Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-19
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R1cuNoNp July I5.--It is a sad pleasure to Som-
nuncste to YOU state of affairs in North-u estern
Virginia that at first sight may appear disastrous,
but which upon closer examination sheds many
ray of satisfaction and encouragement 10 our fu-
future generalization that our late H[suecess
has lost to our State that position which should new
er have been defended, and encouragement from
the fact that our gallant boys Eight with SO much
success against thousand odds
Caup Garrett is situated in gorge just beyond
the mass that rurs between Rich and another noun
tain The low slope of this latter mountain
retreats from the camp, and consequently does
not command 1t: but the more perpendicular
slope Of Rich mountain IS adjacent to the position,
and upon it there is an eBnence that is considered
the very Key to Camp Garnet On Tuesday last Col.
PeSrsn, knowing the Importance Of this point, de-
| tsched three companies buckingham Lee Guard,
Rockbridge Guard aud Pryor Rihes,4 and one qua
from the Lynchburg Artillery, to secure the posi-
| ton at all hazards. They gained the height and
about ten O'Clock had built the breastwork to the
| height of two logs; meanwhile, the enemy, guided
BY the Union mountaineers, had by squads and com
NAMES reached point beyond the breast-works and
| little more elevated. Immediately they cOmmenc-
| ed an attack upon our unfinished breastwoFk from
| the distance of fifteen hundred yardE They ad-
vanced and fired with Minnie rifles necessarily No
execution however was done with these arms. Our
loss was at shorter distances from the deadly fire Of
| our BROTHER VRGDIANs. Approaching within five
hundred yards, they began to feel the fatal shots
/
| were moved down like wheat before the blade, At
every volley from US they fell back in confusion,
| but their Overwhelming numbers pressed forward
until they discharged their pieces in our very faces
then we thought retreat better than q fool-hardy
DEATH and each one sought safety In flight down the
other side of the mountain.
| The whole force of the enemy was said to have
| been eight thousand. Three thousand advanced to
the attacks while the rest were held in reserve.
Part of the reserve occupied Rich Mountain, while
J.l.,,
occupied the side of the other mountain not far from
the road-thus being on both sides of the road, in
order suppose, to cut of Col Pegram, if he should
attempt q retreat to Beverly. Our whole force in
the engagement was about tive hundred and fifty.
We held the enemy in check with this little handful
! for an hour and half. Leonidas with his three
hundred Spartans could have done no more. Our
| loss was considering all the circumstances, com
paratiyeiy small sixty will cover the whole. The
Buckingham Lee Guard suffered most severely, hav-
ing thirty men, together with Captain Irving and
Lieutenant Boyd killed. Capt. Curry, of the Rock
| bridge Guard, and Capt. Anderson of the Lynch
burg Artillery, were also among the killed. Four
hundred Of the enemy found merited doom in
| death.
The battle began at o'clock and ended at g. AT sun
set report says that Col led six companies outfrom
his camp up Rich Mountain to retake his position,
but mistaking his way he missed his mark and told
his men to save themselves best they could, he
would return and bring out the regiment. In this
men cut through the enemy and came up with our
regiment on its retreat. This is the last we know
| of the affair.
Now for the movements of our THE 44th) reg,
| ment. That morning (the 1ltb) we resumed our
march ST Beverly from Staunton to Laurel Hill, and
had advanced five miles, when Col Scott received a
dispatch from Col. Pegram urgently begging for as-
sis;ance. Col. s. faced about marched back to Bev-
eIy and took road almost at right angles for Rich
Mountain. Within three miles of Rich Mountain he
heard the firing and advanced at quick time to the
scene of action Arriving there at three o'clock
when the firing had almost ceased, he halted in the
mountain path. And upon his six hundred uncon-
scious men, the regerVe of the enemy were looking
down from each mountain. They must have mis-
taken Us for friends, or destruction would have
! been certain. Col. S. was not aware of the prox-
unity of the enemy until he sent forward a scout
Qipford, of Fluvanna,) TO reconnoitre. This scout
beng shot he Immediately ordered a retreat. Send
ing the baggage train he returned to Beverly
Here he halted an hour and resumed his march TO.
wards Cheat Mountain. After two nights and day q
march, we reached Greenbrier River, at which place
Saturday morning left the camp, on special detail
for Richmond.
During the retreat a sad accident happened by
the turning over of loaded wagon. Lieut.. R. II
Mcconnell of Richmond Zluaves, and Lieut.. Robt
7. Brightwell of the Randolph Guards and Private
Peasants, of the Zouaves, were killed, and some
others were crippled
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF RICH MOUNTAIN
From tie Richmond Examiner, July I6.
On Sunday and yesterday rumors of a start,
ling and awful character were rife in our streets
Early Sunday morning, it somehow got EOise1
about that some dread calamity had befallen our
arms. but whether the disaster had occurred al
Winchester or in the Northwest newsmongers
day, passengers by the Central road brought in.
formation that sixteen hundred of our troops
under Lieut. Gel John Pegram, had been surprised
and cut to pieces, or overpOwered, by an over
hfafl Ill Fna,ra-
Sunday evening, this news, together with some cor
rObOrating kilograms. which originated in C!ncn-
natl, formed the staple of street talk. Some Cit-
zens were disposed TO believe all, and more than
they heard. whilst others, who had started out in
the morning, believing all that was rumOred, and
bearing that the worse had yet tObe told. concud-
ed the day by believing nothing, having canvassed
so many widely different reports to have talked
and listened themselves into stateOf utter and uni
| versal incredibly.
| During Yesterday forenoon. the same subject Oc-
cupied the minds and tongues of most Of
our citizens, though the number of the sCeptical as
20 the truth of the bOOdiest rumor had largely
| creased Thus the day wore on every man among
US feeling more less anxiety to hear the news to
| be brought by the p o'clock Central cars. The
train was more than an hour behind its usual time,
and long before il arrived great crowd had assem-
bled about the depot.
As the passengers alighted they were immedi-
atey seized upon by friends and acquaintances and
the news demanded; and although there were at
least dozen men on the train, who had come di-
rectly from the vicinity of the battle, many Cit>
Zens, after hearing the exposition of some passen-
gers who had only come from Gordonsville, some
! intermediate point, went home with wilder and
! more exaggerated accounts of the fight and If our
loss than had yet been enacted.
! a gentleman directly from Beverly, who, from
his high official position, must have had every ad-
vantage Of accurate information, gave US substan-
tally the following statement.
! Lieutenant Colonel Pegram, with three hundred
men, being in the neighbOrhOOd Of Rich Mountain,
had been set upon by Mcclellan with his whole
! force amounting to at least twenty FIVE thousand
men.
g. For two hours the gallant little band under Pc
gram succeeded IN holding in check this Overwhelm
ing force of the enemy. Finally, Mcclellan sue
ceeded in sending round force of several thousand
men, AMI, turning the flank surrounded and cut of
from fereat Pegram's battalion. Pegram taken
prIsOne, twenty of his men killed, and thirty or
forty wounded. Some few escaped through the
enemy and got back to camp; but some two
hundred were either made prisoners escaped
through the woods in the mountains.
The tnemys loss is variOusly estimated at from
forty t. a hundred and fifty killed, besides great
number several hundred, who known to have
beel se erely wounded.
We have the same high authority for stating that
| during the fight. Col. Nm c. Scott posted by
order within four hundred yards of Pegrams bat
TALON but took part in the affair. Scott sent two
messengers forward TO ascertain what going on;
the trd was shot by our own men, and the second,
who was not sent forward until after the enemy had
| surrounded Pegram, shot by the Lincolnites.
We learned from another source that the first