Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-12-29
The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

We are permitted by the gentleman to whom il
was addressed, to print the following letter, de.
scriptive Of the fight at Drsnesville:
GENTREvILLE, Va, Dec. 2I.-DEAR BROTHER:
write you in haste to give you of the particu-
tars Of our engagement with the enemy yester-
day at er near Dranesuile, about fourteen miles
from this place. On Friday morning ct three
O'Clock, the drum beat for us to rise
and be ready to march and at four O'Clock we took
up our line of march, with orders TO report to Gen.
T. b Stuart, of cavalry. We arrived there at sun
rise, and came to a halt and very soon we were
joined by the LIST Kentucky regiment Col. Taylor :;
the 9th South CarOlins, Col. -- and the 10th
Alabama, Col. Forney-making in all rank and file
sixteen hundred men; and also one battery of four
pieces, from Georgia, Capt Butts. We then took
up our line of march. with orders to go to Dranes~
vile, and when about two miles this side of our
destination our mauRted scou were fred into by
the enemys pickets and therefore had 70 fall back
on US. We were then ordered to load our pieces.
Our regiment (the lltd VirgiAis) was in front We
again moved on slowly, for about three hundred
yards until we came upon the enemy's pickets,
about three hundred strong. They fred one Volley
into our regiment killing one and wounding several.
We returned the fire. killing six the spot. They
then gave back and we followed them in double
quick time We pursued them to the field, where
they had q reserve Of ten thousand men and two
batteries Of six guns each. Here general engage
ment IN an open field commenced with an odds of
nearly ten to one. Our regiment engaged them in
the centre, the Kentucky regiment and 10th Ala
bana on the left and the South Carolina on the right
We fought in this position tor hour and twenty
minutes. The llth Virginia has distinguished her.
self in this battle The enemy dismOunted two of
our pieces and smashed up enc caisson. and killed
ten horses belonging to the battery. The narrow
road in which we had to saa1~SVre the other two
pieces rendered our bsttsry for the balance
Of the time useless. The enemy finding this
out ard taking advantage OF it, made
charge en- our battery, but finding the
boys of the old llth, not willing to give up the
field in that manner, Snd finding our fire was too
heavy for them sfter getting within fifty yards of
us they turned and fled like sheep but in the mean
time they were reinforcing all the time We then
took our bstteriea off the ground by main str Myth
but am sorry 10 say that their force so heavy
by this time that we had TO give up the field. We
retTeRted in good order about four miles, leaving
sli of our dead and wounded on the field, to await
reinfOrCements from Centreville which was twenty
miles distant, which we received tbs next morning
about day. Gen. STUART took two regiments of in
fantry and one thousand cavalry, and marched on
the enemy, but they gave up the battle field with
out showing fight, so we now have p ossession of
the battle ground and DranesVile. We are now
having all of our dead and wounded brought to
this place Our loss, 18th Virgins was 10 killed
on the field, 20 wounded and IL missing, making in
all Al. My company did not loose man. Some of
my company have as many as ten bullet holes in
their clothes have one in my coat collar, and
also had lock Of ny hair cut off by a minnie
jail eteF was NOT III Inc nSnt, DeLng On duty
when the regiment left. Company A, your cons
pany, lost one man from Peters tent, his name was
Henry, you know him. Brother Pleasant was there
with his company. He was not hurt; they lost one
man wounded. His regiment, the Ist Kentucky
suffered more than any other, they lost about 40
men killed and a great many wounded. Our whole
Ices in killed, wounded and missing is put at about
two hundred and twenty, and donE { hink it will
fall short Of that The loss of the enemy left on
tie field is hundred and fifty; the, citiz,ns of
Lravesville report large numbers of dead and
wounded carried through there. 1 forgot to state
tat we were sent On forsginy expedition, but
fund Yankees instead of forage. EAA