Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-21

Col. kuste men. The result Of It was not Known
at Gen. Jaekson's camp Saturday night
The fort on Cheas Mountain is said 70 be adefence
almost impregnable. Some of our men, Gel. Rust
himself among them have approached it so nearly
az to look over into it and all that going on
In and also the exaet nature of the Qualification. 1t
ia built on the summit Of Cheat Mountain, in Ran
d0lph county, lust where the road crosses upon
hull which has no level land its top, but suddenly
descends on both sides. The forest along the road
at this point, as for many miles of the adjacent
country, consists of the white pine which are tai
and stand close together, while the underground IS
almost wholly mountain laurel, so dense and inter-
locked as to be almost impenetTEhle Here the enc
my cleared several acres on each side Of the road.
On the outer boundary they placed the tall pines
they had cut down, partially trimmed and skinned,
with their tops outward presenting to any one ap-
preaching mass Of sharp points raised 20 eoHsd-
cradle height, and strongly interloeked. Inside Of
this they built a wall of logs and cut deep
ditch In the road they built up, in line with the
fertilization, breastworks Of great strength, and
mounted them with pivot guns, while in the center
they erected bloek-house, pierced and armed also
with cannon. On the east side from the fort to the
Cheat River, one mile and a quarter distant, they
cleared the road for some distance on both sides,
and this can be al the way swept BY the cannon.
The same is the case on the road westwsrdly for
some distance. az f,e3fltss ,Fsats,f HsE
This powerful fort or stockade. it was thought
might be surprised and taken, and it was for this
that the force under Colonies Rust and Tallaferro
left the camp Of General Jackson on Monday the 9Th
Dstk camp is in POeahontas county, on Green-
brier river, at the foot of Greenbrier Mountain,
(and not the Cheat, as has been stately Taking
four days provisions they marched in hi Oh spirits
by ePcuitous route, which was fully twenty miles
to the fort while the direct one was only ten. This
route was much of it impossible to horses, and al
most to man. It lay through the pine and laurel
thekets and along the bed of the Cheat river ITSELF
IN which for miles the men patiently marched over
rocks and through deep holes, as preferable to the
dense forest Wednesday night they slept on the
wet ground in hearing of the enemys camp. The
next morning they approached it, killed several
pickets and arrested some prisoners. They got on
both sides the fort and reconnoisred fully, and de-
eided not to attack In the afternoon they resumed
their return march, and on Friday striking short
err route than that they had gone, they reached
Slayens Cabin" on the Parkersburg Road, where
they met soldiers with provisions which were very
timely, as they had only taken lour days supply
with them. Fstigued and almost worn out, this
intrepid expedition reached the camp on Saturday,
the I4th inst There could not be more laboTiOus
and fatiguing march than that they had endured. A
good part of the time it rained in torrents and they
returned drenched. as well as weary.
Col Anderson, it is supposed, also had march
Of great hardship. he left General Lees camp,
which is, was on the line Of Randolph and P0ca-
hontas counties az Valley Mountain. It WAS under
stood that he was to reach the enemy the foot of
Cheat Mountain, on the West side without Obserya-
ton, If possible. lie therefore Travelled through
much such obstacles those the troops the 9TH
err side of the mountain encountered. He accom-
plished his object and engaged the enemy as is
known; but the result has not yet come to hand.
General Lee had, before Col. A. marched in this
expedition, issued order for an advance; but
whether his whole body has advanced or not we
have not heard. The following order Of the 9Th,
speaks of the previous one for an advance:
HEADQUARTERS, VALLEY MoUSTAN.(
September 10, 1851.
Special Orders No. - :,
The forward movement announced to the Army
Of the Northwe in special orders No. IS from its
headquarters of this date, gives the general COM
msnding the opportunity of exhortng the troops to
keep steadily IN view the great principles for which
they contend and to manifest to the world their de-
termination to maintain them. The eyes of the
country are upon you. The safety of your homes,
and the lives Of all you hold dear depend upon
your courage and exertisns. Let each man resolve
to be victorious and that the right Of self govern
ment liberty and peace shall in him find defender.
The progress of this army must be forward!
r. Z. LEE, General Commanding.
Recurring 70 the remarkable fort on Cheat Noun
tain, while it is credtsble to the ingenuity Of the
enemy, it induces a very earnest regret that "
ourselves had not held that position when we had
it. But if it cannot be TAKEN Of course il can and
will be turned. Gen. Lee has, indeed already turn
ed it; bat he had still some hope Of taking il, which
we suppose this expedition will induce him TO sban-
DON Ii is defended by 1900 men, who are good
with their protection against probably as EaDy
thousand. But if our forces march ON beyond 1t,
the position is useless to the enemy and will have
to be abandoned.
1.-THE Col. ANDERSON alluded to above is, we pre-
sume, Gen. S. r. ANDERsox.-EDs UKIoN ASD AMER
IcGNl - -.r