Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-28
OUR WAR FOR INDEPENDENTS.


From 0ur Army in western 1YlrgtnfEs
Correspondence Of the Nashville Union and American.
CAMP AT VALLEY MoUST1ls, Sept. lS%-The army
under Gen. LEE, Is you have heretofore beer, ad-
vised made a forward movement upon the enemy
IN three divisions two Of which gained the positions
assigned them, while that under Gen. JACKSON, in
the rear of Cheat Mountain, failed which defeated
the success Of the plan. In consequence Of this
failure we are back again st cur old encampnent.
The position which Gen. ASDERsoN,s brigade gRiaed
in our advance was indeed perilous one. We
marched twentyssix miles In two days, and csms
upon the Huttonasils road, betWsen Huttonsyills
and Cheat Mountain. The route we Travelled was
nothing but wilderness. We were surrounded on
all sides BY the enemy, having taken position in
their very midst, entirely unaware to them. Had
Gen. LEES plan succeeded the entire force Of the
enemy would have been cutoff. 3E4 z
The left wing of our regiment fell into an ambuz-
cade Of the enemy, which resulted in the killing,
woundng and missing of twenty-five of our regi-
ment. The loss on the enemyis side was about
| the same. We could not see the enemy,
who were concealed in q pstch Of laurel,
and retired their fire at random. None Of the
Rock City battalion.weres hurt, but their escape
seems really Proyidertiai, aa we we're compelled to
1
stand VOlley after Yoey Of mpsketry without being
able to change our position or ere upon them.
After half an hour we were commanded right
forward one hundred yards upon the Cheat noun
tain pass, and form an ambuscade for the purpose
of awaiting Gen. JACKsoN's attack upon the enemy
on Cheat mountain where they are strongly fortified
so as to hold the road and cut off reinforcements
fromeither end. But we were disappointed in re-
gard to JAcKsoNs attack, and after capturing sew
eraI horses, Yankee officers and about nine' prisoners
we were compelled to fall back from our position,
| without even having time to bury our dead. we
cat the famous MCCLELLAN telegraph, leading frsm
their Notifications through HuttonaviIIe to WSsh-
! ington, and dismounted an Indiana cavalry man,
who was conveying dispatch from RosEcRANs to
old ABS. 81 -zeer4-ss ss.sEa
The prisoners taken By Gen DoxELsOy say that
after one yoley APIECE. had been fired on each
side, Gen. DoNEIsoS cried out @charge on them and
give them HE'LL when the Tennesseans CAVES yen
and charged upon them, which caused them to sur.
render instanter. Gen. LoRNG having charge Of
the other division made four hundred Yankees take
to thsir heels, at place known IS Sugar Grove.
| The Yankees had prepared their dinner and were
in the act of eating, when EoRIxa came upon them,
causing stampede, during which two of the Yam
KEGS were killed. Our troops got the dinner.
Our Tennessee boys have undergone hardships
| innumersble, yet there ia no nurmuring, but i'm
plicit cOnfdenee that it was for the bsst. . r..-
Before this reaches you, we shah have probably
evacuated Valley Mountain for reasons substsu tia
to ourselves. We shall occupy position far more
preferable, IS we'll as advantageous to an cons
cerned. ISIS raa-l
Thus far in all Of our skirmishes we have had
largely the advantage, and particularly in the last
one, where had all wOrksdas as intended, LINcoIss
vsndals would have been wiped from the soil
of Western Virginia, by bOld. stroke of policy on
the part of Gen. LEE. To get than to fair open
| fight is out Of the question. We have traversed,
since our ngress into Virginia hundreds of miles,
endured hardships and privationz.4 made
stolen marches, and taken their officers and
privates prisoners in sight Of overwhelming num-
bers, and yet they will not fght US. They ensconee
themselves behind their Notifications which are in
accessible to US, from the nature of the country.
Under such circumstance, we shall try another
tack Our backward movements may draw the
enemy out to some point where we may yet have
an opportunity Of hooking them up with orr bsyo-
nets. II.