New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-09-10
rhe Battle OF Gross Lanes.

present atthe battle Of Gross Lanes On the 26th
uIt., and furnishes a full account FROM which we
extract the following. He puts down se casualties
on our side at four killed and twenty two wounded,
the loss of the eneny being at tie time unknown:
-. - ssHzADsUAF1sa rs Ftorp Balsspy,s
Ireached here last evening just il tine to par
ticipate this morning in our first engagement with
the enemy. ~ r.
When I arrived yesterday at P. H.. found the
brigade drawn up in beautif1l line OF battle and
Gen. Floyd and bis staff upon the field in moment
arg expectation of an attack from Colonel Fyler's
command, which had driven in our piekets, and
was Within mile Of Our lines. Oar artillery was
posted on the brow of the hill, which we occupy,
commanding the main road while to the right and
iest our infantry lines extended, protected by some
hastily thrown up rail hreastworks. The enemy
did not attack US, however, and, at night fall orr
night, while our horses stood under taeiF saddles,
and their riders slept in their boots and spurs
During the night our scouts brought us accurate
information as TO the position Of the enemy, and
Gen. Floyd determined to attack him near the
dawn of morning. 1t was arranged that Colonel
Heath should advance in the centre Cox Reynolds
to conduct the right wing, " bile Col Caaslin was
to cut off the enemy'5 retreat BY circuit to The
left.
At 4o'clock A. NJ the Brigade was in motion,
and the clear ring of the Generals stenterian
ing air like the blast Of trumpet. We were an
instantly to our and to our saddles, and ad-
vanced rapidly, at double quick. A heaFF fog hung
over the hills and along the valleys, and NE APP
preached almost upon the enemy "a spiekets before
they saw u.s.. They fired and ran, distinctly In cur
view, and not q hundred yards in our advance
Our men gave shout at the sound Of that sort of
music and dashed on with accelerated sneed. 4 In
few minutes we discovered the blue Goats of the
enemy, as they stood drawn up near a church by
the roadside, while to- right and behind fence
stood another column of the enemy. A soon as
Col. Heath's regiment emerged from the woods
into the open field, which commanded the church,
they opened fire. and after a few rounds, the en-
erny hastily retreated across corHeld and to the
brow of q precipitate and commanding hill In
the meantime, Col. Reynolds regiment had opened
on the enemy upon the right, and they, too, were
soon made to beat precipitate retreat. as shout
on shout of our men rent the air. Gen. Floyd then
gave the command to throw down the fence on
the right of the road, and charge the enemy on
the hill. In an instant, and Almost at single.
stroke of the arm, the fence went down, and onr
men, led on by their gallant Colonel (Heath1 dash
Cd across the cornfeld and charged to the top Of
the hill, driving the enemy to still higher emf
nence, completely commanding the first Here the
sharpest part of the conflict occurred TIE enc
my maintained their position with considerable
obstnacy, wounding several of our men and killtg
some. .t.s'-s,s., +
Our fire becoming too hot again for the enemy,
they retired to an adjoining wood. Again oufsmen
dashed on to the charge, ascending the brow Of
the second hill, and shooting as they went. At this
stage Capt. Jacksons artillery was hurried to The
front. 1t came dashing through the field and to the
enemy disappeared through the woods. In the
meantime Capt. Harts artillery had crossed the
field and ascended an adjoining hill but not in time
to give the enemy few of his grape The Hes
slams were now infull retreat ON oil hands, and as
they descended from the hill to the rayine and road
upon the other side, Col. McCauslin pitched into
them with his force, when the whole broke and
look to the woods, every man for himself. Had
not the Yankee Colonel ran before his men, he
would doubtless have been captured by this paTtof
our force
Pursuit was Immediately determined upon by
our General. On our gallant men rushed in more
than double quick time, and continued the pursuit
for some eight ten miles, but with no other re-
suit than the capture OF number Of prisoners fesr
baggage wagons. one ambulance, and several guns
ard other articles. A fine chest of medicines
captured, which is now in the hands of my friend,
| Dr. Eleaves, from Wytheyille. N5 57sEz H=s54s7s5
We attacked the enemy SO early and uneSpeet-
edly, that they evidently had l to leave without
breakfast for, as we passed their camp bushels Of
stolen roasting ears, quantities OF beef, pgs and
| bread were found on their fires.
