The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-15

THE BATTLE AT BELMONT MO
Interesting Particulars Gallant Con-
duct of Our Troops-The Number OF
Killed and Wounded, sc.

From the Memphis Appsai, OF the ioth, we
gather the following particulars of the fight
at belmont, Mo opposite Columbus, Ky:
EXTRACT FROM LETTER BIT PARTICIPANT IN
THE FIGHT To HE BROTHER.
About ten o'clock the fight commenced Just
opposite Columbus, between Col. Tappans
Arkansas regiment, Col. Blythe's 18th Ten
nessee regiment, and about 5000 or 5000 Fed
erals. shortly after, Col. Marks's Louisiana
regiment, Col. Pieketts, Col. Freeman's,
and Col. Knox Walkers Tennessee regiments
were sent over. The Federais were In strip
of woods, and our men in tn open field.
We also had the Watson battery (Louisana)
on that side the river. In half an hour
Tappans and Wrights reg iments were
broken and scattered 10 the winds-soon
after we lost Watson's battery In half Al
hour more, Pickett, w aiker, and Freeman
ware whi pped aud routed too. The tnFage-
mPut Was not more than halt a mile from
the river-Ihese We're all the men on hand
able TO get across the river up to o'clock
Our men rallied several times, but could not
stand the charge. After our battery was
taken, the enemy run their battery close TO
the river bank, and fired upon the steamers,
as TO prevent any more men from landing
until 2 o'clock. Our men, after being whipped
three or four times by superior mum bers, broke
and run in perfect dismay. The enemy charged
in double-quick in the best order, and swept
everything before them to the very bank
OF the river; here our men broke TO pieces
and fled in terror to the river bank. In going
up the river Iutg covered uUutI the Dtuh
and behind trees that had been cut down
On reaching the river they burnt Tappan S
quarters, and captured IL sick men, and
opened fire again upon our boats, sending
balls through the Hill, Charm and Prince
They fired upon the Ingomar coming up al
the time, ana made her land ont OF reach on
the Kentucky side. Up to this time we We're
the worst whipped aud routed army ever
seen. Fortunately, the enemy did not know
how badly we We're whipped, and that we
were out of ANN unltlCn. At this time our
big gun on the hill began 10 play upon them,
and smith Mississippi battery opened upon
them iron Columbus, opposite where they
were. The fire from thess TWO batteries was
50 great and SO constant as to drive them
back from the river bank, and allowed
Smiths l5ith Tennessee regiment, and
bly, the MISSISSIPPI. TO come over and bring
plenty of AMIN unIuon and more recruits
We now had an equal number OF men, and
forming in line OF battle, charged upon them.
They broke, and fled Ill precipitation and
horror, presenting more demoraliZed spec
.ucie than ourselves two hours before.
At o'clock the battle was ours, the en-
elnY's rout complete. We chased them from
the field OF their morning glory back to their
boats, strewinS the woods with dead and
wounded. They got on board of the trans
port under cover OF the gun boats; 1t was
while getting aboard of tie boats that our
regiment did the greatest execution. l sup
pose VIZ killed more than q hundred on the
boats; the distance we drove them was about
tour miles; our men laid nat all the rhi!e
they fired. The gun boats poured upon them
q perfect torrent of grape, canister, BON bs
and ball We lost one man killed, five badly
wounded, aud six or seven slightly wounded
Our regiment captured great many guns,
pistols, ammunition, and about 800 army
overco;tts, all new.
The loss of our entire army is about one
hundred killed and less than two hundred
wounded. The enemy lost over three hun
Gred killed upon the field in their retreat, be
sides the uncertain mum Der lost on the boats
Ninety one prisoners and over one hundred
wounded are now IL our hands.
The enemy sent i flag Of truce to bury their
dead this morning, which was granted
Numbers of their dead were badly burnt and
nutilated by the woods catching on fire
We are expecting another fight to morrow
The enemy are about fifteen thousand strong
1T Milburn, fourteen miles distant, and ad-
YAncing. They will also attack us by water
We v i'll give them hot reception.
The following is an imperfect synopsis Of
the killed and wounded on our side: Capt
J. W. Arms trong, killed; Capt. John Safftr-
rams badly wounded: Capt. Morgan, arm
shot oft; Crpt. W. jackson, badly wounded
Major Butler, Il, lest leg, badly wounded
Lieut. James Walker, hip wounded not dan
;,erous; 1t. Ray. Wright's regiment, killed
Can't Samuel Vance, wounded in throat and
finger; Lit. Hitt, Walkers regiment, badly
wounded; Capt Nat Taylor, badly wound
ed: Major J. G. Finnie, badly wounded in
the face; Pat. Bradford, Wilkinson's com
pany, killed.