Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-08
Accounts from the Enemy.
OPERATIONS IN CHEAT MoUNTAIN-oFF!CIIL REPORT CT
GEN, REYNOLDS.

GEA, sEE1NOI@IS.. -He#r- ... . .
Our latest Northern papers contaiu numerous.
details of war news from Western Virginia We.
find in them the following Official report from Gen
Rsy nolds of the operations in Cheat MouuIRiu:
uE4DQU1KTEEs FIRST BRIGAIE, l. V. H.,
Elkwater, Sept. Il. 1861 &
To General l. Hqrtsugl Assistaat- AdJdaHt General
SIR: The operations Of this brigade for the past
few days may be summed UP az followa: On the.
1lth instant, the enemy niae thouss ID strong with
eight to twelve pieces of artillery, under command
of Gen r. E. Lea advanced on this position by the
Huntersyilie Pike. Oar aivareed pickets-a pnr>
ton of the Fifteenth Ind ana and Sixth Ohio-grad-
ualy fell back to main picket station two COM
psnies of the Seventeenth Indiana under Col. Has
call, checking the emy's advance at the Point
Mountain turnpike, and then falling hack on the
regiment which occupied very advanced position
on oar right trent, and which was now ordered in :.
The enemy threw into the woods pm our LEFT 'front.'
three regiments, who made tbeIr -wGy to the right
and rear of Cheat Mountain, took position the
road leading to Hutt0nsYille, broke the telegraph.
wire and cut of our communication with Colonel
Kimball's Fourteenth Indiana Cavalry on Cheat
Summit. simultaneously, another force of the enc
my, of about equal strength advanced by the Staun
ton rike on the front of Cheat Mountain snd threw
two regiments to IT, right and rear of Cheat noun
tain, which united with tue three regiments from
the other column of the enemy. Che two pests
Cheat Summit and Elk water, are miles apart,
b bride path over tbs mountains, and eighteen
m les by the wsgC res |, via HuttolsEiile. Cheat
Mountain Pass ntle ,rmer headquarters of the
brigade being at Il foot Of the mountain ten mile
from the summit) Tne enemy advancing toward
the pass by which he might possibly have OF lined
the rear or left OF FL iwater, was NIT there by
three companies of the Thirteenth Indiana, crIored
up for that purpose. and by one company of the
-Four teenth Indiana from the summit. These four
companies engaged and calamity held in check
gre atty superior numbers Of the enemy, foiled him
in his attempt to obtain the rear or left of EkWa-
ter and threw him into the rear and right of Cheat
MOuntain-the eompanles retiring to the pass at the
foot of the mountains -.
The enemy, about 5 900 strong, were closed in on
Cheat Summit, and became engaged with detach-
ments of the Fourteenth Indiana, Twenty fourth
and Twenty fifth Ohio, from the Summit In all
only about 800, who, deployei in the wood, held IN
check and killed many of the enemy, who did not
at any time succeed in getting sufficiently near the
field redoubt to give Dunn's Battery an oppOr-
tunity of firing into him. So matters rested at dark
on the 18TH with heavy forces in front and IN plain
sight of both posts communication cut of and the
SUPPLY train for the mountain, loaded with pPovis
ions which were needed, waitng for an opportunity
to pass up the road Determined to force a com
muncation with Cheat, / ordered the Thirteenth
Indians under Col Sullivan, to cut their way, If
necessary by the mail road and the greater partof
the Third Ohio and SECOND Virginia. under Coloneis
Manon and Moss respectively, to do the same by the
path the two commands starting at three O'Clock,
A. n, on the l3th-the former from Cheat Noun
tain Pass, and the latter from EIkwaters so as TO
fail upon the enemy, if possible, simultaneously
Esrly on the 18Th the small force of about three
hundred men from the summit engaged the enemy,
and with SUCH effect that notwithstanding his great
ly superior numbers he retired in great haste and
disorder, leaving large quantities Of clothing and
equipments on the ground and our relieving forces,
failing to catch the enemy, marched TO the summit
securing the provision tram and reopening cur
communication. .----.--..--- ---., .-.'--,
While this was taking place on the mountain and
as yet unknown TO us, the enemy under Lee adj