Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-06-14
THE RECENT B.lrEE AT pH1I1pP1.

The RECENT BtITEE AT PHILIPPI.
onr reporter couvers-d yesterday evening
WIN nr'-'. A. lIunteS of the Virginia army.
VINO had just arrived from Stnuut ton, where
'"oe' OF the circumstances attending the recent
engagement between tho Virginia and aboIi-
t'on forces at Phiippi were known, the news
having been brought tt,ither Ly special ex-
Press. MIR. Cledsoc, of Staunton, arrived also
IN Richmond yesterday evening with disratche.
concerning the battle. sen: by General Ilarnan
to the Governor, the nature of which we wer.
not permitted to find out.
DR.. Hunter entertains no doubt that the
ground was most gallantly contested by the
\ .'irg'ni"ans whe fought with the odds of zoe
against from 800 to 5000 of the Aboli,ionist,
who were sided by certain traitorou. Union
men IN that region. BY tho cheer force OF
numbers, the enemy were euabad 10 sury ound
and get possession Of the train. In the wagons
were unopened cases containing 500 mnskets.
desperate attempt was nfade BY the Vir-
R'nians tn recover the arms. Their arms were
used with effect ON tire marauJ-rs. but they
could not be diulodged. They. in turn. attack,
ed our brav" troops, who retreated in good
order. nhd hating at u bridge. Offered most
determined resistance. Many instances Of in.
dividual bravery and acts Of herosm are rccor.
ded in connection with the attack on the bridge.
AT this point, the Abolitionists 60, their field
battery in operation. when n charge was made
onsthem, in which Captain Archy Richards of
Bath; Thomas E. Simms. formerly Ticke,
Agent Oh the bantilfe Railroad, we'll Known
here J and Daugeraed. OF Bath, were killed
and several desperately wounded.
A brother OF the Dangcrffeld who was killed
As above mentioned. (both of whom belonged
to the Bath Cavalry,) had his leg carried off
by cannon shot. Dir. Turk, formerly high
sheriff OF Augusta. together with those men,
toned as slain, showed the most determined ID
bravery. The Virginnns were finally dis
lodged from the bridge and W. 70 driven back
On a locality called the Willows, where thew
repulded savage onslaught on their position,
and besides were enabled to infict much dam
age OH their enemies, who desisted fl ON fur
ther offensive operations. The most reliable
hdvises place the loss in killed,on our side at
seven. thewounded nj from fifteen to twenty.
VI the Aboiitionisis it is said from fifty to
seventy-hve are certainly known to be dead,
and . large number wounded. One Kelly, a
Yankee renegade from Wheeling who COM
manded "Union" regiment Of congenial cut
throats, was SO lucky as to endShis ignoble life
in the battle. Dispatches to Northern papers
represent him ds an arrant coward, and seem
to rejoice that the chances of battle have oh.
waited the neSeasitt of his future appearance
on any active field.
Another account received differs somewhat
from the above: 1t says that the Virginia
forces were under Col: Forterheld, and consis-
ted Of 300 men; that they wero attacked by
1900 or l.5oo of the enemy, and repplsed them
three times. our men remaining masters Of the
ground. Eight of our men were killed, among
others Col. Porterfield himself, and Mr.. Thomas
T. simms. Of the Commissary Department.
There were between fifty and sixty of the
enemy killed.
While We regret the loss of valuable men in
an encounter with SO ignoble and depraved an
enemy MS they had to'contend against in this
instance, we must enter our decideds protest
against the easy manner in which it appears
the whole force were at first surprised. In
peaceful times "eternal igilance lie the price of
liberty" in war it is the price of liberty and
success. If We are surprised by our enemies
asleep on our post We deserve defeat
The following account of the affair has also
been furnished us:
THE Virginia forces at Philippi allowed
themselves to be surprised. They we're awak.
ened enrly in the morning by the cry that the
enemy was upon them, and By the firing of a
cannon the enemy bad brought along. They
Immediately beat a,retreat. the enemy in pur.
suit. About four or Eve miles out of the town
q part Of them made stand. and were attack
ed blythe enemy. They repulsed him the at
tack was, twice repeated. and the enemy as
often repulsed. The enemy then desisted from
The pursuit aud our forces CAME of, sustaining
a loss Of six men-among them nj. simass, Of
tins city. In the hurry Of leaving the town
our men left 500 stand of arms which hsd not
yet been unboxed. They brought away all
their own arms. Tbs loss Of the enemy was
some fifty or shty. Our fofse was aboht 600
strong. the enemy supposed to be 1900. It is
thought Colonel Porter6eld. tIle officer ID COM
mand of ourforcos, was killed; also Mr..
DangerfeldHatB bath county. The town might
have been easily defended if our men had not
slept on their posts "-RieAnond Dispateh.
--s-s$---
THE BANK coE-Snryou