The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-31

trrou orr owv CORRESPONDENCE
LsKsrrs a. Oct. u. 1851

The shocks are nuW stanufng. Atcr tHest
,eIds comes a tliicle of oak, and IA low under
growth of shrubberv, which stretches along
towards Goose Greek, and parallel with the
river for FIVE or six miles. On the morning
of the fight, the enemy had taken possession
Of the upper portion of this thicket, and five
companies had formed in line Of battle, when
the Mississippians attacked than. They re-.
treated through the woods into 4 larger foresI
OF oak, and there Joining with the remainder
of thu regiIu ent, made a second stand. Still
further towards the Potomac is circular
clearing, containing some three acres, with
O at shrabhe ry, except a few punches OF haw-
shorne which are Sea altered over 1t. In the
middle OF this clearing is deep hetio W, that
might almost be called a raYine. On the OF
p5site SIDE of this the enemy had posted their
battery consisting OF three gaDs, two howi'z-
a. aud = rided cannon. from this point
they threw s'.ot and spherical case at the sth
virginia, amt also ct Tia" 18th NJ issiesippi.-
| When the Charge was m;toe about o clock
| IL, the eyenjr e they were driven from this PC
~,oou Behind Ehe battery, but few hua-
sred wards WIS the river, Dut between them
/ a rrecirice nearly one hundred feet in height.
| pn the inoraipg OF the fourth day after The
ba ttIe a party OF Us visited the ground. The
DEAD had lnss h. en- buried, ana the grave ~
| me last was being smoothed over as We APP
|
| buried in a trench MOI far from where they
| fell. but there are scattering gIdves for some
| distance up and down the rivers osnk. a
| aag CT truce was sent over 70 TAKE chafSe OF
| M. dead, borne by Caps. Vaughan, OF the
! Rho1ie stand battery, He was met by Ad-
| infant Bowie, OF Tie sth Virginia. Inc
| vounCet! Y an KEGS were ali carried 70 the rear
| nd hurried across the river 20 house near
| by. .,.. l. to-,
| Rising from the river margin Is steep
c!,H III some places ninety CT one huiidrea leet
| high, and Aeilrly perpendicuiar Upon us
| size are hundreds OF old ant 0ecaylnS trees
| and rock : whose sides ye Covered Win mess,
! lu0 with the leaves Of many autumns. bro.
| 20, trunks Of trers sre loCctd upon tnenl, AKA
| .iss eartl, washed irom above, forming i 500.
| N which grows many VaTletts ol IoItst
| .hrUbs Along the river IS = iool pain ht-Fe-
! ty wide enorgn tCr Single person 10 W@4h,
| mn which V iasns 1T tne upper extremity %
! fha hjutt into y passabie road. AZ tLiS place
! 10 .n3,,}v drew up their artillery. Inc re-
| freat was q Itempled at the opposite ENG oJ q
mere bridti tatn. but The horses %oEe All >Aiot
and the gGns captdieo. ,..4,,
| .,tgud thrpp-fo hs OF ii mile liz length thd
J about SIX hundred yards IA Wiath Il lie
t;io,icaI II, form AID entirely ondeT cuitit;i
.l.- excqrL, pSrh3Ea, n acre or Two u tIit
-, .rt,s a aieh Is COW req with trees- Inn
,netiotely Ia the centre is a s,n;.At stone hodse
o3iuted white, a large kitolSr cicse by, ana
ylr or TWO "tlIer ousouli'AinSs. IL hIue 4@I-
her ~ ne island l. th9 lower s{orS
NJ a brick barn which WIS Begun some
nae agu, but t-r so,ns re,eson Wa
aayec npleted. The island Was covered
via corn. showing, the land WAS rleA
and productive. lhe ground in many places
. e.,y..r-d vain rifle p,ts, ana her siignt CO.
s4rts 10 protect the pIeAets Write on duty -
hey weie very thica un Inc itrther eauh oi
the river. = he p0ruuu OF tue eIedh inst
rams On the MaryItld SIDE OF the island is
luout thu same wldth - the other, bnt the
yy..ltr Is AAore shallow, and seemingly runs
ri ID greater rapid, ~. fine canal along
l.Ea q ~ ". ~ W Z
mats pass ND, ana cOGia distinctly see tue
man a. tns HEINZ t.llu the hOiees VA the low
ath s,-.erai shoLs were ur.d at them. but
Iue distance Was 100 great ~ 30 any tIuago.
