The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-29

| would have been rashness In a leader less sa-
gacious and vigilant than General Thomp
son, or with soldiers less hardy and daring
| than the "swamp Fox Brigade" of South
east Missouri. The fight at Fredericktown
jus tifies the high reputation of that gallant
officer and his command. While deploring
the loss of the brave officers and men VIII fell
| in that campaign, console myself with .he
reflection that as long = Missourians can be
found who, half clad and poorly armed, sue.
| cessfolly encounter, as at Fredericktown, an
army which even the accounts of the enemy
J admit to have been four times as large as
I ours, engaged in that battle, the expulsion
| of the foe from our entire State is merely
quest ton of time, and of our means fully to
| arm and equip our loyal citizens
l remain, Colonel, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant.
THos. q, REYNOLDS,
Lieut.. Governor of Missouri.
HgADe'Rs, FIRST MILITARY DIsrRIcr,
III. G., CAMP ALLEN, Oct. %, 1851.
| Lieutenant Gcv.rnor r. G. Rsyao,ds:
Str II am Instructed by The General COM
| handing this brigade, to forward you a de-
| tailed account of our movements subsequent
| to the l2th nlt., when we broke camp at
| date, about 10 o'clock A NJ, the General, &C
| companied by five hundred noun ted rifemen,
| started in direct course toward the Iron
| Mountain railroad, designing to strike it
| ABOUT forty miles south of Saint Louis al
Big River Bridge. In the absence of the
| General, Colonel Andrew Lowe, of the Third
| Regiment OF Infantry, commanded the re-
naming forces, which consisted mostly of in
| fdntry. he Was ordered TO make his line OF
march on i direct route from Spring Hill to
| tIederIc1toWn, moving only short distances
each DAY, so as to keep lne men in good con-
| dition either for 3 fight or hasty move, and
TO halt at that place and await further or.
| ders. He was ordered 10 use every exertion
| TO collect lead and Prepare it for Immediate
| shipment He was successful in shipping
| $4,000 pounds, watch is aow safe in New
| Madrid. The General, with the cavalry,
pushed ahead at a rapid rate, arriving
the bridge about daylight of the 18th. H
| succeeded III surprising, and, after a short
| struggle, capturing fifty eight of the enemy,
| belonging TO the Normal Regiment, OF III
| ncis, including one Captain (Eiliotp ana
| three Lieuienants, who had scarce tim.
| enough 10 run into 4 low stone fort which
| they mad established, before our men al
| tuit run broke in upon them, with the before
| detailed results. We have had TWO killed
and Two wounded, and the enemy four de;,u
| aud seven wounded. The bridge was at once
fired, and was soon complete wreck. Our
| men went to work at once collecting all the
stores OF the enemy, prep ring them for
| trans Ortation. aDout this time, L new foe
| appeared upon the field. Some eighty men
| from one OF tne posts above, having heard
| the firing, came IN double haste to the sue
| cor OF their comrades, and caught our forces
| III somewhat Scattered conuIuon. For n
| lime the battle was evenly waged, but Out
men soon collected together and pushed home
! on them, when rhey ned in confusion. We
| Killed SIX of the enemy and wounded quite
| NUN Der. We captured, among other innings,
| % muskets, forty five osercoais, and mum.
Ger OF blankets. The prisoners were all
| liberated on taking the oath not to serve
| during the war, or until exchanged. Daring
me lnarcn OF the infantry towards Erederlck-
| town, our scents brought in TWO Federal sol
| u4eES, captured Tiye miles beyond the town,
and reported Il large party ;tttcr them. We
| reached The place on the l7th, ana quietly
went into camp 10 await The return OF the
General larry on the morning OF the istn,
| the camp was startled by QUICK succession
! OF Inusket shots beyond Tie st. Francis
| Bridge, which crosses a river of the same
| nalae Il quarter OF & mile beyond the town
| We soou discovered that il proceeded from
| our picket, which had been driven III
Dy Il Large force OF cavalry he enc
| NY sustained severe loss, as tht
| picket, which was under the command OF
| captain Helmes, consisted OF 81 men,
| VINO gave them = voI4ey al the short distanc.
