Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-20
OUR WAR ron INDEPENDENCE,
THE CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA.
TIE Drsls7an 70 GEN. eARsRrr's oonnAsD.

Garrett and tending TO confirm the telegraphic dis
patch from Cincinnati reporting the capture by Gen.
Mcclellan of thousand of our forces, several guns
and two hundred killed, including Gen. Garnstt
among the dead. This would argue bloody fight
and desperate resistance on the part Of eur brave
soldiers.
If these tidings be true, the primary cause of
this calamity to our forces would seem to have been
a zig gag march over Rich Mountain, in the night,
| by few thousand Of McCellan's command, by
which Col fegram was taken IN the rear and cut of
| from communication with Gen. Gsrnett, producing
the misfortune that befel that gallant officer and
leading to the others which overlook the rest of the
command. Two to three thousand Of our troops
are. conceded to have Withdrawn in safety accord
| ing to our accounts; while it is reported from
| Washington they are again OCCUPYING Laurel Hill.
1t must not be supposed that this misfortune, if
| correctly reported would put the enemy at Staun-
! ton. A long road. of more than hundred miles,
AID many ranges Of high mountains, utterly i'm
psssable to an enemy, intervene between Laurel
| Hill and Stanton, affordng innumerable rallying
points, and ample time for the muster in force of
our troops and militia. The country is the widest
! and most UNEMPLOYED in Virginia.
1t is not possible that Mcclellan would attempt
the march to Staunton. 1t is on the contrary to be
| presumed that having cleared his rear of danger.
| he will proceed to Grafton, and thence make good
| his way by railroad to Aartinsburg, whence in
conjunction with Gen. Patterson, he would pre-
| cipitate himself upon the command of Gen. John
! son.
| we nave given the Ddu news from Laurel hill
Just it has reached this city For ourselves how
ever, take the liberty of doubling the correct
ness of it. A letter to Gen. Lee from Gen. Garnett
written Saturday morning, represents Gen. Garnet
to have been making good his retreat with all his
stores and baggage in good order, withou: mention
| of the probability of an engagement.
| A gentleman also is in the city who left General
Garnettlare Saturday safe and in good condition
Yett is on Saturday that the desperate misfortune
is said to have been inflicted upon him. The Gin
cinnat dispatch in itself amounts to nothing, for it
has been preceded for a week by daily dispatches
of similar character, every one of which has been
| falsifed.
We trust and believe that the authentic details of
this affair at Laurel Hill will relieve the news of
all its worst features and reduce our misfortune
the mere falling back after hard fighting, of q
smaller force before greatly larger one.
At all events, be this true, it is far
more than cOunterbalanced by the glOrous Ii
dings from General McCullough's command in Mis-
souri,.
P.S-SInce the foregoing was written, we have
had the positive assurance of the authenticity of
the following facts That General Garnett was
mortally wounded in the disaster alluded to- and
that the Confederate forces lately under his
mand retired in good order. General Garnet was
wounded during the retreat of his forces. The
enemy outnumbered him seven to one, but after
their partial success did not advance in force be-
yond the point from which they drove General Gar
nett.
From the hlchInOnd Examiner, July H.
The battle of Rich Mountain, and the retreat Of
Col. Scott to Monterey, appears to have had an I'M
pleasant sequel.
The general impression is that Gen. Garnett was
then left alone and unsupported, with his communi
cations cut of. Mcclellan, not caring to pursue
Scott in his march towards Staunton, turned back
or Garnett with Overwhelming forces and if his
official dispatches are to be credited-(we have no
other account of what then passed)-gave our
troops only $500 in number, an inevitable defeat.
Among those who then fell according TO Mcclellan,
was General Garnet in person.