Tn Sc boa : generally 10 doV-n heavily loaded
with % Odu.e, end IL " Juid prove @ profitable
.sxuedi ion to some adventurous m II who
80, Il Id c&piure Of them. l. could be easl-
IS done.
..Iul On the left CT the picture rises Sugar
loaf NJ )untain, It's WHIT peak being Vislbie
miles away. \ chain OF hills runs along
tbout three miles from The river sloplhg grn-
dualIy 10 it. These nils or slopes are covered
with splendid farms, and tile hlllsldes are
,!otted ny hundreds OF splendid cattle; AS we
sat on the Virginia SIDE watching The opto-
Sile SCENERY d picket guard " IS seen Erar 4
uouse a mile and 8. half from the river. Soon
.fter, wi TN the aid Of glasses, We observed
troop OF cavalry file out OF Ii wood i've mites
away, and halt upon an emlnence, as II to
make & recon noiSs;tRce. No other mum Ia he-
,ugs could be seen, not even 4 laoorer in the
uy ioS.
There being no signs Of the enemy on the
islaud or on me land immediately upon the
river, we pre- posed 10 visit Ii.
II would hse 60 into Maryland,'' said
one.
That can be easily done see, ] stand in
nOth Stalezi' replied our guiae.
sure eroesh he did, for the river, up to
high wafer mark, belongs to Mary taud, and
by stepping inro the l4ttle path that skirts the
water one stepped off Virginia soil. his was
rISi hnC
took small boat ana crossed to the island
At the landing was p small raviue or guIch
about twelve feet wide and SIX or eight feet
deep. . his ran in Uca ri and iOined ditch that
had been dug 10 drain the land. The Yam
KEGS used this rs 3 rifle piE, and had 1t fitted
up and protected in IS curious manner. ny
ntering the drsin a soldier could psss from
the river 70 the house entirely un0oserred
;,Lers had been made IL the side to get upon
the bank, and :; small rail house built for the
shelter of ri"kets. Near by this gulch Is
another pit, where large number u the
killed were buried.
Proceeding with glea eau lion, and keeping
as much possible under cover OF the trees,
10 prevent being picked oil by stray bullet,
we went 10 10 the mouse. Here we saw many
curious sights--reiits OF The enemy lett before
,he battle \ plate o. bGt'eI, a pan Of -four,
some hard biscuit, t paper Of corn starch,
sugar, salt etc Several articles OF clothing,
torn and bloody, Icy upon the floor, and large
Spots OF dried blood, showing where some
wounded lnan was carried An empty chic
rofoTm bottle and sponge lay upon the Ia
ole, lust as they had been used by the ply ST.
elan ia giving relief To some suffering piece OF
humanity. The number OF wounded sen. 10
this house must haye been great, ii the guam
THY of blood upon the floor any sign.
streWa over the floor, IGIxed with bloody
linen and fragments, were old envelopes, let
tiers, cards, and scraps OF paper. The follow
ing card is sample Of those found on the
hocr
MY FRIEND
Rudely appealed TO on each trifiing theme:
FIainLain your rank ia! Sarty despise;
To swear is neither brave, polite, nor wise:
You woa!d not Swear apon the bed - death.
Reflect Your Maker now may stop your
breath.
A blood stained letter, written in s. beauti-
f0l hand, and signed Ell: J. Burgess was
picked up. and also letter addressed to Miss
Ella, written probably by him whose blood
now d7sfignred Is white surface.
The men on This side seeing a canal boat.
going up, gave the alarm and cautioned US to-
return. Hastily gathering up all the scraps
of paper Wi hin reach, and one or TWO have
locks as relics, we hurried back 10 the shore.
1t proved false alarm. but thinking pru-
aence an excellent Thing, we demonstr ited
oar possession OF it by getting once moreAinIo
Virginia.
Although several DAYS after the battle we
fohnd the shore thrones-d with men and boys
gathering relics fishing h-m from tue
wafer. Dt.riug the re4reat the tnkees stop
PED upon the baIk Of the river and stripped
II their c!otniog. Every mAn threw his gan
sway; some their costs and blankets. By
wading iuto the stre&m excellent IT, uskeIs
could be iourd IN greet. numbers. l sa " sew
er j fipe "B 'igian' aud "Londoa Tower
guns lished up from the bAstom. Oie II an
got Il tine pair II saoes and splendid oil
cloth. Il is diff uIt 10 estimate the amount
II property captured III this affair. Colonel
Fettherstone's account is corr ct far as the
arms goes, but there were other things which
sh,. soldiers got. ans Wt len were not turned