Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-06

|eSts<tHc jacS t4cHtttl1e5x tOI HAIL an HOuf
then he pushed forward column of over 5,
, 600 infantry to the assault. with such
weight of numbers as to be repelled with diff
hcuity by the comparatively small force
not more than twelve hundred bayouets, witt
which Brigadier-General Longstreet met hin
with CHARACTERISTIC vigor and intrepidity-
Our troops engaged at this time were tn,
First and Seventeenth. and four companies O
the Eleventh Regiment Va. volunteers; theil
resistance was resolute, and maintained witt
stea illness worthy of all praise; it was sue
cessful, and the enemy was repulsed. In {
snort time, however, be returned to the con
test with increased force and determination
put was again foiled and driven back by oul
skirmishers and Longstreet's reserve GONNA
Mes, which were brought up and employed
at the most vigorously assailed points at ths
critical moment.
1t was now that Brigadier General Long
street sent for reinforcements from Early':
Brigade, which had anticipated by directing
the advance OF Gen. Early, with two regi
ments OF Infantry and two pieces of artillery
AS these came upon the field the enemy had
advanced third time with heavy numbers
TO force Longstreet's position. HAYS Regi.
ment, 9TH Louisiana Volunteers, which was
IN advance, was placed on the bank of the
| stream, under some cover, to the immediate
right and left of the ford, relieving Corse's
regiment 18th Virginia Volunteers; this was
done under heavy fire of mu>ketry, with
promising steadiness. The lib Virginia. nm
der Lieutenant-C Colonel Williams, was then
formed to the right, also under heavy fire.
and pushed forward to the stream, relieving
| the Ist Regiment Virginia Volunteers AT
the same time, two rife guns, brought mp
with Early's brigade, were moved down In
the field to the right of the road, SO as to be
concealed from the enemy's artillery by the
grth of timber on the immediate bank of the
t1fr md fba-a Il
by the sound OF the enemy's musketry. Un-
able to effect a passage, the enemy kept up
scattering fire for some time. Some of our
troops had pushed across the stream, and
| several small parties of Corse's regiment,
under<command of Captain Marye, met and
| drove the enemy with the bayonet; bat as
the roadway from the ford Was too narrow
| for combined movement in force, General
LOngstreet recalled them to the south bank
Meanwhile, the remainder of Early's infantry
and artillery had been called up-that is, 6
companies of the Oath Regiment Virginia
Volunteers, under Lieutenant-ColonelH Hairs
ton, and pieces of artillery, l rife gun aud
| 4 six-pounder brass guns, including six
FOUNDER guns, under Lieutenant Garnet,
which had been previously sent to the rear
| by General Longstreet. This Infantry was
at once placed in position to the left of the
| ford in space unoccupied by Hays, and the
| artillery was unlimbered in battery to the
| right of the road in line with the Two guns
already in action. A scattering fire of mus
| kerry was still kept up by the enemy for a
| short time, but that was soon silenced.
1t was at this stage of the affair that re-
markable artillery duel was commenced and
maintained on our side with long trained
professional opponent, superior in the char
| acter as well as in the number of his weap-
ons. provided with improved munitions aud
lfan nd fh,
time occupying the commanding position =
The results were marvellous and fitting pre-
cursors to the artillery achievements of the
tweuty-first of July. In the outset our fire
| was directed against the enemy's infantry,
whose bayonets, cleaning above the tree
tops, alone indicated their presence and force.
This drew the attention OF battery placed
on high, commanding ridge, and the duel
began in earnest. For time, the aim Of the
adversary was inaccurate, but this was
quickly corrected, and shot fell and shells
bnrst thick and fast in the very midst of our
battery, wOunding, in the course of the COM
bat, Capt. Eschelman, five privates and the
horse of Lieut.. Richardson. From the posi-
ton of our pieces and the nature of the
ground, their aim could only be directed at
the smoke of the euemy's artillery; how
skillfully and with what execution this
done, can only be realized by an eyewitness.
For few moments, their guns were slenced,
but were soon re-opened. BY direction of
Gen. Longstreet, bis battery was then adj
vanced, by hand, out of the range now as
certained by the enemy, and a shower of
spherical case shell and round shot flew over
the heads of our gunners; but one OF our pie
ces had become hors de combat from
larged vent. From the new position our
guns fred as before, with no other aim than
the smoke and fash of their adversaries' pie
ces-renewed and urged the conflict with
such signal vigour and effect, that gradually
the fire of the enemy siackened, the Intervals
between their discharges grew longer and
longer, finally, to cease, and we fired last
gun at II baf1 ID. flying foe, whose heavy mas
ses in the distance was plainly seen to break
and scatter. in wild confusion aud utter rOut,
strewing the ground with cast-away guns,
hats, blankets aud knapsacks, as our parting
shells were thrown among them. In their
retreat, one of their pieces was abandoned,
but, from the nature of the ground, it was
not sent for that night, and, under cover of
darkness, the enemy recovered it.
The guns engaged in this singular conflict
on our side were, three FOUNDER rifle pieces
and four ordinary Founders, all OF Wal
toms battery-the Washington Artillery, of
New Orleans. The officers Immediately at
tached were, Captain Eschleman, Lieutenants
C. w. Squires, Richardson, Garnet and
Wilmington. At the same time, our infant
ry held the bank of the stream in advance of
our guns, and the missiles of the combatauts
flew to and fro above them, as, cool and vet
eran, like for more than an hour, they steadi-
ly awaited the moment and signal for the adj
vance.
While the conflict was at its height before
Blackburn's Ford, about O'Clock, p. NJ, the
enemy again displayed himself in force be-
fore BOnham's position. At this, Colonel
Kershaw, with four companies of his regi-
ment, second South Carolina, and one piece
of Kemperfs Battery, were thrown across
Mitchell's Ford, to the ridge which Kemper
had occupied that morning. Two solid shot
and three spherical case, thrown among them
with precision inaugurated by that ar
tllerist at Vienna-effected their discoEft-
ure and disappearance, and our troops iu
that quarter were again withdrawn within
our lines, having discharged the duty as
signed.
At the close of the engagement before
,Blackburn's Ford, 1 directed General Long
street to withdraw the First and Seventeenth
Regiments, which had borne the brunt of the
action, to a position in reserve, wing Col
Early to occupy the field with his brigade
and Garland's regiment.
AS part of the history of this engage
ment desire to place on record, that on the
18th of July not one yard of entrenchment
nor one rifle pit sheltered the men at Black
burns Ford-who, officers and men, with
rare exceptions-were on that day for the
first time under fire, and who, taking and
maintaining every position ordered, cannot
be too much commended for their soldierly
behaviour.
Our artillery was manned and Offered by
those who but yesterday were called from the
civil ayocations of a busy city. They were
matched with the picked light artillery of the
Federal regular army-Company E, Third
Artillery, under Captain Ayres, with an ar
mament, as their own Chief of Artillery adj
mits of two 10 FOUNDER Parrot rife guns,
two IL ponder hOwitzers and two pound
er pieces, aided by two 20 FOUNDER Parrot
rife guns of Company G, Fifth Artillery, an
der Lieutenant Benjamin; thus matched, they
drove their veteran adversaries from the