Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-23
PROGRESS OF THE WAR.
Prom the I-qu!rer OF Saturday.
THE ARMY OF KANAWHA.

from lhe E-qlIef OF tAtufdty
THE Army OF KANAwHA.
The events Of the last ten days in tho department of
KicaWha have beea fiauSht With such peculiar interest,"
that il Is VITA great satisfaction lay before our readers
reliable information from that region.
The friends Of Col J. Lucius Davis win be grstifed at
bis brilliant dash into KanaWhs Valley, authentic Sc
count OF which, embodied in his official report his
commando, Gen. Wise, correspondent kindly per-
nted 70 copy and enclose 10 u.s. Those Who know COL
Davis, will be able to appreciate the genuine modesty,
oaly Glsled by his chiyalrous courage, which places
himself in the back ground and awards the chief pscs
to Col. Csrsson, the brave Lieut. Colonel of the 10,
Cavalry. They both well known to the enemy, and
the more dreaded the better they become acquainted
Gen. Wise dispatched the i've cavalry companies spo-
ken OF by Col Davis under command Of the latter and
acting Lieut. Col Clarkson on b Of September from
his own camp near Hawks Nest, with instructions 10
penetrate the Kanayta Valley any and ali pcicts prsc.
ticabe and sIike With his utmost vgor wherever ard
whenever they could do so wi eject. scicsy bad
hey crossed New River, when dispatches arrived from
Gen. Floyd ths, his entenched position, at Camp Gar.
ley slor; distance above CansI Ferry a. the June.
ton of Meadow River with Gsuey River thrt aeped
by concerted movement between Gen Ccx on one sde
asd large force from towards Ssmmersvile on the
o,her Gen. Wise wfs, himself. threatened by force
believed to be superior to his own, on the maa turnpike
b.tween his camp at Hasks Nest and Gauley BRIDGE,
the stronghold Of General Cox and the gate OF the Ki.
nawha Valley. To keep this foe in check absolutely
essential TO the safely OF beth commands consequently
n Wise moved to the relief OF Gen. Floyd with such
cautious ccumspec;ion lie security and the pro-
| t ion OF the rear Of the former demanded
Upon The evening Of the 10th, at i've minutes past
four the enemy led by General RcsecIans in ptrson,
descending from his command opposite Valley Noun.
tsin, Attacked Gen Floyd at Camp Gauey. TIE battle
ragged until seven when the enmy gave up The confess
Sh is believed, the expectation Of renewing IL next
morning About midnight General Floyd quietly, but
hurrie withdrew and crossed the river With bis whole
force and the most Of bis baggsg some of the lar,
camp "a ipage, tents, etc, anda number Of fat cattle
were unayoidably abandoned So quietly the With
drawa coGGuctGd that ite enemy, is reported fired
with great ygor upon the deserted bresstSorks Of Camp
Garley a. yight ia the morning The enemy
cejed have acted with great prs in their attempts TO
force General Foyds pcsion but they were met by foe
more than worthy oil their Steel and suffered t Is thought
more severely than ,hey acknowledge. Gen. R,secans
pu bis loss in bis oicis report attusniy killed and
hundred wounded. General Floya's bs from eight
20 sixteen woundcd-oEe killed. Gen. y. himself re
ceiyed sisht flesh wound In the right between the
wrist and elbow.
Gen Wise, upon Learning that Gsp Floyd, instead of
crossing the river at Carnsx as be had hoped bad de-
termiged 10 mantsn his position upon Tie sunmcrsyie
side and bed be. attacked by the enemy in number.
doubling his force mlrchcd rapidly to his relief and bad
OF the mornng Of the lh, nearly resched the river
when messenger from Gen Floyd met him and inform
ed him of TIE movement Of the latter upon the main
turnpike This left General Wise alternative but 10
unite forces Dogxcod Gap or come uegtbohDg point
o. the turnpike.
From D,gwood the united forces have fallen back to
more eligible position upon Big Seweil, where they
await the adyaUce Of tie enemy under Generals Cox and
Rosecr,ns whose united force yaIiotsy estimated at
from eleven to fifteen thousand.
/. will BE- seen that The untoward crcumsian
which iused the REIMBURSEMENT Of the k,uawbs Valley
in July l,st has occssicned the retreat of Gen. Fcyi
fsom Carnifa1 upon Big Sewell-snd that is the un.
oosinQ Of vast horde like an avalanche from the de-
plr;mant Of the Northwest proper by way Of Sutton
Bul,own and Sa-ersvile, and oblgng the removal Of
The bSs Of operations farther East tor the protection of
Lewisburc AID keeping open communication With the
Captl Il possible, rcoforcemers should be forwarded
to the Ka, awha department to meet this new addition
TO the enemy.
P.s. Subsequently to the movement above described
our forces have fen back changed position from Big
soxell to Meadow Buff. This later poiEt Is abou. ten
miles west cf Lewsburg, snd commands the road lead
ing from Sarumsrsv Ie, by which Rosecsans Is said to
be advancing upon Floyd and Wise.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF COL. J. LUCIUs DAVIS.
BIvouAcK os Bro Coal Rrvrn,I
Sep:. 18th, 1861.
sIR: Ia edence to your orders proceeded TO Fay.
cite C. H. with FIVE companies Of my regiment of cavalry
and lef that Place with six, Ceskies heipg added On
the III GRO sd the Cs,ton Mountains and marched TO
this place. thirty five MILES, having forded the tortucus
Coal River nire y-two tme'
Finding that companies Of the enemy we're in our
vicinity on maraueing excursion rapid chase given
BY our whole force under the immediate command of
Col Cllrkson.
The enemy was ovortaken and the sharp skrmish of
Toneys creek ensued. In it the enemy were totally
routed with the loss Of about fifty killed and wounded
aad the same numbsr Of prisoners.
Toe latter are en- for your camp, under charge
of Lieut.. Tucker and thirty men.
Sixty fat cattle cIp:ured also SIX saddles lot
OF boots and shoes horses several carr ges and
wsrof s. the latter OF little account, beirg broken and
ur.d by rough roads. Fifty sixty stand Of valu-
able arm and lot OF ammunition the valuable
gar. OF our capture
No one was wounded on our side
action lasted thee hours. tho enemy hvirg bfen
pursued to within twelve miles OF Chsrleet,n and in
sight Of tie Kanawha riyer-le whole distance tray-
eFssd by our men Ia less Than tweEty -four hou being
seventy-fye or eighty miles, steep mountainous
iras bridlc-p paths a:d rsciy fords.
Time is insufficient 10 discuss individual mcr, farther
than that Colonel CsIks exhibited bis dashing energy
in remarkable degree and was the real commander h
this brilliant skirmsh.
The enemy had been acting the part Of brigands In
this valley stealing every species Of property, insulting
women, and takioa men and Lille boys ss prisoners.
Among the properly sken by them ought to be men.
toned olttle, horses, n,groes, &c.
Your obedert servant
J. Lucius DAvTs
tr Col. lst Caysry, Wise Legion.
GOV. FL0yD'5 ACCOUNT OF Ell, FI;Hr WITH
R0sECRAES.