Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-24
,-na rn,lio OF uarnifnx Ferry.

the battl6 II the Ga!iley. IN Iae LyEIuoufE
"Republicar.,' from tho Een ii lis editor, Mr..
Glass:
Editorial Correspondence Of the Republican,
HranocARrEEs SEAR DoOwnon Gar,
September II, 1861.
On Monday last we received intelligence ui
the advance Of the enemy ii heavy force, from
the direction Of Sutton, along the Summer.
vile roud. On Tuesday morning Col. Nc.
Causlin's regiment, which had been down st
Sunmerville as CUR advance, gas driven in,
and the enemy encanpcd X miles distant from
US. We expected him TO drive in our picicts
on Tuesday night and attack us on Wednesday
morning; but, contrary TO these expectations,
be forced his march and drove in our picket,
at 2 o'clock on Tuesday. Our line OF battle
was at once formed behind our bteastworks,
and scarcely hsd all our forces been placed in
position, before the enemy was seea swarning
in the woods from one end Of our lines to the
other. He approached with great elaboration
and 6rmness, and his central column emerged
from the woods ard above The hills, eco
yards in our frCnt, just fifteen minutes after
8 o'clock. He approached us from this point
in double uuick time, evidently intending to
force our works Ut The point # the 5ayonet.
At the first crack Of our rites, the gallant
Colonel who led IN front OF his men, on u splen.
did black charger, fell dead 10 the earth, while
the head Of his column Fecoiled ID utter con-
fusion. The Colonel's horse, as il unconscious
of the fall of his rider, dashed up 10 our EN-
bankmcnts and around them into our camp,
and from the inscription hpon the mo'ntingS
of his pistols. proved 10 be Col. Wiliialn Il.
Lytclrs, of Cincinnati. | sa. the daring officer
fall from his horse, and he waG certainly one OF
the ~lravesl OF the brave, Tor he sought ''the
bauble reputation at the very cannan: ); maC;h.
The enemy's columns nuw opened uInn us
along the whole OF our centre and right,
and for an hour the rattle Of Iausket1y end
the thunder OF ouT a~rtillzrs vas incessanI and
terrible.
The enemy vas dri7en back and sllenccd
for q moment. but cam" again to the fight, sup.
ported with five or six pieces Of .~rtillery-two
of which were riAed cannon. For anotnh'
hour and half the battle ragged with terrific
fury, und again the enemy's guns were 81
fenced and he driven from our pieT.
The sun was nov fast sinking beSoud ,re
distant mountains, aud We we're strongly in
hopes tina. the enemy had met his final repnlse
for the evening, bnt a few minutes dispelied
our illusion. Fer the third time the enemy
came bacE to The conflict with more violence
and determination than before. He assalied lis
this time from oDe end CT our lines to ths
other, and tried bis best to fink us. For IN
other hour and n half, and until roe dark CUT
tains of nigh closed in apcn US, the fightraged
with intense fury.
AT fret, the range boil. CT THAR small
arms and artillery Vas 7erE bad, SHOOT
ing entirely over CUT leaia. The range
Of the cannon was especially bad, inr
while their halls CIT Of Tho tops ard split oren
the giant oaks in Dir enanpment, their shells.
with few exceptions, hurst high in The mr. and
full fifty yards in our rear. Glt, whei they
10 the last charge l,eY had gotten tho
range fer better, and their balls began To usow
up our c~mbankmcnts, whila their shrila: broae
directly Owe: rs iii every direction aid "!lh
terrible fury. The enemy seemed TO b. per
leclly enraged at our obstinate resistance, snd
was determined to porr out tbs full sia:s of his
wrath upon he.
The hattie Ceased N Is miaItai past !?
O'CLOCK, ha7ing cont;uaed almost incessantiy
four long hours. Uur men stood GO their posts
with astonishing: ~cn3lness sEG courage. The
only ianit they comtrisLtu GcGinE the battle.
was tliat Of firing upon the enemy al two long
q range, aud while ;cj securely posted behind
the dense soTest tree e7hi:u sih:riei our entire
lines.
We did DOT loose IL g.ngie man killed, AID
not more than lea woanaed. The ontmy>S
loss COLD DOT be aS1G7tgincd, but 1t ore siilsi:
spot, where Col. LJse!l fell, IT conntrda7 tirlf!
bodies. The prisoners inform W. that their
lnSE n-Ss haorU and fam tbo Inr. tlct rr,. E>,
lehcra :hcir gana three times. So ore coniideGS
this report is entirely trTc- TIE prisoners
also informed us that another Colonel, wh93e
name / dc not remember, was badly il not i.-
tally wauEded, and his horse billed under nigl-
fa,g u!flccrs actoi eilh great cou!nrss anG:
brs7s-y. The hattie had RACED 0ut twenty
miautss when cur gallant General wus very
psinfully wounded in the right arm, the bali en-
tariEg near the elbow and passing oUt near his
wrist, without breaking any bons. He retired
him 4 short distance under the bill, and bad
the wound dressed by Surgeon CLAWS, ard in
ten minutes he vas again moving athg CIR
lines encouraging lis Nor by lis presence AID
his voice. At . later atasc Of the light = I!nie
bali tore through the lappe! Of his ccaI, and
another through the cant!e Of his saddle. In
deed, it is the wonder o: all Of ns how ha c;-
capped death. None BIZ: his s,atf and surgeon
knew he was wounded until the close Of tie
fight. He is now suffering rsrch pain.
dc not know the na,Dc Of all our wound.
cd, but John Stone and Thos. VI. aiertiE, Of
Capt. Henley's company, Amherst, were the
most severely hurt. None oshcr OF this com
pany vas hurt, and Sialy one IN Capt. Snead's
company, Bryant.
At the close o: the fight, Z council OF war
was held, and upon our knowledge Of The emo
ny's strength, together with the Information
We received from our prisoners, it ~os deter
mined 10 retire ali our forces to the south side
Of Gsuley, and uoI hI ard an sttack the nest
morning.
We learn from the PRISONERS that to2 sne;i7
Eas nine regiments strong, with six pieces Il
artillery, and that they would he reinforced by
General Cox, in the morning. with two more
regiments and two pieces Of artillery. They
also informed Us that %(iensra| ;tosercvanz COZ
manded in person.
Our force was only 1909 uts.s, ind while
We had strong reason to believe that we could
maintain our position even against such ia:Ti-
bic odds, we did not think it prudent 10 hazard
so much.
We had dispatched 10 t1en. Wise, il the
morning., NN rclu!OTCcilSnLS, anu ne uao TX
clined to seId them Cor fear Of an attach, nT-oa
him by Gen. Cox. We rad also Sert courir7s
for the NORTH Carolina End Georgia regiments
to come up, but it was Impossible fnr th.rn to
reach US in time to support Us.
At 10 o'clock last night, therefore, CHI; !osces
proceeded to retire from the position they aad
so heToically defended during the day. md by
light. this morning, they were all safely and
in; order across tbs river with ali thsir bag
gage, &C.. except some few things, which ~e'o
lost from, neglect and want 81 irapSImrT.Ein'-
I had the misfortune TO lose nv lcrGu and
all my baggage, except NY bed, saddle, bri-
de, pistols and sword. 3; : o'c!m:i:, last
night, I wss dispatched 80 5sn. W:sc, in7>se-
Inducements, and my friend, Espt. Peters,
very kindly mounted tnc OF It fresh horse, his
own, while | left mine in the camp. When |
returned, this morning. / iosnd my hcrsc and
trunk had been icit iy- thc servants, who
were frightened across tine rivar in advance ri
every body else. am, consequently with.