Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-09-21

The enemy were eleven thousand strong
in front, with a force of four thousand NOV
ing to Gen. FlGyd's rear. Our force in the fight
was only seventeen hundred, Night closed the
battle; when Floyd recrossed the Gauley, to
prevent being cut off, in the executions of
which movement, portion of his baggage
and provisions were unav oidably left behind.
The news from Gen. Lees Camp confirms
the Federal report OF the death OF Col. Jno.
A. Washington, aid to Gen. Lee, and former
ly proprietor of Mount Vernon. He was
shot near the foot of Cheat Mountain.
Correspondence of the Atlanta Confsderacy.l
Camp Barlow.
POCAHANTAs Co., Va, Sept. 10, 1861.
AS illustrative of the bold daring of our
troops, as well as to show the report that the
enemy were retiring from the camp on Cheat
Mountain and falling back behind Hutton
vile, was not entirely false, we will give you
an account of scouting expedition which.
although it took place two weeks ago, may
be of interest to your readers
At the time above spoken of. Gen. jackson,
hearing from bis cavalry scouts that most of
the enemy's force had left Cheat Mountain.
raised force of 90G volunteers, most of them
from the 18th Georgia and Arkansas Regi-
ments whose duty it should be to scout Cheat
Mountain and, if possible, to .rout what
few of the enemy's forces who bad been left
there.
This force, placed under the command of
the gallant Rust, Colonel commanding the
Arkansas Regiment stationed here, left camp
on their important and dangerous expedition.
Having marched several miles from camp.
they came to that branch of Greenbrier River
which runs along the base of Cheat Mountain.
This they waded and following their guide
they took orth westerly course through
Cheat Mountain till they came to Cheat River,
which they waded at a point, the guide said,
six miles above the road They then pro-
ceeded in more westerly direction. winding
their way slowly through the laurel bushes
and thick mountain pines marching in single
file, and preserving the utmost silence till
night came on, when the guide announced
that they were now In a mile OF the enemy's
camp, and but short distance from bis pick
cts. Here they halted. and each man fell
down on his blanket, in the path the party
had made, where he stopped, SO that they
could again resume the march the next
morning without any confusion. At
three O'Clock next morning, having poured
fresh powder into the tubes of their
guns, and put on new caps to insure a
clear fire, the party resumed their march.
Having proceeded about two miles, they
came to a place on the mountain where The
timber bad been hacked, and most of the Vir-
ginians belonging to the party said they were
well acquainted with the place. aud knew it
to be not further than one mile from the
camp, and in few hundred yards from the
pickets OF the enemy. 1t was now about sum
rise, and being SO confident they were near
the enemy, they laid aside their kDapsacks
and blankets and prepared for the fight which
they thought was about to take place. 1t
was the plan of the officers to surprise the
pickets, pour CALLING fire into their midst,
reload their guns and then rush into the camp
on the right flank at double quick time and
engage the enemy before he should have time
to prepare for action. But alas their plahs
were thwarted through the mistake of the
guide and those who professed to know the
country. 1t was now found that they had
gone beyond the camp several miles. and
were in four miles of large force of the enc
my at Hutlonsville, and were even=smiles
from the camp they expected to attack. The
men were half mad from disappointment, so
eager were they for the anticipated fight. /
cOnversed with an officer yesterday who was
in that expedition, and he told me he never
saw men more anxious to engage in any I'M
dertaking, than they were to ''pitch into" the
Yankees, and who seemed so determined to
win the victory, or die in the contest. They
saw their danger. but were anxious to meet
it as become brave soldiers and treemen, con-
tending for justice and right. When they
ps
concluded to retrace their steps till they
should become opposite it. and then wait TIL
early next morning to make the attack. But
the provisions they took with them had now
given out, and many were suffering from
hunger; and, as it was raining very hard,
and there was great danger of their being lost
again, in consequence of the dense fog which
the mountain, Col. Rust cOnclud-
ed to return to camp. They were in the
H. - A. r.
ing almost incessantly the whole time. Their
sufferlngs were great-almost equivalent to
those of the Laurel Hill retreat.
The party, while gone. discovered the camp
of the enemy, at great distance, from lofty
peak of the mountain, and, by means OF
glass; they could count their tents, and, al ]
lowing ten men to each tent, there were not |
exceeding l,200 on Cheat Mountain. They
have since largely reinforced the camp; aud,
l am informed, they have also fortified them
selves on every side, to present being flank
ed. But am of opinion they will nat at
tempt to hold the position after General Lee
gets into their rear. as they haze cut out a
narrow road to Beverly, along which they
may retreat, in case Gen. Lee gets into the
in their rear. This road, cut, as it
has been, through a very mountainous re-
gion, is not passable with loaded wagons,
and, being much more Indirect route to
Beverly, it could not have been their object
to transport commissary stores over it from
Beverly; therefore, infer that they could
not have had any other object in cutting it
than that already intimated-to fall back
upon Beverly along this route, should Gen.
Lee get them in a tight The vast amount of
rain we have had has retarded General Lees
very much. The roa1s were IN
such q bad condition be could not advance,
and il was with much difficulty that he could
get supplies for bis army. He had 10 trans
port them from Millsboro', distance of fifty
miles, and part of the road was in such bad
state that the wagons could not pass it until
it was bridged. During this interval, be Was
forced to transport his provisions on horse
back for a considerable distance. From the
above, you may imagine some of the difficult
ties with which Gen. Lee has been sur
rounded.
The weather, for the past week, has not
been so unfavorable for the movements OF
troops in the Northwest as several weeks
prior were. Present indications are favor
able for a fight here in a few days Three
regiments left here last night TO join Gen.
Lee, it is supposed. Before leaving, they
were ordered to shoot off their guns and put
in fresh loads, and also to prepare i've days
provisions to carry along with them When
they left here, they proceeded along the road
to Gen. Lees camp. 80 miles distant, taking
with them only their blankets and five days,
rations. We infer, from these indications,
that Gems. Lee and Loring are about to make
an advance on the enemy and. unless the
Yankees, like the Irish corporal, "advonce