The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-06-24
General mcCIeIIan,s Army.
BOLD DASH OF THE REBELS.

| lN CAMP, BEFoRE RIcHMoYD,l
Saturday, June Il.
1t has transpired to-day that the cause
OF the nasty turning out last night was
one Of the boldest aud most dare devil
dashes yet made by the enemy dnring
the war The public will doubtless be
as much surprised as we when il comes
to learn all the particulars Of the affair.
For two or three weeks past our right
rear flank, in the vicinity Of Old Church
and the Pamunky river, has been guarded
by two squadaons Of the Fifth Regular
Cavalry, under Captain w. b. Royal.
This small force has been required 70
picket six or eight miles of country, guard
the approaches from Hanover Courthouse.
watch the movements Of the enemy, and
drive back any advancing forces. The
practice has been to send two companies
ON picket one on reconnaissance each
day, rcserving one in camp.
Yesterday Company i, Lieut.. Lieb,
was reconnOitering some miles beyond
Old Church, when they discovered the
enemy's cavalry approaching in very large
force. They sent word back to the squad
ron's camp atOld Church, retiring slowly
before the enemy's approach. As soon
as Captain Royal received notice he adj
yanced with what men there were at
hand-parts Of two companies G and
land met Lieut. Lieb about one mile
out retreating slowly. They then await
ed the appearance of the enemy's ad-
vance guard, when they boldly charged
upon 1t, driving it before them for a dis
lance of two hundred yards, when thew
came upon the main body. Not knowing
the strength Of the rebels and having
written instructions to resist their ad-
vance, Capt Royal and his men CALAMITY
continued to fight until his hankers came
in and reported the enemy in overpow-
ering numbers on both TANKS, when our
men fell back, fighting on the way.
This conflict checked the progress of the
enemy considerably, and was really one
OF the severest hand-tO-hand contests of
the war.
On arriving at Old Church our men
continued to retreat, taking the Coal Har-
Dor Road. When the fight commenced
Captain Royal sent two messengers to
Gen. Cooks headquarters, with the infor-
nation that the enemy were approach
ing in large force.
The appearance of the enemy was so
sudden that there was no opportunity for
calling in those on picket In the fight
there were probably five or six killed and
as many more wounded, The enemy
suffered still more, for our men fought
desperately and We're few in number so
that they were not easily hit, while the
TnhnIa fhf,Ly hoo l.
bility is that our pickets were mostly
captured, entailing a loss of forty or if
ty taken prisoners. Several Of them have
come in to-day, however, and probably
more will appear afterwards.
Upon arriving at Old Church the enc
my burned our camp, destroying tents
and camp property, but they did not sue
coed in getting our wagons, which were
quietly hauled off out of reach. They
then ran up rebel flag on the pole near
the tavern, and soon after captured two
officers of Rush's Lancers, viz: Lieuten-
ant Davis, regimental quartermastcr, and
Lieutenant Morton, of Company b.
These officers had been to Garlck's Land
ing, on the Pamunky, four miles above
White House, which has been depot Of
supplies, and were GA their way back to
camp. They at first resisted and fought
several of the sCoundrels single handed,
but seeing they were oyerpoweIed finally
gave themselves up.
The rebel cavalry and artillery then
moved on the direct road to Garlicks
Landing, a newly established forage de-
pot on the Pamnuly, about four miles
above White House. They arrived there
between 6 and z o'clock p. m, and found
about fifty teams laden with forage the
mules unhitched and feeding, and the
teamsters sRuntering unconcernedly
about their wagons, getting ready for
staying over night, preparatory TO an
carly morning start. They dashed fierce
ly down into the unarmed crowd, and
commenced shooting them down in the
most barbarous manner, never needing a
cry for quarter, never calling for a sur
render but, like the tendish wretches
that they are, shooting these defenceless
and panic stricken transfers down as
fast as they found them. There were
nearly hundred persons at the landing,
including transfers and details, but none
Of them armed. Many escaped by hiding
in the bushes along the river bank, swim
ming the river and taking TO the woods
A number were carried Off prisoners, aud
seven were killed on tho spot
The rebels, after posting yidettes about
coolly proceeded to put a bale of hay un-
der each wagon, and set il on fire. They
served nearly every wagon in this way,
! and nearly all were thus destroyed. They
fired all the piles of forage around, and
the hay was consumed, though they did
| not succeed quite so we'll with the oats
and corn, which did not burn readily
They also set on fire a small steamer aud
two schooners, which lay in the river la
den with forage. They then gathered up
! all the mules in one herd, and at about
nine o'clock, having been nearly nine
hours coolly at work, leisurely started
| Off, going, to the astOpishment of the af-
! frighted tcamstcrs, towards White House.
The infantry and artillery force of the
enemy did not appear at this point. The
! infantry were not seen anywhere below
| Old Church, and though the artillery is
/ known 20 have passed toward Garlick's
/ Landing, no traces of it were found alter
ward. This morning the remaining team
| sters began TO return TO camp, and fur
| uishcd the first details Of the proceedings
| at the landing. Later arrivals announce
the fact that the rebels, after driving
three hundred mules a short distance,
turned them into The woods and aban-
loa2d them, their progress being prob
ably impcdcd by them,
The next appearance of this audacious
crowd was at Tunstal's station, on She
railroad, at abou, 40 o'clock in the even
ing Here they cut the telegraph wire,