Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-10

commission officer In the Confederate Stateavy
THE CAMPAIGN OF BIG Sadly.
ORGANIZING THE FoRCEs-MEETING THEME
MY-BATrLEs OF IVY CREEK AND PIKRON-
THE BRAVERY OF OUR hEN-HARDsHHs OF.
THE CAaPAIGN-SCENEs AND 1NOIDENS, &c
&c, &c.
HEADQUARTERS, PoUsD OR,
Nov. 2s.h, 1851
To the Editor cfth Whig:
The various and distorted accounts Of the rteat of
the Confederate troops (Oo Williams from Iesons-
burg and of the state OF affairs in Eisern K,ucky,
lead me to think that the unvarnished statemst Of
participant in the will prove interesting pd also
subserve the cause OF truth. Arriving In Presnsburg
from Richmond, with Colonel Williams, (whi,er We
had gone to procure arms from the Cover ment,)
We found motley, unorganized mob of sne or
| two thousand men, split into squads, each having
its full complement Of company officers, and unwi-
| ling to combine with others-some psttorhg to
muster into service for months and even ddyt-oth
ers for ccumscribed limits Of service and other ere
conditions, hardly conceivable Finally, force d one
thousand prevailed TO orgAnize-more thin half
as mounted companies-when came that the enc
my, in overwhelming force were advancing on us y
way of Yves. Liberty, lat that point dstachmentpf
ours, under Captain A. j. Nay, waylaid their sdvanie
| guard in pass, and gave them gallant fght Or
men were armed with squirrel rifles merely, bIs
footed, haleclothed and totally undisciplined without
even tent or quilt when they lay down on the wit
ground to sleep at night Retreat inevitable We
fell back six miles, TO the orflence Of Beaver Creek
and the Sandy No sooner there than the enemy occi.
pied Prestonsburg and our scouts reported that another
column OF Seyeral thousand with battery, moving
up Johns Creek, with view to cut of our retreat "
crossing over the Sandy at Pketor. Johns Creek
runs nearly parallel with the west branch Of Sandy,
fore it enteEs into it. eight miles below Prestonsburg.
road runs along its bank and crosses over to Piketc
We continued retreat through pouring rain and cold
weather, which abated nothing until we reached Pike.
ton, with scant supply Of provisions all the WHILE
| Here we proposed waiting for reinforcement AID
field battery promised from Richmnod, and reported to
be on the way from Wytheve. Weproposed, its ARR
val to give them battle, and prepare TO advance With
view to this advance number Of hogS beef cattle and
other stores were got together. But the enemy were
now advancing on both roads so rapidly that Col. VIII
lams sent the live stock and baggage train to the
On the Pound Gap road, and ordered Captain Holiday
/
Clay took the river way PresSnstuFg to observe their
movements. On the night Of the Sh Capt Thomas dis
,vered their advanced guard Col. Williams selected
rong position fifteen miles that road, at Ivy Creek
aud sent 400 men under Capts Thomas, Clay Lieutenant
yanhook (mountedj and oapS. nay, Hawkins, Worshsm
and Rust Infantry With instructions to engage any ad
vance guard not more than three times their number,
sud impede the main body by blocking the road, burn
Ing brdgO g., to gain time for the retreat of the sick
wounded, aud baggage trG'n Our men were stationed
b,hind the backbone Of ridge that ian down
to the road a; right angles, and on the mouutsi 1
side, behind ogs, rocks &c, along curve in the
road Instead Q. an advanced guard the enemy were
discovered in force-sOO0 strong with six pieces Of
tlery But our men held their position. Three finely
mounted officers rode within the Of the road to the
burnt bridge at the extreme of line which the
signal to fire. Al three fell dead The battle ragged for
an hour and quarter when tie enemy gave way, but
returned the charge like men, and were again repsed
Il now appeared they had depoyed skrmishers up the
mountain aud we're out hlnking with superior
bers so our fell back the burnt bridge Ivy
creek and took stand still higher, but the enemy
NAMED in position. Men from Piketon say they admitted
loss of over 800 killed, and many wounded while
lost but killed. six wounded and forty missing. Our
raemen we're in point blank range and seems as
cry shot carried gustS with it. Instances Of udivd.
ua daring we're numerous When the richly caparson.
ed horse of an officer Of the enemy killed, ran Wild
Captain Thomas down into the road in face Of
their fire, mounted him aud attempted to ride back up
the mountain, but probably being already shot, the ami
NAL rolled down the pricpce into the road dead while
Capt. 7. caught hold of sspng, swung of, and rcoin
ed his command. boy II years old fred 10 shots af
tor receiving mimic ball in his shoulder. The men
had red the Surgeons saddSbags for vals to put their
powder in and had caps and balls in their pockets They
we're half clothed and shod and had faced an en-.
envy nor even stood in line. The enemy had regi.
meuts, the flower Of the Ohio army, finely equipped in
all respects Such was the battle of Ivy creek which
seems to those who saw and appreciated the affair, one
of the most brilliant incidents Of the war.
On the 9th, Capt. Holiday bad brisk engagement
with the enenys advance guard, the Johns Creek
road aud reported the main body rapidly Advancing
At o'clock p NJ, they opened fire us from the hills
over Pikelon across the stes Col. Williams
rallied the cavrlry under Ere, which killed two aud
two horses in the street. to the retreat Of the In
fantry and await part Of Nays command mot yet in
from Ivy Capt. Thomas sharpshooters who had few
Belgian rifles returned the fire. from the ford the foot
of the street. killing eight Of the enemy and preventing
them from bringing battery into position which would
have raked the town. We then moved eff in good order
and commenced retreat which, for hardship and endu
rance, equals any ever read Of.
Just before leaving Piketon our cartridge boxes ar
rived and flint muskets distributed in the command
While there arrested active Union man, who wfs
organizing band of nountaneets, to pick men of
and placed three sentinels him in his house. His
daughter lively educated pretty girl made sppe tod
dy for the soldiers, and engaged them in game OF b
10 her fathers escape The eyed the los
pitalty and destinations Of the fair Georgsla, lut
thsir ate 1tion not distracted from the pisontr
he sleeps in Richmond; quite dramatic scene, at al
eye1is had an engagement to take hand with The
fair maid of Pike" myself the Saturday night fol-
loving; but an influx Of unpleasant visers caused me
H. nd M aha fno III Hid