The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-06
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CAMP ". 8. Asus, Nov. q, 1851.
The 1st North Carolina cavalry hiss been in a
fight at last: aud brilliant little afiir IL was.
Indeed. it is said 10 have been the most bril-.
liant forsy OF the war: and, IS one Of the par
Elephants In the charge, VIII endeayor 70
give yon report OF the whole affair.
On the morning of the 18th instant large
body of Federal cavalry, numbering over leo.
dashed down upon onr. pickets, stationed
along. or near, a stream Known as Ulncult
Rum" about eight or nine miles from our
camp. Lieut.. Cowies, company a, command.
Ing the post, seeing their approach, gave our
signal, but th.y not returning 1t properly, he
ordered his command present 10 fire upon
them. A few shots were fired-one Cs which,
we have since learned took effect, breaking
the leg OF a Yankee, and wounding hiskorse
They Immediately wheeled and fed that Is,
the Yankees--and made suudry extravagant
reports along their route returning to their
camp.
a. II was evident that large bodies of Thorn
had been prowling along our lines for several
days with mischievous purposes, cur COM
mander, Col Ransom, determined yesterday
Goth to take sufficient force with him, and
zee il he could not succeed ia capturing them.
Accordingly Oh yesterday morning, detail
of 10 men was made for tho purpsse, who
prac. eded about IL ~ clock 10 our line oi pick
ets: relieving the two companies who had
been out the night and day past. The cosnpa-
MES thus relieved constituted also portion
OF the scouting parry, they having been or
Gere1 TO the rear as reserve or rear guard
We pass-d on for several miles wits.Oat our
lines and in westwardly direction turning
our course towards Jenna we iearasd thu. I.
large boiy of the enamy's cavalry was only
| "a boat half an hour in advance, and ascer-
tanning that there were flne prospects for
| fight the countenauces CT the men frightened
up with lively expectations. IL soon became
| very evident thar we were near uton them,
aud our Col. ordered u halt, immediately
| west OF Vienna: and riding along our col.
| nmn, already formed into fours, Win his face
beaming with Joyous emotions, he told as
~. fVssyT. tn
| he saws 81 ant YOU 20 show them the stnE
| you k.e Made OF. They are between us ana
our camp, and we must put them through,
| no difference nat their HUM bers are " We
| are ready was the spontan 6ous expression
OF n-ariy every NAL and on We went,
| through lowe aud out III the diTsc .icn OF our
camp.
| We had not reached the summit If the Hill
| Immediately :5oulh OF tie Geserteu siliage,
| before cur scout reported them just al The
| loot, on the other SHE, Ia unEnown yum Cers-
I, Rising the hjii, our front faass poured
sharp fire into their column, from fhelr rineS
ana cal Dimes, and Instantly the Clear, loud
| .oues OF Col. Ransom Eihgs along his
GA tire line, ireard above tile Shouts ANA Ihr'ie
| IN front. Charge. boys. cAarge know
you won't disgrace yourselves - And then,
| such Il wild, Keen shout as REM the air, never
| yet mas ftiien upon my ears, and our Column
| commenced pouFing GOWN ihe hill On, On
| they Kew, and louder rose TIE shouts; anu as
| sped do wn TIE road, on my gaiiant charger,
rapidly passing man after Kan, soon fouhu
luyselI gazing upon the snianuiu codes OF
| tns Tanaees, their beautiful piue cYereoats
| spreading On the evening air, as they mad
| VIII. eied after firing one or TWO perfectly
! harmless rounds III US. Mli. Gordon isu on
| the coluian, ana V-ry sooA w.s f1c ahead OF
| any or his men. We all kg5W no W that their
/ entire Iurce was dying rapidly before Us, and
every man OF us struNs LnS harder to over
| take aud capture nus prisoner. We hau chased
| tneM about u Iniis, capturing and killing sev-
| erai, v-nep they made u sad.isn wheel W the
Tight ard lnaae out in erection Of thtir
camp Wlth all The speed oi hard spurr6d
horses; put gaming an einiaeEce about go
yarcs from where they Wneeied, they maae
| Effort - rally their men anu offer 4ignE.
