Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-11-21
Letter from Western Virginia.

We have been permitted 10 make the following
 extract from a letter written hy Sergeant Major ! Lawrence, of Col. Rust's regiment:
 HEAD uUARrERs SD R PIGMENT AK VoLuSrEFRs.) CAMP BARrcw, Pocahontas county, Va {
 Friend Simpson: 1 have not written to you 1 since the organization of our regiment, because
 nothing of interest has occurred since we come to Virginia, until within Q few days We have
 undertaken since 6e came here (two months ago)
 to surpse the enemy in his strong hold on Cheat
 Mountain-but without success. We marched
 over almost impassable mountains, waded ice cold
 streams slept in chilling rains on the ground, in
 short, suffered every hardship only to find the ene-
 my too strongly fortified to be attacked with any
 hope ot success. On the last expedition, Sertem.
 Der 18th, we skrmished with considerable body,
 killing four and taking nine prisoners, with q 1 loss of one on our side. The enemy have mae-
 niGed our loss into seventy killed and taken prison
 CTS. On the 3d of October, however, the grand battle of the season came of. About daylight our pckets commenced firing; at first only dropping shots were heard, to which We paid but little at
 tention. But soon we heard rapid and continuous discharges of mlAketry n the direction of tho enc 1 my, indicating a hot contest between them and our pckets. runner came in with dispatch l from tue officer commanding the pckets, that the enemy were approaching in force with cavalry and 1 artillery. Col. Rust ordered the long roll to be beaten, and our regiment formed in order ofbattle 1 The right of our position was defended by the Georgia regiment, the center by the Virginia, and the left by the Sd Arkansas and Andersons battery
 The enemy came down in fine style with eight pieces of artillery and 6000 infantry and cavalry When within range they unlimbered their guns and opened fire, pouring shot and shell from their rfed cannon upon us with the most remarkable rapidity and precision. Our batteries opened ill reply, and under an arch of shrieAng shells and l whZzing cannon and minnie balls the gallant Sd Arkansas marched to take up its position on the left in the woods. As anticipated the enemy at tempted to turn our left with his infantry covering their advance with showers of grape and canister
 They crossed the river in three columns some dis taucc below us, and, throwing cut avAn guard, ap- preached us cautiously through the woods, not knowing exactly where we were. They soon found out however, for when within twentyf five steps the leit udIh Ol our gave tiltLI LOtIHnG ! salute of about sixty guns, which caused the head of the column to fall back in confusion upon the main body, which becomeg panic strken the whole force retreated ill disorder precipitately down the hill and the river: taking with them, how ever, their dead and wounded leaving some in the shallow stream which we fshed out next day. They then made an attempt on the right, but were re- pulsed by the Georgians and Shoemaker's battery which pitched grape and canister into them in the most teeliog manner, killing them by scores. All this time the mountains crerher tied with the roar of twelve pieces of artillery in constant action, wne at intervals the rapid sharp rattle of musket- ry broke upon the ear like the rattle of hliistoues during the intervals between caps of thunder iu an aUtumna storm. The attacE; lasted four hours, at the end of which time the enemy cried out: They are charging us!" ''lhey are charging us." |" Retreat. retreAt.' and broke ranks and fled in coniuson leaving some of their dead on the field. They hauled of twtrty tra,oas and amJu!ancs> loaded r;h dead and ueunG,d for their share Of the spells. They came down from their mountain f.s!nesses with large train of wagons, an,cipat- ing an easy victory ard an abundance of spells; but alas instead of filling their wagons with the spoi!s of seaca, as they call Us, they filed them with the bloody and mangled bodies of the mise rabie dures of cruel and inscnsate despot.
 The loss of the enemy was. at least, two hun 1rcd and fifty or three hundred, and ours about thirty. The loss of our regiment vas just nine 1 in killed, wounded and missing. know this num- Der to Dc accurate, because in the discharge of my duties as sergeant major of the regiment make full report of the state of the regiment every morning.
 We acted solely upon the defensive, because many of our regiments were weak from the ct- fects of our terrible campaign in the mountains as to be scarcely able to stand in ranks. Out of regiment 500 strong we only marched in the field about $50 men. Our whole force diG not exceed 5000 men, scores of whom arose from sick beds where they had lain for weeks, to fight the battles of thir country. We had 10 cavalry at all, and never could have caught them on foot But, thanks be to the God of battles, we drove the nsolen foe back to his den, taking q magnificent u S flag and large quantity of clothing, knapsacks, haver sacks and guns, which he abandoned in his inglor!- ouS retreat