The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-09-20
I IL f W 4 r.
4 Battle i'm Western Virginia.

~
! FEDERAL LOSS II KILLED AND 20 WOUNDED.
battle commenced about ; clock Tues
day afternoon near Summeryilie. Gen Ros-
encrans, after making reconnaissance, found
floyds army Of 5000 men with Ii field pie
ces, entrenched in powerful position on top
of Il mountain at Cannix ferry, on the west
side OF Gauley river. The rear and extreme
OF both TANKS of the rebel position were in
accessible. The front was masked with i
heavy forest and close jungle.
Col Lytle of the 10th Ohio. Of Benham S
brigade, was IN advance, and drove strong
detachment Of rebels out of camp cas-, of their
position. the site of which was unknown.
Shortly afterwards his scouts, consisting ot
four companies, suddenly discovered them
selves IN The face Of parapet battery and a
long .Ine Of palisades for rltemcn. when the
battle opened tiercey
The remainder of the 10Th and the 18th
ONO were brought into action succcssiyel,,
by Gen Benham, and the 18th afterwards by
ADJ Gen llartsuii. whose object was an arm
ed reconnaissance.
The enemy fired upon our forces terrfcal-
ly with mu>hetry, rifles. canister and Shell.
causing some casualties. Col I.vtle led seve-
ral companies of Irish to charge the battery,
when he was brought down bv a sho, in the
leg.
Col Smiths 18th Ohio engaged the enemy
on the left. and Col Loves 18th O!.io direct
ly in front Lowe fell dead at the head of
hls regiment, earl y in the hottest fire, by a
bal! IL the forehead.
NcMulen's howitzer battery and Snyder's
two field pieces meantime got Tito the best
position possible under the circumstances.
and slenccd two rebel guns. Their fire
Stacked at intervals, but grew more furious
as night approached, when the German brig
ade was led salantly into action by Col Nc
Cook, under direction of Adjutant General
llartsutF; but after furious fight of three
hours, the recall Of our troops became nece.-
Sary, and the men laid on their arms within
short distance of the enemy. each ready TO
resume the conflict Wednesday morning.
The thief and traitor Floyd fled during the
night, sinking boa;s in the river, and destroy
ing temporary bridge which he made when
he first occupied the position. The ,urbu-
lence and depth of the river and the exhaus-
ton of our troops made it impossible to fol-
low him. He left, as "spois" for the federal
victors, his camp equipage, his personal bag
gage and that of his officers, also wagons,
horses, large quantities of ammunition and
50 head of cattle.
The rebel loss is not known, they having
carried their dead and wounded with them,
but it must have been serious
Our loss was IL killed and about 20 woun-
ded,- generally flesh wounds. Capt Metro
arty OF Cincinnati, Cap; McMullen and Lieut.
Snyder Of Ohio, were among the wounded,
but not dangerously SO.
Twenty-Five of Col Tyler's men, who had
been taken prisoners by Floyd at Cross Lane
were recaptured.
Gen Benham's brigade which suffered most
was commanded by him in person, and Nc
Cook led his brigade. Gems. Rosencrans
and Benham, Coils. McCook, Lytle and Lowe,
Capts. Hartsutf, Snyder, McCullen, and Burke
of the 10th Ohio, and other officers, displayed
conspicuous personal gallantry. The troops
engaged were exclusively Ohioans, and show
ed great bravery.