The sun., 1861-10-25
From o,ciday's $ coni E'ilicn.
The Fight at Leesburg, Va.

Tpu'csriNf, Or'. 22d,-Thc Following report
ID tho battle at Balls BluG, midway betweon
Corrais and Edwards Ferry, and opposite II ar
rison Island which occurred yesterday, has
been cleaned from authentic sources!
On Sunday night Colonel Devens of tho 18TH
| Massachusetts, who lad for some tino guarded
BaTrison's Island with one company, ordered
| Capt Philbflck Of company II, and quar- or
master Howe ot his stan, with a detachment Of
twenty mon To scout tho Virginia shore IN the
| rcctiOn Il Lccshurg.
They cro~cd from tho Island to tho shore,
ard executed the order 10y approaching within
thuo fouTthJ OF mile Of Leosburg returning 10
thsir starring int about t.u o'clock a. might
discovering as they supposed small camp, one
milo or more from Loc-6drg.
On reporting 90 Col. DoNens, tho latter, with
about q. mon, pushoi forward by Ill rec,iou of
Gen. y one in the simo locality, with orders to
destroy tho camp al dayhreak and return, and
| Col. DtveIs remain with his command conceal
| ed, sent back word thai the enemy was
IN silht; Capt. Pbilbr,bs con plny taking Z
| an advanced position, whllo tho rcmlinin ,
| companies were conccllci a. reserve
in case of an attack on tire pdyaneo when about
! mile and balf from tho river and 500 yards
| in advance Of Col Deyens' reserve, Col. Phil
brick, acccTplnlcd by Col. Dlvons in person,
| attacked ard drove back a company OF M isil-
| sipp rilcmen, aul then fell blok 10 tho reserve
body Of robel cavalry. In tho skirmiIh Cap.
Philbrich had difficulty in getting his M, nsar
| enough To the enemy for his smooth. boro ..urs
a. bayo much effect, whereas tho otl or used long
range rifles Un our forces.
Al daybreak and at tho samo hour that Col.
E6ycrs' command loft tho shore 10 make tho
advance, Col. leo, Of the 10th Massachusetts,,
sent over ono company ot his r"gimsnt, which
remained On tie shore 10 cover tho return Of
Col. Dcven'.
Col. Devon maintained hi ground AMI was
reiniurcrd during tho morning by Three hun.
drcd more OF his giment, under Lieu, C,.
Ward. About l O'Clock, ho was H.tirhli by
consldorahl' body Of rlgmcn who ationpt'i 10
OuiilsrN lin.
Fearing hey might b, su"c.qsful, and artor
resisting them for some time, CJl Dever slow
ly r,r" itod m perfect order O. tho Tvur, wrero
Col. IiIkor hsd arrived with a battalion OF tbs
& Clil rll 7 81 mont, comm inle 4 b. Lieut.. Cpl.
WistI. Col. l,ker tnen tOpk cOmnlul li'at
complimentiup col Dsvcis for hI successful re-
sstaEcc TO uIerior iorco AMI giving hi' CON
mand, nov less than 600 m'n, the right Of the
1.-Two u ua'tla tho cen 70 and left wing being
formed a about . Il the Ma aachusots 10Th
| uud Col lee, and tho California battalion
1 about five hundred in number, under Lieut..
| Col Nisbar. Two mountain howitA,rs, COM
| mauded by Lieut.. FIonCh, AMI ole piece Of tho
| New York battery, commanded by Liout lirIm-
| hall, wrro IN front 4 tho contro Iust previous
The attack was comm anc,d by the enemy on
our tight, but was soon directed more heavily
10 the centre and left.
For about two hours tho battle ragged t,rrii-
cally, complete shower Of lsadon hal pouring
unon us. ThrLo several times tho loft Of tho
line made an advance, but We're compelled to
return a. often. Tho right was batter protested
AMI Lrld then position.
DEATH or COT, nAKER.
tr, I - fbrAvw
two cor plri,s Of tlro 10Th Massachusetts, 70 the
r,utir, Whi,B was imuod srrly executed. THIS
no. .rud lhe impro-i n that tie battle was
| uirg asuns' ~, but caused no ISion or
| d.may The 70 vas hard plc sd, but rcmun-
| ,r tIm about this time the news spread that
| Co. B,lrr was klllod while IN the act tf
| no. mug a C.lfun forward with his shoulder ~
| rfc wheel, 80 was pierced by six balls. lie
| As. 'Nidtutl, the objecg Of tho enemies sharp
| shooters.
| ARRIVAL OF cot. COGswFLL.
Alter this thore was a cessation Of fire for a
| few minutes, during which Col CDgswoil Of
| the Tammany regiment, arrived W tn tSo COM
| plries, ard he beng tho sesi otcer, tho c M
| uAnd devoved on him. In short tima it be-
| came evident 10 Col. Cog'wsl that tho d'y was
| lost and be Thought n host 20 cot his way
| through to ElAard's Frrry, whe'o Gan. Cor
| man was in charge throw ing over rinf0tc'-
mtnta by \ direct on ut ti.n Sflre, VIVA Wa
| Nllhn 81 u ol luN bA'lN' ''ll ~ T. lNdlu =
| Ferry, dlr,cing he rcnr Il movements
| An 0rdoi Nls Low is,uot ~ Ir,rsi"t tho |l'h
| M,-slchu-att-, from the ris't 'nt - lHt " is.
| vas oXocu,td a. calml" as tha'tIl,on Grill.
THE ErrmAT.
| CI. Cos.gcll on became at'ish-i OF t'
in uu.Htul,y ui reaching tuwlGd Fe.fy As De
| nd, hud q ye all uIder to fhi ba;A tlwirt'
| the uyrr, which wss e'ecu'ed "a weH as IA
| cifcums Hu,e, would prrl0it, Itey ret!h"i th.
| uy,rb b ~ ,h,ut 20 mluu es Osf - r'gh al
Here tho I'm dcPloyel aS sk,rln ahers Ilpn
he shore. Ire onl, means Ot conyl anc' O.
ne l.lard WA large b a., cap '6l' II cary in-
lbout 81 persons, " iGh was oy'rrowded 'H'
swamped The trp pS remaining on the shor
| uado ate resistance, hul Il ls bol'eV".
thai th- enemy took c.nphrdiVoIy lew P'lsoh
eis In cOn'eqlence ,,-.-u
Thoso who could swim plunged into the wa
Ter, these Irying their arms VINO could an
| othes throwing them iRto the river 70 preVsh
| ,h,,r falling into the enemies hards. me a
cared by awaiting themselves Of the dark 80
& ana the heavily wCoied hanks, but several az
ywp TO have bten drowned In the waters 0
| ttr Po,omac Tho bohav or Of our troops befOI
sutpTior numb.r Of the nemy, was marked a
molly crave, and enduring.
AcALLASr CHARGE.
Near the close Of the action, and after the ds
l | was irrerieyably lost, the two recently arriv'