Some light begins TO dawn these affairs, though
it is yet uncertain. 1t appears that our misfor-
tunes were due not more to the greater force of
the enemy than to the divisions of troops. The
whole command had been divided into three parts,
The largest of the three under Gsrnett, in an
trenched camp, fourteen miles from Rich Mountain,
and nearest the enemy Scott with about eight hun
dred, at Beverly the road to StauntOn; Pegram,
with some fifteen hundred. on Rich Mountain, in
front of Beverly Garneu's command was the
furthest North, and faced McClellans army.
It's said that Mcclellan deceived Garnett by leav-
ing small number of his in his lines and made
night march down to Rich Mountain. Here he at
tackled Pegram, stated yesterday; and that officer
being unsupported by Scott from reasons now only
known on en- drte statements was dislodged from
his position and his troops disordered. 1t appears
however, that the loss in killed and wounded was
not greater than the enemy, and there is now much
doubt whether Col Pegram was himself taken, as
at first stated. Most of them, it is said have since
come into SCOTS command.
This latter officer retreated down the Staunton
road TO Monterey burning bridge on the route be-
hind him.
The rest Is only known from McCellaA's dispatch
es. Il would seem that when Garnett learned the
result OF the affair at Rich Mountain he left his
camp and attempted retreat into Hardy county;
! but it was too late He compelled TO give bat
tie with greatly unequal numbers, lost his baggage
and a considerable number of prisoners, and fell
OLE int la aptip 1hn Of IL
now stated to be under Col. Ramsey, of Georgia
Colonel Scott has been Outranked at Monterey by
General jackson. of Georgia. If it be the same who
commanded the Georgia troops in the Mexican war,
and who was afterwards Minister at Vienna, our
affairs have fallen into able hands.
Such present appears to be the nearest approach
TO accuracy and clearness thatthe contradictory ma
ture of the reports brought TO town permit. There
does not appear to have been great ehuslon OF
blood Mcclellan himself states II only as tribe.
That General was the superior of his opponents In
skill and numbers; hence we have met with disas
ter the moral effect of which is undoubtedly bad for
our cause, but only temporarily so. few days
will change the scene.
Mcclellan is probably at Beverly. His intention
is said to be to establish his headquarters at Lewis
burg. in ten miles Of the White Sulphur Springs.
ANoTnER AC0ouXT-We give the following paper,
as furnished US by gentleman IN SCOTS command:
| left Monterey Monday morning. There were
then at that place the following troops: The 44th,
Col. W. c. Scott Regiment from North Carolina,
Col. Lee Georgia Regiment, under command Of
Col johnson and five companies under command
of Major TYLER. The latter had reached Monterey
at great peril from Rich Mountain. Gen. Jackson
was in command and had inspired confidence in the
troops The 44th Regiment had suffered much by
this long march, which lasted four days and nights,
but with the exception of fatigue, the men were
we'll The accident caused by the overturnlng Of
a agOn has been already reported. Another I'M
fortunate affair had occurred. Some prisoners
made Tn effort to escape, and the guard fired, and
by some misrepresentation the fire continued at
random by some of the companies, by which three
or four soldiers were killed, whose names do not
know, but some were members of the Richmond
ZOuayes.
Col Scott arrived too late to take part in the noble
fight at Rich Mountain. When he got to the scene
of action the battle was over, and he could hear
the shouts of the Linconites in the late camp Of
our friends
Col Scott sent two expresses both were killed.
He could get no information 10 the position of the
enemy and he ordered retreat, which was done
in good order He carried with him large train
of Government stores which are now at Monterey.
Col Scott then fell back far Greenbrier river
where he met Col. Johnson of a Georgia Regiment
who. being the ranking officer, ordered the COM
msnd to fall back to Monterey, at which place he
met a North Carolina Regiment. under Gen. Jack
SON who assumed command of all the forces at that
point.
When I left, It was not determined whe
would take position.
l. can but hope that Colonel Pegram is safe. | have
not heard from him since one O'Clock Thursday
night Capt De Laner fell at his guns, having fired
five times after his whole detachment had been
killed.
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