Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-20
Col. Stewart Report ofthe Action a, L..
HEADQUARTERS MTSSoH HUI

iEnDIL hlEhS IuINS)N IT'LL
September Ii. 1861
General | started about 12 o'cIocL
Thirteenth Virginia Volunteers, c)mrnandsdth =
Major Terrill, (S05 men) first section Of pT
sers' battery, Washington Artillery, and a ~
tachment Of First Cavalry, under Capt pat,;cS
for Lewlnsville, where learned from nv cav,i
ny pickets, the enemy were posted with sorn.
force. My intention was to surprise ,bo"1
and succeeded entirely, approaching L,cw;u''
vile by the encmy's left and rear, takin, w.
to keep my small force an entire secret f@ aE
their observation. | at the same time .or,i;M
prorided against the disaster to myself vb;..ty
| was striving to infict upon the enemy ..4
felt sure that, If necessary, | could fajI bsnri
successfully before any force the enemy miaS,
have. for the country Was favorable 10 rc,ts
and ambuscade.
Att point nicely screened by the wooa
from Townsville, and q few hundred ra.1s
from the place, | sent forward, under v";'s
Tcrrill, a portion Of his command, s,caltb;Iry""
reach the woods st a turn Of the road, and
connoitrc beyond. This was admirable Jon
and the Major soon reported to me tb,, ,%''
enemy had a piece Of artillery in position i, ,h
road just at LeTinsville, cotnnandinc our ro.
| directed him Immediately to post bs ri ,"4
so as to render it impossible for The csnron""-'
to serve the piece, and. if possible. 10 c,".n.
it. During subsequent Operations tbn
noneers tried. Intellectually, to sorro ~
piece and finally, after one vas Sho, ,hran,h ~, ms
mead, the piece was taken of. Whiie
tits ~as going on, q few shots from En..
ser's section, at a cluster OF the enemy +,
quarter of a mile of, put the entire force II
the enemy in full retreat, exposing their en,jrs
column to flank fire from our pieces. Sum,
wagons and a large body 0 fcavalry first pa<srj
in haSty flight, the rifle piece and howl,z-r rr
ing as hey passed then came flying a br,ery
eight pieces o! srtlllery, (Grifia's). which soi5
took position about six hundred yards /, onr
front and right, and rained shot and shell UPON
US during the entire engagement, but with harm
less effect, although striking very near. Tier,
passed three regiments Of infantry, s, dol
BILE quick, receiving, in succession, a, thew
passed, Rpsser's u%nerring salu,aion, his
shells bursting directly over their heads. and
creating the greatest havoc and confusion in
their rauks. The last infantry regiment was fol.
lowed by a column Of cavalry, which at one TING
rode over the rear Of the Infantry in grea, en-
fusion. The field, general aud stall Officers
were seen eIsrting every e.lr: to restore orie-
in their broken ranks, and my cavalry viiettts,
observing their fight, reported tina, they final
" rallied a mile and half below and took
position up the road, where they supposed
our columns would be pursuing them. CAP
tain RoSser, having no enemy left to contend
with, at his " request, was permitted t.
view the ground Of the enemy's fight, AMI
found the road ploughed ny by his soldii shot.
and strewn with fragments Of Shells
two meu left dead Oh the road -alc mo-.
tally wounded and one, not hurt, tx-
ken prisoner. The prisoner said slr
havoc in their rank; was fearful, ius,iirug
what | saw myself Of the confusion. sNhrr
T%errill's sharp.shooters were by no ME .rn i:i's
firing whenever a struggling Yankee saoSv
his head, and c.pturin: I Lieuten hes> &c,
,ured BY M.jor Tcrrill h%irnsclf) one. Sarge NJ,
and one private. all belonging to the N lit
tccn,h Indiana (Col. Meredlth's J Thy pri
reported to me that Gen. F.cClcllr him
self Was present, and the e'.emy < .ve Il,
out publicly that the occupa ncy Of .L-wins
expectations y T'Ic otticcn Ar;
behaved III Amer WORT " Il
the Generals highest commentator All
the uTllp Honc ny tUc SrctfOn unu"f
Of Capt. Ross .r and Lieut.. 81 r:um
all the time under fire from the enemy 5 bat
terry, certainly, for accuracy ard effect HhA-
comparison with any ever made. YAH.
able assistance was renderc'. me, rs mSr al. b,
Chaplain Ball; ami Messrs. llairs,on ard smks,
attached 10 nv s',atf, were consp' .cnou,
in daring. Corporal u lgan snI Bhsisr Wcei
are entitled to special mention for sootl CO..
duct and valuable Sc ryice.
Ou: loss vas not 3 scratch to man Or horSr,
We have no me ans of knowing the enc ny :,
except that il IT ust have been he .vy. frou the
fleets Of 1hr shots. We found, in all. four
lead, md mo rtslly wounded and captured mnr.
OF course, t.ney carried Of all hey con'd-
Your ATTENTION is specially cal led To the ell,
closed, " Mich was delivered to m e at Lewins.
vile, sr i to my endorsement. | send a sketch
also. | returned here with N.Y. ,mmand, ai'er
re est ablishing my line of pic kcs through
Please forward Il lis report TO
Len Johnston.
Your obedicnt servan {,
j. E. b. STF iWART,
Colonel Co mmanIlng.
General J. LoNGSTREET.