Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-22


FLOYD.
| PRESENT POSITION OF OUR FORCES, &C.. &C.. &C.
Editorial Correspondence of the Lynchburg Repub-
Hcan-]
HEADQUARTERS NEAR DOGwooD GAP,
September IL, 1861.
On Monday last we received intelligence
| OF the advance of the enemy in heavy FORCE
| from the direction of Sutton, along the Sum-
| meryille road. On Tuesday morning, Col.
AcCauslins regiment, which had been down
at Summerville as our advance, was driven
in. and the enemy encamped IA miles distant
| from US. We expected him to drive in our
pickets on Tuesday night and attack us on
| "Wednesday morning, but contrary to these
expectations, he forced his march and drove
in our pIckets at o'clock Tuesday. Our
| line OF battle was at once formed behind our
| breastwOrks, and scarcely had all our forces
been placed in position before the enemy was
seen swarming in the woods from one end
of our lines to the other. He approached
with great deliberation and frmness, and his
central column emerged from the woods and
above the hills, two hundred yards in or
| front, just Is minutes after o'clock. He
| approached us from this point in double
quick time. evidently intending to force our
| works at the point of the bayonet. At the
| first crack of our rifles, the gallant Colonel
/ who led in front of bis men, on splendid
black charger, fell dead to the earth, while
| the head of hiS column recoiled in utter con-
| fusion. The ColODel's horse, as if uncon-
| scious of the fall of bis rider dashed up to
| our embankments and around them into our
| camp, and from the inscription upon the
mountings of his pistols, proved TO be Col.
VIM. h. Lytle's, of Cincinnati. l saw the
daring officer fall from bis horse. and he was
Artn sntrr Is. 81 L.. Al
he sought "the baRble reputation" at the
| very lannon's mouth.
The enemy's columns now opened upon
| us along the whole of our center and right,
and for an hour the rattle of musketry and
| the thunder of our artillery was incessant
and terrible.
The enemy was driven back and silenced
for moment, but came again to the fight
supported with five or six pieces of artillery,
two of which were rifl-d cannon. For an
other hour and half the battle ragged with
terrific fury, and again the enemy's guns
were silenced and he driven from our view.
The sun was now fast sinking beyond the
distant mountains, aud we were strongly in
hopes that the enemy had met his final re-
pulse for the evening, but few minutes dis
PEELED our illusion. For the third time the
enemy came back to the conflict, with more
violence and determination than before. He
lines to the other, and tried his best to flank
US. For another hour and halt, and until
the dark curtains of night closed in upon us,
the fight ragged with intense fury.
At first, the range both of their small arms
and artillery was very bad shooting entirely
over our heads. The range of the cannon
was especially bad, for while their balls cut
off the tops and split open the giant oaks in
our encampment, their shells, with few eX-
hursE oh in al ~
yards in our rear. But, when they came to
the last charge they had gotten the range
far better, and their balls began to pillow up
our embankments, while their shells broke
directly over US in every direction and with
terrible fury. The enemy seemed to be per-
fectly enraged at our obstinate Resistance,
and was determined TO pour out the full Walls
OF his wrath upon US.
The battle ceased at 10 minutes past
O'Clock, having continued almost necessarily
four long hours. Our men stood TO their
posts with astonishing GOODNESS and courage.
The only fault they committed during the
battle, was that of firing upon the enemy at
too long a range, and while too securely
behind the dense forest trees which skirted
our entire lines.
We did not lose single man killed, and
not more than ten wounded. The enemys
loss could not be ascertained, but at one
singh. spot, where Col Lytle fell. we count
ed 81 dead bodies The prisoners inform
us that their loss was heavy, and from the
| fact that we silenced their guns three times,
we are confident this report is entirely true.
The prisoners also informed us that another
Colonel, whose name l do not remember,
was badly if not fatally wounded, and
his horse killed under him.
Our officers acted with great GOODNESS and
bravery. The battle had ragged but twenty
| minutes when our gallant General was very
| painfully wounded in the right arm, the
| ball entering near the elbow and passing
| out near bis wrist without breaking any
bone. We retired him a short distance under
| the hill, and had the wound dressed by Sur
geOn Slesves, and in ten minutes he was
again moving along our lines encouraging
| his men by his presence and his voice. At
later stag of the fight a mimic ball tore
through the lapel of bis coat, and another
through the csDtle of bis saddle. Indeed it is
the wonder of all of Us how he escaped death.
None but his staff and surgeon knew he was
wounded until the close OF the fight. He is
now suffering much pain.
l do not know the names of all our
wounded, but John Stone and Thomas W.
Martin, of Capt. Henley's company, Am
herst, were the most severely hurt. None
other of this company was hurt, aud only
one in Capt. Snead's company, Bryant.
At the close of the fight, council of war
was uclu, duQ upOu our kuOWleQRe Ol tue
enemy's strength, together with the informa-
ton we received from our prisoners, it was
determined to retire all our forces to the
south side of Gauley, and not hazard an
attack the next morning.
We learn from the prisoners that the enemy
was nine regiments strong, with six pieces
of artillery, and that they would be rein
forced by Gen. Cox, in the morning, with
two regiments and two pieces of artillery.
ale info hot
cranz commanded in person.
Our force was only l, 700 men, and while
we had strong reason to believe that we
could maintain our position even against
such terrible odds, we did not think it pru-
dent to hazard so much.
We had dispatched Gen. Wise, in the
morning, for reinforcements, and he had de-
clined to send them for fear of an attack up
on him by Gen. Cox. We had also sent cou-
riers for the North Carolina aud Georgia reg
iments to come up, but it was impossible for
them to reach US in time to support US.
At 10 o'clock, last night, therefore, our
forces proceeded to retire from the position
they had SO heroically defended during the
day. and by light, this morning, they were
all safely and in order across the river with
all their baggage, DC, except some few
things. which were lost from neglect and
want OF transportation.
/ had the misfortune to lose my horse and
all my baggage, except my bed, saddle, bril-
die. pistols and sword. At O'Clock, last
night. was dispatched to Gen. Wise, for re-
Inducements, and my friend, Capt. Peters,
very kindly mouoted me on q fresh horse of
his own, while left mine in the cam. When
l returned, this morning, found horse and
trunk had been left by the servants, who
were frightened across the river in advance
OF every body else. I am. consequently,
without horse and without clothes except
wha: l have on. Had I been present,
should have lost nothing.
My young friends, Adjutant Lewis Otey.
Capt. VIM. ii. Cook and Cant Sam Hansz