The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-04
FROM KENTUCKY AND MISSOURI.
Eagerness OF MeCuIiech's Trcsps for "A
FiEht-The Late Emg aaemeut efGsn. JEFF.
Thsmpscn--The Collision of Forces q.
Grceryilie, Ac.. Sc.

The following in telligence from the con tend
ing forces In Kentucky and Missouri we
gather from our Southern exchanges:
rHE WHEREABOUTS or sExs. a'cuLLocH AND
PARTICULARS OF RgcgYr ENGAGE
xRSTs. &C.
An interesting letter appears in the Mem
phis A2poiI, Of The cath ult, dated "Colum-
bus Ky. Oct 2J," from which we extract the
following.
TIE ourssnt of news has been almost stag
rnns here recently, though the waters were
again "troabled" yesterday afternoon by the
trrival at headquarters of a courier from
Ben McCulioch and one from Gen. Jeff.
Thompson.
hlr. Conuor, the courier from f8cTulloch,
brings informant that the command is now
~ Benton couuty, on the Usage river, some
i39 miles from here, and in communication
with Gen. Price. though these two Generals
have not yet seen ut to form Il nltinc tion. .-
dc''ullochs troops were in good order, and
'ager for an opportunity to meet the enemy
Cen, Price had fallen back from Lexin gton TO
posi- tion higher cut cG the Usage, and was
only restrained from giving Fremont battle
~ his want of ammunition, being entirely
cat OF caps. As coon az measures can, be
taken for the replenishinE of his military
torres. auu conluncttQn effected between the
forces OF Prica and McCulioch. Frem ont will
10 ground between these TIVE commands like
fire IN 2 bark uill. Things are drawing
10 a crisis with Fremont in Missouri and one
more signal defeat Will be enough not only TO
tisgcace him, bnt to shake the Federal power
IA the state 10 the very centre.
The courier from Gen JEFF, Thompson re-
ports a engagement dear Iron Mountain On
he 2fth, between about pish teen hundred
'onfaderates. under .Teft, Thompson aud be
fwceB four and five thousand FederaIists -
AFTER burning 4 mum ber OF the bridges on
The Iron Mount in Railroad, cutting off COM
municRti0u with ST. Louis, and making him
q JA he aH
oy means cf scouting parties kept out in
very direction, Gen. Thompson was finally
induced tc make an attack upon the Feaer;il
forces n IT1Etou. AItrcking upon that place
with his little force Of Eighteen hundred men,
ne drove in 'heir piclS2is, and chosiug q posi-
ton in An old field, awaited an attack. Piac-
ing his little battery in position, his troops
were distributed so aS most eftectuelly to
Command the ground the enemy would be
forced 20 occupy in making the attack being
eutreuchvd behind fences, logs, and every
thing :h2t would protect them from the view
IS wei IS the aim of their advarsaries Thus
he had not long 10 wait an at
tack, for the FeGegsiiets soon commenced
pouring in upon hin il unexpected nuinhers.
They steadily advanced under The 11re from
The battery until within good rifle range,
when q simultaneous yoiiey from Thomp-
sons conce!Ied Tines moved own the whole
front ranG, causing The column 70 Waver,
without replying u the IRE. The period of
his tTep.Cati0n gave Thcmpson's men op-
poTtdnf!y Y to reload, and another yolley deci
mated the ranks Of the Federalists, but by
this tine their firing had discovered their po-
Sitou, and the Federalists were better pre-
pared to direct their aim against the i'm
promptu eutrenchments Of our soldiery.
IN the meantime force OF cavalry made
an attack upon Thempsou's b,ttery. when
5hev ruu upon \ masked battery Of rifle
r1eu. that according 10 my informant
mptied a third of their saddles on the first
discharge The battery continued to play
ana the fight 20 rage between the conceaied
con fedegates and the expo sed Eejerals, until
ThomrSon's ordnance stores gave out, and
The battery was withdrawn from the field; in
doing which, the horses attached TO a twelve
FOUNDER took fright, and upsetting the car
riage the coupling came loose, and the hind
wheels and the carriage We're left upon the
feld. NJ IL fortcant was not able 10 say how
long the fight lasted but General Thompson
finding himself likely to be outfanked by the
superior force Of the enemy, withdrew il good
orJer and fell back upon Grrenyille, whence
he dispatch ei for reinforcements, The enemy
had engaged on their side four Infantry regi-
Inents, a battalion ofcaSaIry and 4 heavy park
of artillery. Very little injury was done to
our troops by the infantry or cavalry of the
enemy. most of the damage being done by the
thrown 9 OF shells from their Parrot guns
into the exposed positions occupied by cur
tro0ps.
