The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-09-27
The Fight at LevInmille.
INTERVENING DETAIL OF
T'EkE ENCOUNTERS
The Kmlcd aud VVOun lcG, &C.

on the 1lth, near townsville:
In accordance with orders from
Gen. Mcclellan, this morning Gen
Smith commanding the advance
brigade on the South side Of the
Potomac near tho Chain Bridge,
typographical rcconnois-
anco in force to be made III tho
direction of Lcwinsyil.e.
The rcconnoitering party con.
sisted OF the Seventy-ninth New
York Voluntccs, Third Vermont
Volunteers, battalion Of the Nine.
tecuth Indiana Volunteers; y bat.
talon OF the First United States
Chasseure under Lieutenant Colo.
ncl Alexander =. Shalor; two sec
tiens (four pieces) of West Point
Battery, Captain Griffin; fifty men
Of Company IL, Fifth United States
cavalry, Lieutenant McLsne COM
manding, and one company Of
Noung's cavalry-thc whole under
the command Of Colonel Isaac j.
Stevens, acting Brigadier General.
The scientific corps was Ia charge
of Lieutenant Orlando NJ Poe,
United States Typographical Eu-
gineers, assisted by Lieutenant
West, Of the United States Coast
Survey, who were to conduct the
reconnaissance.
Tho roconnoitering party, thus
organized, left Camp Advance
about seven A, NJ, and proceeded
without molestation to'Lewinsville,
a distance of four or five miles,
reaching that point at half past ten
a. NJ q, Just in time to get sight of
the heels Of Il rebel cavalry picket,
about fifty strong, which evacuated
the village, and retreated in the di-
rcction of Falls Church, without
firing a shot upon the approach Of
our advance guard.
After the arrival Of our troops in
Lewinsvillc, cavalry and infantry
Ipickets were thown out ON all the
Idiverging roads and prominent
places for a distance Of half a mile.
Scouting parties were also sent out
to observe the movements Of the
rebels, should any be attempted.
At about eleven o'clock A. NJ. D,
a large body OF rebel cavalry were
seen in the distance watching the
muN Umeuls Of our troops. They
did not come within cannon or
musket range, and therefore their
appearance did not interfere with
the operation Of the roconnoitering
party.
Lieut.. Poo of tho Engineers,
with n corps Of ASSISTANTS, common.
ced his surveys, and proceeded over
an area of four miles square, OBJ
tained valuable Typographical in
formation.
At halfpast two o'clock the re-
connoissanco was completed, and
orders given to recall the pickets,
preparatory to returning to Camp
Advance. All the pickcts respon.
ded to the recall except picket of
tho Third Vermont and one from
tho Nineteenth Indiana Regiment.
Col. Stevens sent a detachment out
to learn the reason of their deton-
tion, and subsequently learned that
they were watching the advance Of
"a column of the enomy, consisting
.ofseven hundred cavalry, two reg
iments Of infantry, and four pieces
Of artillery, who were coming from
the direction Of Falls Church.
Little or no attention was paid to
tie rebel advance, as the objects of
tho expedition had been accom-
plished, and our troops had pro-
ceeded but few rods on their re-
turn home when the enemy's bat
terry, which by this time had attain
ed a position within three-fourths
Oft mile Of our troops, opened a
rapid cannonade on our forces with
shot and shell. The firing was
kept up for ten minutes, when a
section ofCaptain Griflin's battery,
consisting Of two ten-pounder RI
fled cannons, was Immediately
placed in position, returning brisk
ly the fire Of the enemy. Stimuli
taneously with the rebel cannonade
they opened n FIRE of muskotry, /
from behind trees and other places |
of concealment, while our troops |
were formed in line Of battle, with |
orders not to fire unless the enemy |
came out Of their hiding places.
Tho cannonading now became |
general, and continued for fifteen |
or twenty minutes, when Brig |
Gen. Smith arrived on the ground, |
having come ont from his camp
post haste, unattended by an escort. |
He ordered some important chang
es in the position OF our forces, OK
peeting a general engagement.
While the cannonade was in full /
progress, Captain Thadeus Mott,
who, when the firing was first
heard, was drilling his company
at Langley, four miles from tho
battle ground, arrived on the
ground with a section of artillery, /
consisting Of one large bronze thir-
ty-two FOUNDER howitzor and one
ten FOUNDER Parrot gun. He took
a prominent position, commanding /
tho enemy's battery, opened fire
from his howitzers, and fired but
three shells each, one striking in
The midst Of the rebels and com.
2letoly silencing their battery