Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-11-20

mile and half below The dsmOuhtrcu 800 -
were ordered to their horses. had pFocsses .sen
the old Geld just below Mrs. Is tas
We heard heavy firing Of musketry immse.aseg
our left in the t;tnber-it was one cont'n
without interval. w were orderea 70 .s.s The
old field and hold ourselves in reao''ess -
bombs tron the enemy's guns across '"o - soH
whzzing over our heads and bursting u. -. ~
behind as occasionally musket oah 1"'
zing asaousst us. The firing in the timber see.,.u
most his company on the top of the hill little 10
our right amongst some timber, and hold his men
ready for any emergency, to act as reserve
We had eat nothing during the whole day. had
not even had drink of water and 1t was now about
3 o'clock A mounted courier was at once dis
patched to Leesburg for some provisions-wc threw
ourselves on the ground almost exhausted, ana ils'
tened to the fight now going on within three nun
dred yards OF US. 1t would be Impossible 10 ae-
scribe my feelings as lay, almost painting LOT
breath listening to the of battle; 1t seeueu 10
me as though every man in the engagement must
certainly be killed or wounded FROM the lhcessaht
fire that was going on. Now could hear the ar
tliltry of the enemy commence firing. Inc ON va
Was the only regiment We had as yet IN the ngh|
trembled for the result. We expected TO sec them
emerge from the timber almost every moment, pur-
sued by tho enemy The firing seemed to be grow
ing weaker on side; a courier from the field, IN
passing US, said the 9Th Va. was nearly out OF am
muniton. We nerved ourselves 10 meet the enc
my. At this critical moment loud cheering Is
heard Il little below and to our rlght llurrah the
18th Mississippi is coming to the rescue-now their
muskets are roaring-now louder than ever sounds
the Gin Of battle. Peal after peal OF the enemys
cannon came numbering in our ears; the enemys
guns on the opposite side o. the river still continue
to throw shells the field to our rear. For two
long hours now the fight has lasted, and still there
is 10 knowing who is to be driven from the hcld-
The high bluffs and the Potomac are IN the enemys
rear-they cannot retreat without being cut TO
pieces or drowned With the energy oil despair,
they fight for their lives Our excitement is in
tense and it is hard TO keep the boys from rushing
into the fight Bat now our provisions arrive from
Lecsburg; we have bread and meat, and water, the
first We have had for twenty four hours-and here,
Just on the out skirts of the battlefield the battle
raging furiously within a few hundred yards mus
ket balls whizzing amongst and over our heads
bomb, shells bursting within a few yards OF us
comrades bearing the dead and wounded from the
field of battle passing through our very ranks with
them We eat a hearty NEAL and We're much re-
freshcd We now hear loud cheering to the right
of the firing 4 passing courier informs US that the
18th is marching to the fight The increased roar
of musketry tells us that they in the engage
ment. The eneny's fire seems to be stacking
AS the battle now RACES, the Sth Va is On our left
wing, the 18th Miss in the centre. and the 18th
Miss Oh the extreme right the liver. 1t Is
nearly dark and still the battle RACES iuriously.
About this time the enemy gave way before the
l7th The 18th crosses deep ravine, aud on gain
ing the opposite side, form good line IN order of
battle The enemy, although falling buck. sill tire
with fury. Col. Feaherston now calls out 10 his
men: " Men of the l7th, drire tie enemy into tie
Potomac, ar into sternity-ckaye.' " nh yell
that made the very hills quake, the 18th charged
III Tho NnnEan afr frInIr far scat
terins shots, with cry of despair, threw down
their arms and fled precipitately. All at the same
time the 18th MissSsi ppi and the S,h Virginia made
the charge The enemy in the centre reserved their
fire u,ti! the 18th almost bayonet reach Of
| them. when they fired volley and rereated to-
wards the river, the Sth Va. charging their right
The rout complete. On fled the enemy, thro
! the tangled under growth and timheron the eds
of the bluff they for moment pause, many of them
! .ftN upon tier knees and cry far mercy; others
| throw themselves from the bluff, and scramble
down as Lest they can. So great was the pressure
! that many were wounded aud some killed. They
| throw away their guns and accoutreincnts and
plunge into the river. Neyer such scene wit
messed oefore-men tumbng from the bluff upon
the heads of those below; men scramLling and
plunging into the water; men their knees cry
! ing for mercy-shouts and cams Of agony. The
groanS of the wounded the inccSsant laundering Of
/
/ \ bout containing serenity Fouaded sunk IN the
| mildle of tie stream. Five hundred threw down
! their and surrendered The banks of the Po-
/ tOnlac for a half mile S:rewn with guIS, cart
ridge boxes, shoes, caps and hats, clothing of all
description torn off in their hurry. The wounded
i lined the banks. 4 victory could not be more com
plete-a retreat more disastrous and Irecpitate.-
All night long our men were taking prisoners. up
and down the river. The number taken by morn
ing amounted to over seven hundred. The dead lay
IN heaps over the field. Amongst the slain is Gen
Baker, the Senator from Oregon. Some of tho
prisoners tell us that as Gen. Baker was crossing
the river in the boat, he turned to of his mel
and said, Now, boys-I intend to sleep to night il
Leesburg or in h-ll." 1t is supposed he took tn,
latter route Nearly all of the Tammany regimen
from New York prisoners, also all the field Off
GERS of that ,egmcnt-the Colonel Lieut.. Colonel
Major and Adjntant. One Of their Colonies wa
killed in the engagement. Their loss was yer,
heavy. The 18th Miss did not get in in time t
take much part in the fight
Thus ended one of the hardest fought battles Q
this war, so far. Thus was gained one of the mos
brilliant victories that has far been achieved b.
our arms. lis true, our loss is heavy for the mum
Der of men engaged in the y ht, bat not one-iourt
part as severe as that of the enemy. We have
lament the loss of Col. Burt. of the 18th Miss, VIII
was moraily wounded IN the battle, and died Sur
Jay, Zttn Uct. our entlre loss IN TINS Dattle is
killed and IS wounded The enemy s loss in ke
does not fall short of three hundred; to the nun
Der of wounded we cannot form an accurate est
mate as they we're taken back across the river
vast quantities during the entire engagement. A
Of the enemy artillery horses killed and the
artillery taken. Our men behaved calamity, an
! fought like tigers. Our company was not in tt
/ last engagement, having been in three fghts-o
, ! in fact, having been fighting all day, without an
thing to eat, or even water to drink, nea
ly broken down-completely exhausted. Our force
) bvouacked near the field of battle. Our compan
was ordered to the Big Spring to throw out pic
, cts, at which place VIC arrived about 10 o'clock
< night forgot to say that VIC took from the en-
g my orer tho thousand stand Of arms
e On Tuesday morning, was over the battlefield
y dead Yankees were lying every whtre-guns al
l. accourements, canteens, tin-cups, overcoats, bla
y kets, &c, were strewn every where. About t
n o'clock, Tuesday. the Yankees sent over flag
i. truce to bury their dead, which they accomplish
a by throwing them into gullies, and covering the
j. over with few spades full Of earth. On Wednt