Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-10-04
From the st. LOuas Rspu5facan. ]. j
The Siege Of Lexington.
SOME INTERESTING PARTICULARS
HERoEssE oF TmE TRoops.


From gentlemen arrived 10 this city from
Lexington, We get additional interesting par :
ticnlars of the late siege at that place The
irst assault upon Colonel Mulligau's entrench-
ments was made, as has heretofore been stated i,
Oh Thursday, the 18th inst, in the afternoon,
when Price's forces, after an engagement Of
about two hours, were repnlsed with consider
able slaughter. Two Of the Rebel cannon
were dismounted, and the attacking party were
driven back two miles to the Fair grounds.
No general fight occurred from Thursday
until tie following Wednesday, although there
were frequent skirmlshes between the piekets
of the two armies. On Wednesday, Price.
having been reinforced by Green and Harris,
and his conmrnd then numbering, as is said,
as many as thirty thousand, commenced most
Determined and desperate siege. TIE fight
lasted from nine o'clock Wednesday morning
until iVe clock 90 Friday afternoon. when
Colonel Mulligan was compelled to surrender
unconditionally. Of this whole time. the for
ces on both sides scqrcely paused FIVE minutes
ia The battle The roar of cannon and the
rattle OF nusketry we're kept no almost con.
tinually, day aud night. Tue enemy erected
breastwcsks OF hemp b1les, ana fred upen the
Federal garrison from tree tops, hillsides and
roofs OF houses. Several terrific charges we're
made upon the entrenchmepts. but 10 every
instapee the seeessionists were driven back by
the brave defenders Of the Stars aud Stripes.
On Thursday hight Gen. Price sent 70 flag
Of truce, with perenpt0ry order for the uu-
conditional sorTeaier OF The entire force, but
Col. Aiulllgan forwarded reply that he could
not aocede TO the demand. This only served
to exasPerate still more the besiegers, and the
eatle was renewed with greater vieor than
before. On Friday too desperate charges we're
made on the forti6cstous, tho Rebels rolling
bales OF hemp before them for 5resetworks,
ana thus protecting themselves from the steady
nfe oi the Federal troops. They also carried
large bundles of hemp upon their arms 20
serve IS shields against The bullets that show
cred upon them like rain.
10 Que OF these charges made 10 the after
noon of Friday the Secessionisis got their por-
table breastsorks very pear to the Federal
entertainments, firing upon he garrison as they
advanced. Al the point where the attack was
made company of Marshsl's Illinois Cavalry,
ua Ter Captain Walton, and company of the
Irish Brigade, together with company OF
Lexington Home Guards. were stationed. The
advance Of The Rebals seemed go overwbel-
ming that terror stricken Homo Guard took
white biadkereaief AMI fastened it upon bis
bayonet, thus improvising flag of truce -
The movement created considerable eoafusion
in the three Federel companies, who, antcipa- +
ting that they would be taken prisoners, beat
hasty retreat.
The Rebels were thus able to capture six !
pouuder from the trenches ani another sig |
pounder belonging to the Irish Brigade, that
had been placed in position to protec; the I
Hospitsl npon which the enemy bad no scru
pies 10 firing Tho taking of these guns was
siguslizsd by general shout AMI hurrah ia |
the Secession ranks, which demonstrations, I
however, soon ceased for good reasons. Ga /
reaching the wagon corral ou the Inside Of the I
entrenchments, the Irish company rallied aud /
the Lexington company returned. Aaoiher I
company was ordered by Colonel Mullieaa TO
their support, aud the three mado bold and /
gailsut sharge, which results! in the re- /
capture Of the two guns, which wero immedi
ately planted in their former position. This /
splendid achievement was accomplished just |
befqre the reception OF the last flag of truse
from General Prices command, aud was about
the 6aishing part of the battle.
The surrender was made at 5 o'cloek on /
Friday afternoon, and was on account OF the I
reasons with which the public are already ac-
quainted. Tho noble garrison had fought two
days without food or water. Five hundred |
horses had bean killed inside of the fortiGca-
tions, aud the intolerabe stencil arising from
their carcasses added TO the sickaning seusas
tions of the famished and exhausted troops
Men tainted in the trenches fer waGt of water, /
aud when the surrender took place, the whole |
command was dropping with taintness and ia~
tigue.
The wounded and killed on the Federal side |
amounted, ia the whole engagement, to one
hundred and forty uine. The dead, up TO
Monday morning, number fortyaswo. The |
loss of be enemy is believed to be not less /
than one Thousand, and is by some reported to
have reached fifteen hundred.
ADDITIONAL.
10 the hurry for preparing the foregoing
rom the accounts Of our lnformants, in time
or our afternoon edition, some omissions were |
made which may be now supple d.
The Federal force inside the entrenchments !
Vas twentyAssren hundred This embraces
5ol. MarshaPs Illinois cavalry regiment, equip
,ed only with sabres and hols tel pistols, and |
herefere unable to do very .f6ciens defensive |
ervice Within the Notifications. There was no
heller for the horses, and the sfrightca AMI
mails were the marks for numberless yolleys of !
be enemy. The writings cf the Wounied I
laadFupeds, whose hides quIverea With fear