| oi 90 yards, the Captain Of the little band, rs
| The enemy came on at dashing gallop, walk
| ed deliberately 10 the middle Of the roaG,
| to0k careful aim at the leading officer, ana
| shot him through the body They LOST five
allied and fifteen wounded, while the picket
| arrived safely to camp. The enemy manpu-
| vred ABOUT all the morning, seeking 10 finu
| out our numbers, but refrained from attack
Ing Us. The Colonel comm handing our forces
did NOT deem it advisable to assume the Of
| nsive, but await the Generals coming, he
having been advised that the enemy was at
1 hHnC, ana GaCh moment was expected to
| rive. About O'Clock the General rode in TO
camp; at the sight of him the whole brigade,
| though ordered not to cheer, broke out in one
| long continued shout, which, astonishing to
say, SO appalled, the enemy, that they at once
commenced a hasty retreat and from all the
| reports we can gather from those residing on
the road. they seemed in nc little confusion.
| We made hot pursuit, but failed to come up
| with them; aud after following several miles
| the whole command returned to camp. Tue
| balance OF the day, and all the following,
| we were left in quiet. On the morning OF the
Goth our picket arrested man, lust as daV
| was breaking, while endeavoring to avoid
! them. They recovered n package which he
had thrown away, which, on inspection
proved TO be communication from Colonel
| Plummer OF Cape 0irardeau, TO the com
| mandant at Ironton, stating that he was ap
preaching our encampment with a large
| force, and asked his cooperation. Being
| thus warned in time, we made all the neces
| sary arrangements 10 receive the enemy
The safety of the baggage and lead first en-
| gagged the Generals attention, for once hay-
ing secured that, he could fight Or not as his
| pleasure. It was soon on the way to Green
Vile, the brigade accompanying it, but was
halted ten miles south of the town, and here
preparations were made to return with all
| our lighting force, to give battle to the enc
my, be their numbe what they might. AT
| ter rest of ii few hours, We started at four
O'Clock of the morning of the 21st with but
200 men all told, with the eSpectatio of
giving fight TO three times our number. We
| found out though, before their fire opened
| that there were seven sregimen tai flags in the
field. Since then we have received relia bic
| information that there were IL, 900 men of the
enemy present. We arrived about Ii o'clock
| within half a mile of town, and were imme-
diately placed in position. LOWS third re-
giment, with Jennings's and Rapley's battal-
ions, were posted on the right of the Green
| vile road, some 800 yards in advance of the
| I'd and 4th regiments, which Were on the left
| OF the same. Our IL FOUNDER, commaaded
| by LIT. Harris, was 500 yards ia the rear OF
| Lows position, at the edge of wooded hill
The three 6-pcunders were placed on or close
adjacent to the road. After driving in their
| pickets, with some skirmishers, detached for
that purpose, at about l2 O'Clock they ad-
yanced In rec, and showed on the brow
| OF hill which hid the town from our view
| Soon their cannon were placed in position
| and sent shot and shell in quick succession
among ia. Our IL and little SIS replied merriIy.
and caused quite a stamp ede among their
cavalry, which had showed incautiously In
masses over the Hill top. Our L. FOUNDER, sew
| erai times during the action, By its well-di-
| rected discharges of grape, proven ted their
icavalry from making a charge down our
| centre upon our guns, tsixes.l During the
| while II regiment of their infAntry advanced
1 down the hill through the eorafeld, immedi-
| ately In front of loves position he lay con
csaled behind the fence that enclosed the
] field. The onsmys advance guard of one
l company stopped when within sixty yards
of our line, VIXEN, after particularly caution
ing his men TO shoot low and take delibe-
| rata aim, he gave the order to fire. when
| at least seventy of them bit the dust
The balances of their regiment soon took
| their place, but IN a few minutes broke and
fed to the rear OF the Geld. Again they re-
turned bnt now two dags, denoting two regi
menn, came to the attack; but again they
| were com PEELED 10 give way before tho de-
libOrats and carsful firing of orr men. In
| the early part of the set ion they oyershot, and
our men assert that thew frequently fred At
L r0aA '