Ii WAS now sup pos5d taas they were 1ati
| Ing cut upon reinforcement " infantry,
! and some or our officers nude an efiort 10
| rest the progress OF our mesl, la oiGsr to op-
tain the advantage of the situAAon, and gave
them another cnarge In belter order. But IA
few men rushed on Aeeuiessiy-ddsneG Out the
lane, aud III aGe good time towards the blue
coats, wno again Tired another harmless VOL
ley. Some fUar five Of our men, frvln
LO.ni.tuy D., ind one OK twotroin SOME ether
coIn ,Jan;, rslErDea the ire anC charged the
wnoie body OF the enemy, who imneai steiy
wheeled and put spurs, ana went at oeaLn
rata again III UtreCticu OF their camp. They
We're hoiy pursued, Wi Ii reckless bravery
Utl paTa ileled, cy aS :natiy car Inou as could
break ran Ms and pass TIE 5iocS.sCei p0rliou
OF thu roa1 tor, lleanW nile, orr men over
taaIug ana capturing about twenty in the
road and fields before they had wneeiSd
the right, and tne command having been as
sued 10 rally, the road had become almost
III, passapie, anu 40 alternative was lei. Dut
Tor our men 10 leap the fences ana take
through ttie fields, which several Gid quite
successfully, pursuing the fugitves about
two miles, to q point beyond the railroad,
and so contiguous TO their lines that they
deemed it mad VISIBLE 10 go farther.
Col. Ransom now coming up to ths angle in
the road. he ordered The rally to ba sounded
but the wild notes of the oIslas had no re-
daring of the brave men SO holly eng iged in
pursuing The flying Yankees Attaining
their ardent desires as successfully as possible
they returned, and in an hour we were look
ing around upon the frfits OF our first fight
and first victOry-.5 prisoners, besides fwo
killed, and one severely wounded. aud left in
care Of a citizan, l6 Sharp's rifles, "a NAVY
repeaters - sabres and belts, IL horses, with
all heir equipage, with many other rrticles
of importance, all amounting to some five
thousand liars in value, We're the result of
our expedition. The prisoners, as you will
discover on their arrival In Richmond, are
fine looking specimens of Tankees-nearly
all genuine Americans. Their officers 10 ada
their escape, except two Serseants and two
Corporais. Those taken regretted very much
that we had not taken their commissioned Of
ficers. One of those killed was supposed TO
be Lieut.. Lane of Philadelphia. ALI were
spendidly equipped, but not well noun ted
their horses beidg quite ordinary Tie arms
taken, supplied in part q great desideratum
in our arEy; and had we all been . anxious
to look after and secure the remaining arms
SO hastily thrown away by the frightened
rascals as we were to get possession OF their
persons, wa could have got many more pis-
tolls and guns.
Several incidents connected with the en-
sagement-or rather the fight of the Yankees
are worth recording, bat it is impossible to
elnbody them all in this letter. There were
instances of individual valor and daring SO
humorous, and so intrepid and unparalleled,
that n cbronicier of tue events of the day
W. N discharge hoy
brought into an honorable mention. And it
10 with no desire to disparage the claims OF
others that would ask to notice the gallant
conduct of S'rgeants Z Green and Lippard,
and privates Nim Triplett, j L. Todd. &. T
Brown, and ID. p. Mast, Of Company u:
Lieut. Roane, Company X; Primrose, of
Company FL; Sergsants Hogart and Farmer,
of Company Ii, and one or two others whose
names / oauEot now ascertain, who constitu-
ted the cody that fired upon and charged the
whole force Of the enemy rallied on the hill
mentioned.
To Ms jor Gordon belongs the honor O.
hay N killed the two and firing the shots
that wounded others. he also charged upon
a body Of about forty Of the enemy. fired into
them, commanded the whole forca TO sur
render, as ha calamity bore away his priso-
ner. h has been, in connections with Capts.
Folk, Wood, Whitaker, and other officers.
noticed, by Col. Rar som in his official report,
These having been SO honorap iy mentioned.
and 80 jnstly, also, in that report, it Is the
humber name have sought 10 individual
ire, and trust that il my knowledge and pen
have neglected any worthy individual, some
other will do him justice. Lieut.. Col. Baker.
than whom no more able and popular ofIieer
commands in the whole army, was sadly de-
prived OF the honor of having has name con.
Dected with the affair-he being the junior
officer. was left in command OF the ca1up ON
that day. Many other officers were likewise
on duty In camp and on picket, aud much to
their regret had 10 opportunity of distin.
gushing themselves on the field.
l should have mentioned in another place
that the forces engaged on be part of the
enemy consisted OF three companies from the
I'D PENNSYLVANIA regiment. and numterssa