Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-10-02
Latest from Gen. Floyd's Camp.

VIC ae eWamPed upon the summit of this mountainous of the HIGHEST
Oh nose giant ranges which SO distinctly mark the geography of this section
of Virginia. Our Brigade, together with the 18th North Carolina md Hl4t5
georgia Regiments, occupy the plateau. while the white tents of the Wise |
Legion lot the eastern slope of the mountain, about one mile distant But
l d not hi k w shall remain here long. The enemy is CROSSING Gan,sn
In large numbers, at Gauley Bridge and Carnifaxs Ferry below n. az -
Hughes Forty above us-ther purpose. doubtless, beino 70 tai :. 49,
u ron and rear. This movement will probably necessiate bur falling back
fifteen miles farther, to Meadow Bluff, beyond which point the enemv eanno,
n~k US II they fight u at ehherplace we shall whip them, unless their
We have @ the addition o. Col c,.rLos MI. ~
or Georgia regiments, two as fine bodies of men, and commanded Nv
oraVe a efficient officers as are in the service. They are greatly cbaprined
a. not oe'ag ao to reach III in time for ur fight at Gauley. and when the
tug OF another battle comes, they will not dihonor heir gallant. st.o.
whose sol they are or the glorious eau they represent upon The fed
Those Colonies both fought through the Mex;can wnr ~ .I
been wounded six tines,
The movement of Roscncranz, the other day, in getting awav from Leo
and Lorlng, and Pccipitating his forces upon US was a brilliant o,e ona
shows that officer to be for superior to any of his masters. He n . doubt ~
pec@d' however to wipe as ut at a single brush, and return to his head
quarters flushed with easy victory; but in this he W a sadly disappointed.
and will have to take back with him a aa in his ear which viii iot,oa az
thing but his vanity.
L have read the Northern lerranhi account of urh ,.,. -.
sGantz. Ir presents that W had five thousand lei and is pieces of arhI.
ery'"n Inc ruth Is we only bad l,75o men aud SIX pieces of artillery,
four pieces of which only we're actively in the fight all the time. These
were IF the Guy Battery from Goocaland county, and were managed with
great bravery and consummate skill The sam account states the loss Of
the enemy to have been about 100 in killed aud wounded, when the truth
is that we have from a dozen different sources-fr m taeir W men and
friends-that it wa not less than fmt. six to min hundred. Indaed rdio,
BILE men who have passed through their camp put it down a a much b;ybar
figure. Certain it is, that If they lost but the number ,totsa Nv r. 5-
must have been consummate towards to permit themselves t. be driven hack
four times with their guns slenced. They state further that thew sueDced
two IF u guns ard that our loss must have been very heavy. The truth
Suhey never IccDed M oil u guns, omytw W Of their shots Touched
u earthworks. They never killed a man and only wounded scyeu. This
they must have known before they sent out their lying telegram, because
there a OF a grave or a drop of blood to be found inside ur lines. Thew
frankly ADMIT IA our Ire upon them a perfectly :" terrific" and it GER
tainly was. They admit that Col. Lyen, in bis charge pom u n with
his Irish Regiment as shot from his horse and his me- repulsod. The,
admit also, that Col. Lowe vas killed in aDobsr cbaro. 40 -. e.
Col McCook, with his German Brigade, ws repulad. This is all So and
shows nt only that our FIRE was terrific" but that their loss vas equally
terrific" Dr., they the greatest towards that ever trd a step to tho sound Of
martial music.
Gu Wednesday and Thursday lst Rosencrantz built nw boats and threw
-rone5 1900 of his mer across to this side of Gauiey, his pnrpose donb,lu
being tc form a junction with Gen. Coxs forces, which will com ID fifteen
miles from Gauley Bridge. This will give him a column of about 10000 men.
with which to march upon US It this point. About 1000 of this number are
now encamped at " Andersong," twelve miles distant, and the smoke frmr
their camp fires is plainly visible from our tents this evening.
For the short time l have been in the service have seen much of the
article We call war, in all its degrees of sunshine and Of shadow. I have
scen the sick and the wounded, the dead and the dying. have seen mn
brave men marching along almost impossible roads, and soaked v tbs
most drenchIng rains. l have seen them sometimes hungry and thirty, and
compelled to lie down at night upon the naked earth for their beds and a
single blanket for their covering. All these things and more. ars tn ~.
cessary concomitants of war, and never fail to touch the svmnatbie, 81 tbs
human heart But that sight which has touched me most. and which make.
tho blood of soldiers burn hottest, is that of the helpless families of
women and children who have been compelled to flee past US to escape the
vandalism of the scoundrels who are so wikedly invading our soil. These
helpless people are compelled to bundle up what little of their ehattes they
can carry with them o. horses and in their hands, and leaving their comfor
table homes and property to the savage depredaions of the enemy. flee to
the rar of our lines for safety. 1 tt too bad, but L trust the day is not far
distant when W e shall be able to carry all these evils of this unbolv var 70
tho homes and fresides of those who have so sinfuly proved its horrors.
P:s-Just as l close this letter. orders are issued to our forces to fall back
getting into our rear and Ito give him BATTLE with ali his force in front.
this quartz, in 2 few days The enemy outnun0ors Us heavily, out our men
are In zoo spuus, ahu Win SioTrouS cause TO nerve our arms, al d a Smi-
ling Providence to give us the victory, W do not fear.
FsoM WESTERN V1nGISIA The War Department has received the official
report of Gen. Lee giving n detailed accOunt of his plan of onerat, nc on
the Cheat Mountain ffo@uer. and of the recentfa failure OF the stragetc move
ment against the enemys position. The details of tho eport. com naniad
by maps etc, are not ofa mature to be communicated to the pubic at this
time. The Examiner referring TO this report, says:
1t appears from the statements of the repor that the phn of onaro;ono
vas dNconcertedb by the failure of the column led by Gen. jackson to attacL
the encmys position IN the Cheat Mountain. Gen. Jackson had no3o 10
reconnaissance, himsei, but N reaching the enemy's positions, found him
defended by asockade fort Large quantities of timber had been feNed
and we're so interlocked that 1t is said. it would have taken our mn several
hours to have climbed through. even if there bad been II % enemy on the OH
ers side to resist the attack. The column Of Gen. Jackson as withdrl W n in
the face of the likelihood IF such Wholesale slaughter of his force. and he
movements OF Gen. lee. which Were intended to &c Simultaneous in tbMr
results with the attack, entirely disconnected.
The plan of operations is given in the report Of Gen Lee fully by h aid
of maps, and is said, by military mr, to have ben q G, the EaoSt perec,
pieces If strategy in the entire campaign. As it has been disappointed il
will be Useless to- canvass its merits
Other important intelligence If a later date has been received from the
West
The intelligence is positive, that General Lee had left the Valley Nom
tain and was OF his way to join Gen. Floyd This moveme of which wa
have distinct advices is the Interesting point at present in the comnica
.mn In IN west. and shows n dacided change in the camnnirn q u- r..~-