The daily Wabash express. (Terre-Haute, Ind.) 1857-1867, 1861-08-13

about mile frcm the ford thickls wooded,
whilst on the right OF the road for about the |
same distance the counfry Was divided be
tween fields and woods. About mile from |
the road the country on both sides of the road |
Is open. and for nearly mile further large |
rolling FIELDS extended down To the Warren |
ION turnpike, which crosses what became the
held Of hattie through the valley OF ANAL
water course. a Tributary OF Bulls Ran.
shortly after the leading regiment Of the
hrst brigade reached this open space. and
whilst Others and the second brigade were
crossing TO the front and right. the enemy
opened his IRE. beginning with artillery, and
following u M with Infantry The leading
brigade (Burnside'r) had 10 sustain the shock
for a short time withou, support. And ala il
we'll The battalion OF regular isfantry was
sent 10 sustain H. and shortly sfterwssd. the
other corps OF Porter's brigade. and a regi.
ment detached from Hein,xe mans d vision 20
the left. forced the enemy back Tar enough
10 ALLOW ShermAn's and keyes' hrigades. of
Tyiers division. 90 cross from their position
on the Narrcnton road.
These drove the right Of tho enemv. un-
derstood 20 have been commanded hy Beau
regard. from the front OF the field. and out
OF the detached woods. and down TO the road.
and across Il mp tho slopes ON the other side
vision Was moving down the stream and up
the road beyond. Beyond the Warrenton
road. down which our troops had marched
from Sudley's Spring. Is hill with a farm
house on H. Behind this hill the enemy had.
early Ia the day. some of the most annoying
batteries planted. Across the road from
this bill was another hill. or rather elevated
ridge. OF table Of land. The hottest part Of
the contest WAS for the possession OF this hill,
with a house on IL. The force engaged hero,
was Heintrelman's division. Wilcox's and
Towards brigades on the right. supported
By part OF Porter's brigade. and the cavalry
under Palmer. and franklinis brigade Of
Heintzelman's division. Sherman's brigade
of Tyleg's division in the center. and up the
road. whilst Keyes' brigade of Tyler's divis-
ion WIS on The left. attacking the batteries
near the stone bridge The Rhode Island
battery of Burnside's brigade also participat.
ed in this attack by its tire from the north of
the turnpike. The enemy was understood 10
hsv, been commanded by ] T. Johnston.
Ricketts, battery which did such effective ser.
vice. and played so brilliant part in this con.
test. was. together with Griffin battery. on the
side of tho hill, and became the object of the
special attention OF the enemy, who succeed
ed-our officers installing one of his regi-
ments Tor one OF onr swn, aud allowing il 10
approach without firing upoa tin disabling
the battery, and then attempted 10 take IT,
Three times was 40 repulsed by different
corps in succession. and driven back. and the
guns taken by hand. the horses being killed.
and pulled away The third time il was sup
posed by Us ALL that the repuse was final,
for he was driven entirely from the hill. and
so far beyond il rs not to be in sight and all
were certain the day was ours He had be
fore this been driven nearly mile and
4 half. and was beyond the Warrenton
ton road. which was entirely In our posses
sion. from the stone bridge westward. and
our engineers were just completing the re-
moyal o. the sbatis across the road, to allow
our rentogcements (Schenck's brigade and
Ayers battery TO join US
The enemy was evidently disheartened
and broken. But we had been fighting since
half past ten O'Clock in the morning, and IL
was after three O'Clock in the afternoon
The men had been up since two O'Clock in
the morning. and had made what. to those
unused 20 such things, seemed long march,
before coming into action, though the long
est distance gone over not more than
nine and half miles and though they had
three days provisions served out TO them the
day before, many no doubt either did not eat
them, or threw them away on the march OF
during the battle. and were therefore with
out food. They had done much severe fight
ing. Some ofrhe regiments which had been
driven from the hill in the first two attempts
Of he..enemy 10 keep possession of it. had be
come shaken. were unsteady. and had many
men out of the ranks.
IL was NJ this time that the enemy's rein
forcemenfs came 70 bis aid from the railroad
train. understood TO have just arrived IRON
/ IL. - = II >
nv. They threw themselves in the woods or
our right. and toward the rear of our right
and opened fire of musketry on our men
which caused them to break and retire dowr
the hillside This soon degenerated' into dis
order, for which there was no remedy Ev-
cry effort was made to rally them. even be
yond the reach of the enemy's fire, but, in
vain. The battalion of regular infantr,
alone moved up the hill opposite to the on.
with the house on il, and there maintained
itself until our men could get down to an,
across the Warrenton turnpike, on the wa,
back 10 the position We occupied in the morn
ing. The plain was covered with the retreat
ing troops and they seemed 70 infect thos,
with whom they came in contact. The re
treat soon Became 10 1t. and this soon de
generated still further into n panic.
Finding this state OF affairs was beyond th,
efforts Of all those who had assistedsso faith
fully during the long and hard days work il
gaining almost the object Of our wishes an,
that nothing remained on the field but to re
cognize what we could no longer prevent.
gave the necessary orders to protect thei
withdrawal. begging the men TO form la lin
and offer the appearance, at least, OF organi
zstion- They returned BY tho fords 70 IN
Wsrrenton road. protected. by my order. b.
Col. Porter's force Of regulars. Once ON th
road. and the difereRt corrs coming togcthe
in small % ties. many ;h ,ut officers, the
became Intermingled, ana all organization
wac lost
Orders had bsen sent back TO Miles dvis
ION for a brigade 10 move forward and pro
tect this retire It and Col. Bleaker's bh Ead
was detached for this purpose. and was OF
dered 70 60 IA far forward ss the point wher
the road 70 the right left the main road
BY referring 70 the general order il viii b
seen that. while the operations were TO 90 Of
IN front. an af'ack was 70 be made at Black
burns Ford b. the brigade (Richar,isons
stationed there. A reference 20 this report
aud 70 that Of Maj Hunt. commanding IN
artillery. will show tina, this part of the plat
was wei and effectively carried out l, suc
ceed>d in decciving the enemy tor a consid
able time. and In keeping IN check part O
bis force. The Ere Of the artillery at thi
point i represented ne particularly des;ruc
tive
Al the tiras ~ orr retreat seeing great &C
tivity in this direction. much firing. and col
Hmns OF dust. | became ANXIOUS for the place
fearing Il u were turned or forced the Who'll
stream Of esr retrestiSg mass would be cap
tured or destroyed. After providing for I'll