Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-09-29
From the chicago Pos. Of The Q,th Inst.

THE hA1 Tile OF LEXINGTON.
oa the first day of September, the Brigade
received orders to proceed to Lexington, To re-.
inforce Colonel Marshall, who had gone M
about week previous to protect the "Uniop
men" Of that place. But those who were moi
Union men. EN- racing about all the populs-
non' were found 100 numerous, and about five
thousand butternut colored rebels, under Gener-
81 Hughes, being In the neighborhood, Colonel
Marshall sent down for reinforcements.
The brigade left Jefferson City on the lat,
and arrived at Lexington on the 7sh Of Septem.
Der, having marched by land the entire distance,
l60 miles. We found there Colonel MarshalPs
First Illinoia Cavalry and Colonel Whites
Eighth Missouri Infantry, from ST. Louis, to:
gether with about seven hundred i and ffty
Home Guards, under Colonel Peabody. The
whole force, including Colonel Malligan's repi
ment, was two thousand seven hundred men,
The position where Colonel Marshall was
encamped was called Fors White, Col. White.
of the Missouri Eighth Regiment, being In
command until the arrival of Colonel Muliigan 4,
who superseded him. Entrenchments had been
thrown up, on Q rather small scale, around the
Masonic College building, which served as o
general storehouse and magazine. -e,,. {, =.
On the day after our arrival contraband
came Into camp and asked protection, saving
his master had gone to join the secesh army st
Yorktown, about fifteen miles from sus. The
enemy, We learned from him, were about ten
Thousand strongI under General Raines Our
scouts confirmed this statement the same dsy.
Colonel Mulligan Immediately dispatched Lieu
tenant fsase, OF Company D., to Jefferson City,
for reinforcements, Orders were also imme
aiateiy given TO construct entrenchments, en-
6racing an area much larger than Fort White.
WhnIA m n md .L.I L.. = A..
and on the 18th the works we're rather more
than half completed The breastworks were
ten feet high, and the ditch surrounding then,
about fourteen feet wide. On that side next
the new town mines were constructed beyond
the ditch, communicating with our position in.
side. ,pil. - 80 .''-I,s :. = -
| Our artillery consisted of two brass ak.
Founders, three iron six Founders and two six.
Inch mortarss for, which we had only about .
dozen shells. We had also but small supply
powder. q se4yiF 10 :. T1gsI1,0 80 J
On the 18th, Thursday, while We were still a,
work on the entertainments, our picksts- Com
panies A and G, Of Marshall's Cavalry, were
driven In. Colonel Mulligan immedi ately SEM
out Companies, B, !, X and G Captains Glee
SON, Dan Quirk, Fitzgerald, and Lieutenant
Wallaoe) 10 entertain the enemy. The enc
my's advance guard, about 5000 strong, were
discovered in cornfeld on the top Of the bluff
near Old Town., We immediately fred upon
them six volleys In rapid succession, killing
about 300 Of them before they could form in
line. We lost In this part of the battle eight
killed and fifteen wounded. 3si s.as', I
We retreated into our entrenohments, fol-
lowed by the enemy, who brought up six pieces
OF cannon and commenced playing on the coll
len0 buildiuO vhara ns,r ~ aa III