The loss on our side was about thirty, among
whom is Col lowe and one Captain OF in
fantry, whose name / could not obtain. 1t
was The opinion Of the courier, who was
on the field throughout the battle, that the
loss OF the enemy could nos be iese than three
or tour hundred, and an indefinite number
wounded.
There are cases IN which victory is decided
IL with the yanquished, and this is one Of
them.
The report that Mayiieid, the county site of
Graves county, some thirty miles from here,
had been taken possession of by the Federals
seems 10 want continuation Some four hum
dred Federal cavalry remained in the town
one Gay and night, and IL is said that regi-
lneut OF infantry were within nine miles of
the place, intending to occupy it, when word
reached th- place that q Mississippi regimen t
were marching upon II, and the cavalry in =
con t'uently fled, carrying The infantry back
with them 10 PducaI, SO MayIieid is still in
our hands.
MOVEMENTS OF aES. JEPF. THOMPSON.
The following particulars of the movements
Of Gen. Jeff Thompson we find III the Mem
phis Appeal, OF the tn October. Our readers
will fad it interesting:
We have seen a private letter from Gen /
Thompson, TO q gentleman in this city, dated
the sd, in which he states that every day of
the pre- vious TWO weeks had its adventures
and history. AItuding 70 the affair Of the 2ls;,
he says: we had very pretty little fight on
Monday, which VIII be Inagnified into a Ia l.
tie allowed ii 10 gratify the men, and try
their pluck in IA open field, and am more than
pleased with their performance"
dian Ford and Bloomfield. The cavalry were
moved to new field OF labor, under General
Ihompsou's personal command. OF course
any statement made as 10 their destination
would be I'M udIcious.
Gen T cor lsideTs his little carr paign one
of complete success, although ia consequence
OF unavoidable accidents, ali was not accom-
plished that was orig inally contenplated.- -
The Big River Bridge was burned-Ihus cut.
ting off communication by rail between two
inp9rLant positions held by the enemy-Cape
Girardeau and Pilot Knob. The cayalry
performed q march of two hundred and sew
e,tty- five miles within the ten DAYS, and the
infantry over one hundrsd and eighty-iis-
tances unprecedented ia the history of tht
movements Of armies. This energy shows
what can be accomplish ed by men lighting fol
privileges they are determined 10 secure.
The enemy had become alarmed at the rapid
movements OF Gen. T.'s command, and
brought out 1000 men TO oyerwhelIn him.
Referring to the fight, he says we me-
them with twelve hundred men, ana after
fighrIng them two h0nre, retired in good order
We arn bushed them st every turn of the road
cornfield and thicket, and are here tat Green
Vile, Mo- with more men than we started
with and the whole force in one thousand
per cent. better spirits than when the cam
paign commenced -
SYMPATHY FOR THE s~tTH OK THE INCREASE Is
kBETUcRY.
eorrespo ndent, writing from HOPKINS
Vile, KY, under d ate of October %, says:
When Gen. AIcorn marched his troops to
this place il was in the possession of one of
Abe's serran.s, Captain Jackson, who had
under his command six or seven hundred
troops; but on the approach Of our gallant
little band Of Mississippians, amounting to
some 500, they made good their escape, and
are now far np in the Interior of the State.
This brigade is composed OF the first and
third Mississippi regiments. one Kentucky
regiment, aid some 500 cavalry, mostly Ken
tuck!ans Within the last week there has
been quite a turn out OF Kentucky Tolun-
teers. To-day two companies came into
camp, NUN bering near a hundred each. They
are quite au acquisition 10 our Rumbers.--
The presence of our troops here has done