Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-08-21
From the K4nawha.

Editors HeTGld-In the slow round IF
communication up this valley at present,
your paper Of tho 25th ult. has only just
come to hand. In it l find an account of
The action at ScaTra Creek on the 18th lt.
which is in some respects so mistaken, that
l am impellad to give a plain statement of
the affair as it really occurred; and as ]
belong neither to the 2lst nor 18th regi
mcnt. the rivalry between them will not
give my narrative the c%oloring which the
accounts published in the Herald and Plain
Dealer have.
The success of the expedition in clearing
the valley; the panic stricken retreat of
Wise, after his batteries were turned at
Tyler Mountain; his failure to fight at'this
place, after it had been 50 often reiterated
that he would make a desperate stand al
Gaulcy; his hasty leaving Of arms, ammu.
milton and stores, IRE proofs enough of the
proper conduct of the movement as a whole.
and speak for themselves.
Now a word as to the battle at Scarra.
1t must be remembered that the brigade
was advancing into a narrow valley be-
tween high hills, atfording strong positions
for the enemy every mile; that the Union
men had been mostly driven off; that no
reliable information Of the enemy could be
obtained, his force being reported very
large, and the bulk of it being known to
be on the north side of the river. 1t was
also necessary to march on both sides Of
the river at once, as the army was Deepen
ding chiefly on steamboats, accompanying
It. for the transportation of its stores, and
these could be destroyed by any battery or
force left on either bank. Ike river banks
are everywhere very steep, being cut into
the bottom land so as to leave precipitous
sides from thirty to forty feet high, max
ing the ferrying Of artillery or the moving
of camp baggage across the stream a very
slow and laborious thing.
Under these circumstances, the plan an
nounced by Gen. Cox, after consultation
with all the commandants of regiments,
was to send no more force on the s3utk
side Of the river than was really necessary,
and to push forward the main column en-
the north side to meet Wise as soon as thC
battery at Searra was disposed of.
All reports agreed that there were moi
over six hundred of the enemy at thai
place; and the officers of both the 2lst ant
i2th, who had conducted the r~eeonnoisan
ces, we're eager that their own regiment
should be sent with the artillery to tax,
the battery.
1t was ordered that the I2th, with tw,
companies of the 2lst, some cavalry. anC
Captain COtter's artillery, should proceed
to Scarra, and make a demonstration sufi
Gent to prove the force of the enemy hold
ing it. If they found a force superior t
their own, they were to take q near dcfcn
sible position and send back for reinforce
ments; if they could easily take the bate
ry, they were to do so, and upon r~eceivin.
word Of it, the whole column was to NOV
up the moth bank upon the rebel fortified
tons at Tyler Mount; Cal. Norton was t
return and join it. and take the a5rane
with the 2lst, thus having the post .
honor.
After the departure Of the 18th, tn
first news received at camp was that the
were successful, and the enemy were re
treating. This was followed soon after b
word that rebel reinforcements had unex
pectedly appeared, and that the ammuni
ton of our men was failing.
Large achievements and supplies 70
our men were immediately put across til
river. but before they could reach the groun
they met the detachment in full retreat
and it was impossible to organize a ne,
attack in time to effect anything that night
The fact was that the battle was fairl
Won before the encmy's reinforcement
came, but the men had wasted their ammu
milton in distant firing in the excitemen
Of a first action, and when they foun
themselves opposed by a fresh force, the
were unprepared to meet it. An extra SUI
ply of ammunition was in the Regiments
Quartermaster's hands. but the Colonel {
the regiment supposed he had taken a
abundance with him.
Again, it is pretty generally agreed tina
after the battery Of the enemy was siler
ccd, which was done very quickly by Cap.
Cotter's cannon, the 18th should hay
charged with the bayonet, as Col. Norton
T wing did, instead Of continuing the muske
firing.
These are the only criticisms which con
potent judges have made upon the condut
of the affair. The personal courage of bot
officers and meI was beyond question, an
any imputat'on On that of Col. Lowe,
unjust in the extreme.
That the enemy were roughly handle
is proven by the fact that they did not 70
low cur retreating men, and although Wis
J caIe down with his whole force froI
r Charleston next morning to Join them /
an attack upon the camp, they could n.
be induced to venture it. but immcdiatel
2 made arrangements for abandoning tn:
/ side of the river, burnt the bridge at Co:
, Mouth, and concentrated at Tyler Noun
about eight miles nearer Charleston on Il
north side of the liver.
/ When Colonels De Eilliers and Woo,
, ruff went beyond the pickets, it was aft,
the receipt Of the news that the enem
we're r~etreating. ] have it from an Office
who parted with them rear the lines, tn;
they fully believed our men were complet
ly victorious, rode up On the porth side
the river till they we're opposite the tatt
G field, and being again told by a negro wi
was watching it across the river. that IL
: rebels had reiterated over the hill, theytoc
? a skiff, rowed across to congratulate the.
: friends and so fell into the enemy's hand
: A large wagon train arrived from IL
Chic shortly after the baltle. This ";
organized and distributed to the regiment
! a floating bridge for the wagons was bun
over the roea, and the forward march W;
, resumed, which has provena hot chase
} the enemy to this place.
! 1t is understood that on reaching he
the brigade is ordered to await further d
r~ections from Gen. Rosencranz who is no