! III WAS only by main tanning its position a all
hazards that The Legion couId protect the
| rear of the Floyd Brigade. The experience
OF DogWood Gap, occupied in force with ar
nilery by the enemy Il few hours after the
vase Legion left it by Gen. Floyd's order,
sheWed clearly, and the event at Camp Def
auee, subsequently confirmed that on the
'Dafuonmfnt or the latter position, the enemy
WouIu Immediately occupy it in full force.
flo9u ; hlleaoe was much demoraliZcd since
HIS retreat from Camp Gauicy and the fol
lowing RETREATS. The Wise Legion, willing
enough 10 tight, would have been equally de
moraiized by retreating any further Meadow
BluU aHordS no positions. No real demon
stration had yet or has since been made on
The W udtrness road, nor did there exist any
reason why there should be- since the enemy
could more conveniently, if i'll force sufficient,
strike the turnpike further eas tward as for
instance at the Little Sewell. If the w ise Lee
gion had retreated and been followed
up by superior forces, its existence
was imperilled, and thereby the rear
of the Floyd Brigade left UNPROTECTED
But, at all events that retreat was impossi-
! bic without the abandonment of baggage
| because Gen. Floyd had detained man,
! wagons belonging to the already insufficient
t;ansi,Cr tation OF the Wise Legion, and be
cause the roads had been so much cut up bv
| the vast train of tile Floyd Brigade. The
WRITER counted twenty eight wagons belong
| lug to and following the last regiment OF
| Gen. tto4d's Brigade, which was lust twenty
more than accompanied the regiment which
/ closed up W Nises column. Under these cir
/ cumSt2nceS Gen. Wise resolved to make n
| stand where he WIS camped, and where on
| the morning after his reaching the ground
| ne btd began 10 throw ND eEtrauchments
| Here i was Impossible tor IN enemy to bring
NOR" than TWO guns or Il thousand men II,
! bear OIL any part OF his position and on every
point, within 4 few minutes, Gen. Wise
| could bring SIX Of his eight pieces aud two
| thirds OF his force into play sides the ad-
vantage OF entrenchments. In addition. most
| OF the officers OF tue Legion spoke openly of
| reSighauon II compelled TO retreat any
| further.
On the lSth General Wise addressed the
| troops of his Legion stating substantially
thal hitherto he had never retreated but in
ooedhtnee to superior orders. That here he
| was determined 10 make stand That his
| force consisted only of l,7J0 infantry and ar
| tllierv. anu that the enemy was alleged to
| be $4,000 strong. That this he did not believe
| but that his men must be prepared to tigb t
| ehemy was in the full force represented. the
| position admitted of successful defen CO. and
| he was determined to abide the issue He
| warned them that they would probabt be
| attacked ffout and rtar fer successive davs
| amt he called on any officer or soldier who
| ieit doubtful OF the result, or unwilling to
sEtnu by hinl III this trial, step forward
| prom ising that thev should be marched NJ
once TO Meadow Bluff. ihs speech delivered
| successfully 10 the three regiments of in tantry
! and 10 the artillery, was received with the
widest enthusi SIN. Not one solitary indi-
NlG'ial IN the Legion failed to respond and
| the slnrIt OF the corps WIS raised and main
| tanned at the highest fighting pitch
Inc provision and baggage wagons wer,
Withdrawn into sat" positions, aud the camp
on all slGeS strengthened In this attitude.
! the legion remained Till abont the 2Oth when
| strengthened by the arrival of Capt R0mer's
artlttry company, with one gun by that OF
one Virginia, one North Carolina, and three
| GeorEl1 computes, which sweiled the forces
| ol the W Use Legion TO over =, ,0oo men About
| TINS time Gen. Lee arrived in Gen Fioyd :
camp, at Meadow Bluff and wrote to Gen
Hise, na'lsihs hIm TO fa'i back, ifexccuta-
bic, without delay. Before &c sing on this I'D
| wee Gen. Wise requested Gen. Lee 10 ius pect
| the position IL person. Ol the I'D Gen Lee
arrived at Camp Defiance, aud after 4 eare-
| 1ul survey OF the ground ordered Gen. Wise
to main t;tin his position until further orders
| The enemy had meanwhile II vaueed to
| within three or four miles, and several skir-
| lnishes had taken place between his outposts
=
der Major Bacon, formerly Captain of
| Mounted Rangers in Nicaragua, and after
| ward aid to Gen. Garnett, and wounded by
the side of that General when he fell
| The rest of the cavalry was still under its
| gallant Colonel, J. l.. Davis, and Lieut.. Col.
| Clarkson, south of New river where they ffs, Il
| pushed Il daring and successful foray up to
within II miles of Charleston. One nigh
| Gen. Wise, with IA few picked companies in =
Gliding the Richmond Blues and the Missis-
sipr Rangers, of the I'd Regiment, under
| Capt. lmDoden, attempted TO feel and ,mbus-
| cade the enemy, and drive in their outposts
| killing three OF them-the General himsel.
| lying down for several hours in a hi it.icss
shower. Notwithstanding, All that could be
ascertaned OF the enemy was, that he was on
| the turnpike, probably from Z oD9 10 oa1
| strong. On the afternoon of the 2ad. whisr
the infantry and artillery of the Legion were
| rehersing their part on the contemplatet,
points OF attack, the enemy suddenly appear
t1,Ssng ths M 9af ihs sf fs das ns:t ara
ed with bis tents, and skirmishing commenced
ana Continued I'll; the evening. On our sids
| two gun attachments OF the artillery and
faree companies Of the I'd Regiment Of the
| (eut IN consequences OF his having charge o!
| the Infantry and artillery under the Im.as.
diate command Of Lieut.. Col. Frank Ander.
son. who disting guished himself by the daring
with 4S men, after Lockbridge and Titus lad
| failed with SO0) Capt lmboden's, Capt, Lew.
ISIS, and Capt. Cranes University comIany
were the companies engaged, with one SIX.
FOUNDER and one howitzer, under Mnio,
Nbbes, OF South Carolina, Capt. McCom a.
| aad LieutFPairo, of Richmond
The causualties We're triiiing on our side
though We have to regret the death of Lieut.
Howell, of Mississippi, of Capt. MeDonnell',
company, and that of one of Capt Imboden'.
gallant Rangers. Captain Lewis was sho
through the breast, but Is doing we'll Thre,
| privities Were wounded In the above named
companies, one very severely. The only ioss
| III tho urrillefY WINS I.ianf Pair.,.a hn.s.