have not learned the loss of the enemy, but it
was several killed, many wounded, and still q
| greater number taken prisoners. All of them are.
| Uhioans and We learned from them that Colonel
| Tyler, his JIeut.Colone, Surgeon and Preacher,
| all ran soon after the engagement opened. They
cursed them soundly for their cowardly conduct in
| deserving their. men so early in the action. They
| had LETT their main provision train $50 wagors)
some fifteen miles in the rear, or we should have
captured the whole of them. e&s
| All of our men and officers acted with the great
| est gallantry and courage.
Our scouts are still bringing in prisoners. Among
the last is strapping negro, who has excited much
curiosity among our dark1eS. 5s s
This battle will be known as that of Cross lanes,
| and is of far more significance than the number
| OF killed and wounded would indicate.
Col Iyer's command was one of the very best.
of the enemy; he one of their craeR officers. 1t
has for long time been prowling through atl this
country, holding it in complete subjeeton. Tyler
| it was who has boasted that he wonla march to
u,;chp a. oil haV I'd and nofo
| and Wise and feed them on beans. 1t has no /.
| been defeated routed and disgraced, with altsits
| prestige gone. H.. t. p sa:,s za.Lp.4l
| The people in this section have confidence inoar
strength again, and will rally to our standard at
once. | think, too, the rout will alarm General
| Cox, at Gauley Bridge, and should mot be sur
prised if he beat hasy retreatto the Ohio riyer.
| General Floyd's advance to this side of Gauley,
with nothing but single ferry boat in the rear, to
command q retreat over a dangerous stream was
| considered rash by some, but rashness is some-
times prudence, and it has proven eminently so in
! this instance. --E a '-s
| We hold position here from which four times
our number cannot dislodge US, and are pre-
| pared, at any favorable moment, to make O
| rapid advance movement. Our friends NAV de-
| pend upon it that this brigade will take no step
| backwards: and that, if it be properly supported
it will, together with General Wise's Legion drive
the enemy across the Ohio before the fall campaign
| closes, ...f. ~ &
Our prisoners numbered one hundred and four,
| all of whom have just marched for Richmond
under strong escort. We are picking up others
almost every hour, and i am sure the loss of the
| enemy will be at least from hundred and fifty
to one hundred and seventy five, and a complete
| disorganization Of Col. Tyler's command. The,
general impression of their men seemed to be that
| we would shoot every one of them without Judge
or jury and when this delusion was expelled by
our kind treatment, a complete change in their
spirits was plainly manifest, and they seemed quite
| pleased with their lot. The officers were placed
on parole of honor and rendered all the cour-
teses of the camp. This is in striking contrast to
the treatment received by our prisoners at the
hands of the Yankees.
We arrested, yesterday, in our camp four or five
Union men, who have been guilty Of the treason
able offence Of plotting the enemy through this
country. They were then here as spies under the
garb Of friendship. They were sent to-day to
| I4ewisburg jail
1t appears that the scouting party of cavalry,
under Colonel jenkins, were not ambuscaded in
their collision with the enemy on Sunday last as of
first reported but that the accident occurred by
strategetic movement on the part of the enemy,
altogether unavoidable on our part. Col Jenkins
had out his scouts at proper distance. He engaged
a body Of the enemy's cavalry for about an hour,
and while thus engaged, large party ofhis infan.
try, by long circuit around a hill, got into his
rear, too far for his sentinels to give the alarm
| Before he discovered this, however, Col Jenkins
had ordered retreat he gallantly covering it with