Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-13

The facts stated ABOVE, yOG incy rest assure
are corrcc!, tiimngh many Ct them have bee
perverted hy writers in the papers, upon IL
, NOR, WHO, you know, is grca. lar.
What fault thea. can be found with 20
Scott? Will it be said he ought TO have qu
ted his position on the road on which he va
posted, oy the request Of Col Pegram, and tn
order Of Gen. Garnett, and by which it va
almost certain" the enemy were to get Int
Col. Pesrams rear, and which he was orderc
to defend 10 the last, without some intimatlo
from Col. Pegram that his presence va
needed elsewhere? Lad he not been inforEc'
by Col. Pcgram that he had cavalry scouting
between his camp and that road, and could CON
muaicate with him readily? And did not Co!
S. have right to believe that ii Ccl. PesTan
wanted him, he would send for him by som
of that clcalry? Did not COL S. use every
means in bis [ower TO communicate with Col
Pegram by sending messenger to him, ant
was he wrong in waiting to hear from tina
messenger or from Col. Pegram to whom h'
r. wss sent? How could Col. Scott know thu
the messenger did not reach Col. Pegram =
And was it not the duty of Col. Pegram t.
have sent for Col Scott if he had deemed his
presence necessary lie had posted Col. Scot!
on road several miles distant, and had in
formed him, it was "alIuost certain" the enemy
was attempting to get into his rear By that road
and that he had cavalry scouting between bis
camp and that road; so soon as nc found him
SELF mistaken, and tnat the enemy would not
come along that road, (but as was actually the
casc) had unexpectedly come around his left
flank, was it not his duty to have Informed Col.
Scott of the fact Immediately? Why he did
~ flN il 70 mil N pn
gram was under the impression that the force OF
the encmy, engaged was smaller than it really
was, and mad made the attack with the view Of
masking their real object, ofgctting 10 his rear
by the road on which he had posted Col. Scott.
Unless Col. 2. was under that impression it
seems difficult to account for the fact that from
his force of GOO men, he should have sent out
only about 2J0 or goo men 10 meet the enemy.
Had he ct first believed that it vas moro than
a fight b:twcen o few companies on each side,
it must be presumed he would have sent out
more than the small number ne did, and more
over would have sent for Col. Scott to the road
on which he had been posted betTeen and 6
miles distant.
Had he sent for C5I Scott early in the
action aiM guide TO show him where our
friends, and where our enemies we're located,
Col S. would have rendered material service,
and NIGH. have changed the fortunes Of The
| day. That hU was not 50 sent for. ! know that
no nan regrets more sincerely than himsalf.-
! In addition 10 the general interest which he
would feel in such contest, nc would have
had an cspccia! interest in it, IS many Of his
own particular friends, and one company from
his own county, were engaged in that conflict
! But without guide, Col. S. could have done
nothing. Had he gone to the mountain without
one, the probability is, his whole command
wculi haTo been destroyed, and he would have
doae as much damage to friends Us enemies.
/ II was bush fight in tEc woods, and it is
evident tila. no ncw regiment could have gone
tlind.io,Gcd into such contest, w,hou. pro.
! 6abliiiy Of doing is much damage tu friends as
fees, and bying equally damaged by the,p.-
They hal no bads &c by which they could be
distinguished from each other, and If they had
had such badge, it would have been useless
! in the bushes
understand that friends and foes were mis-
! taken for each other on that day, By both par
ties, though they knew their relative localities.
! lIUI could Col. 5. have known one from the
| other, when he did not know. those r"lati~a
! !ocal!t:cs2 Poo. Hughes lost his lie, because
! he mistlok friends for foes, and thorc is no
reason wing the rest Of Col. Scos's men should
! not have md. i sitaiiar mistake.
! Without guide, therefore, Col. Scott could
have been of no use 70 Col. Pcgratn Col. Pegram
could have communicated with C,l Scott by his
cavalry and through his lines Col. Scott could
not communicate with Col. Pegran, and in at
tempting to do SO had his messenger killed
Col. Pegram di not in the earlier part OF the
action attempt to communicate with Col.
/ Scott; Col. did attempt to communicate with
hin. Was not Cs S. right in not quitting
the read on which he Was posted, and by
which it Was almost certain" the enemy would
come, until be heard from his m essenger or
from Col. P.grap; tho more especially as he
was ignorant Of the character Of the fight, Of
the number and localities Of the bclgerents,
and could iiare been Of no use without guide?
| Will it be said that Col. Scott should have
attacked the enemy after they had driven our
uen from the field, and taken our artillery p
According to the account Of the Adjutant Of
| the 44:h regiment he had on that day $40
men. The enemy were variously estimated at
! from 5000 to 1000 Or S,000 and had in their
possession two pieces Of our artillery. Had
! he attacked thcra in the woods they would, no
| doubt, have received him in ambush, or, ct
least, they would have selected their position,
and used their artillery. Gould Col Scott
have stood any chance with them, numbering,
as understand they actually did, about 9, 900
men, when Just flushed with victory? Those
who think So must suppose the enemy to nave
been the ycricSt towards on earth; but Gen.
erll who buses his CALCULATIONS on the cowar..
dice Of TIE enemy and not on the bravery ard
4 oft find
self mistaken, and, in my opinion, displays
but little sencralship. There can be but little
doubt, that if Col. S. had made the attack at
that time he would haze been defeated.
But must pause. Ny letter has grown to
an nrDndera,e length. will merely observe
that COL S. has the entire confidence and re-
spect Of his whole regiment, who approve Of
his conduct throughout this whole affair.
JUSTICE
! To the Editors Of the Enquirer
:-While perusing your columns,
; | noticed lhat the honor OF bearing forward the
| Gag OF the Hampton Legion was imputed to
Gen. Beauresard. Your informant was wrong.
The honor properly belongs to Lieut.. 6. W.
Lester. Of the Davis Guards who when the
order for cburgs was given, bore the Palmetto
col0rs about fifteen PAGES in front, calling on
! South Carolra 10 follow, which was promptly
done. Corporal O'Conncr was tho next to
take it, and he it was who waved the first
Southern ha5 over Sherman's Battery.
/ August S;h, 1861. fEHlrAs.
! --<-<o-~---
To the Eliters Of tho Eaqu;rsr:
Gcnrlcmcn please allow me to correct a
! mistake | noticed in your paper, few days
ago, in regard TO those concerned in carrying
Col! JohRson's bo;:c cE the field of battle: in.
stead Of those named /. was Messrs. Todd and
Walker Of the W. L. Iafantry, Be1iamin Bar
rs,t and C. T. lloke Of the Gist Rfes, VINO,
amidst the th;ckest ol the Esht, bore the fallen
brave 10 4 place Ct safety.