The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-07

e4sHrr n ! .,sss ~ ~ lem !.,E 6lvER. 40.
Q1N8AAL COMMANDING.
OAns BAarow, Olsxssai.e R,v,..,
s ~ oetobeR7Sh 1851.
Col. C. L.lsssssns. AAatatsnt Gee n. " A.:
you i brief scoosas of tne as.sck made sSas
day upon ear yeGtston ~ the euemy.
ADVANCING alsAg The tars pike with q heavy
columns {. AG1ee0 Of infantry, arnliery, And
sig 70 ssysp t1ouaaad men, he drove IN our
advanced pteaes As an early hour in tn,
morniu8. ABOUT O'clock Ae shcoun tsred
the nata Aea9 Of tne advanced gaxrd, rein
rostsd ON thsrsht side Of the turn pikfs oae
mile from q1A an&e BY Col coward 2ohE-
son, OF The leth 0eorxia rsslmenE. who took
You viii and this position t,esis uatess upcn
the .eceo@peny'.g map by tbs cspasa' letter
SE" 1t = bat justice to this s1perior of1cer.
and 70 the gallant ban whose moveYn Ell u he
EAirscted, 20 say thAs it would not have been
possible tor % small q foTce 10 have been
more sktllfuliy handled, or to have exhib-
tied more ob stihafe courage in the facs Oh
numbers SO overwhelming. They held Int
coiamn Of the enemy In check for neArty an
IRE, not ~ithasWxtHg untIf efx pieces Of ar
tiliery had opened 0riskly upon them, and
full Oattalions of infan try we're on Il N kiae
them on the right. aud then retiring IN
OF the ground, as to reach our camp WIZ
but trifiing loss. To this briIIian,
sklrmtsh, In which Col. Johnson had his
horse Killed under him, Is doub btless 10 be a.
manifested by our troops during the rem ain.
der of the day Before taking leave OF II, md
referring 10 former dispatches, 1 wouid b.
once aGAin 10 direct TO Colonel Id ward JOAN
son the epeciai attention OF the commanding
General, not simply for this peculiarly bril-
liant vice, but for has gallant and .fiCien
conduct throughout the entire engagement
So soon ~ it had become appa-
rent that the enemy contemplated q
systema ic attack upon our camp, i
dispos. d Of my entire force TO meet it, To
convey a correct idea, not simply OF tha'
disposl ton, but OF the subsequent action, /
must pray reference to the accompanying
mar, for which am indebted 10 Lieuten
Col mel Barton. of the Sd Arknnaas regiment.
As1 have already reported to you, our po-
sition 10 not by nature q commanding one
The causes OF its weakness are the nece ssi ty
of defending extended lines On our front (no
less than h mile) and on our hahks, and the
fact that there are points in our rear which,
in the Possession OF An enemy, ght give
us great lroubie. The works essen tis,l 10 Ou.
| safety were In progre ess Of construction OF the
| time OF the attack, but were only partially
| completed, nothing Whatever having been
/ done to sfr6nE hen our right Hank or our rear
| / am happy to say that during the last three
| days, through the indefa tigaDie efforts CT
| ieut. 4 Olonel BartOu, in immediate charge
/ OF the works, backed Dy the cheerful labor
| OF the men, we are already in condition TO
/ defy an approsch from any quart,r. Not
l doubling that the attack upon US HAD
| been, TO some extent, invited by onr com
mencinG to forufy ourselves against 1t.
/ and fearing that the enemy might have been
| fully advised Of our weak points, until he
had actually begun his retreat, my min d
| could not disposs,ss itself of the idea thai
he had sent another column over the IN oun-
tains TO turn our right fink. To prepare for
| this danger. 1 held the lst Georgia regiment l.
| so far as that could be done, in reserve for
wha. l apprshended would be desperate
struggle. i also sent expresses TO Colonel
| baldwin, whom had previously ordered to
the top of the Allegheny Ridge, directiuR 4
him to move the 52d Virg MIA regiment 81
rapidly down as possible, and 10 tall upon
| the rear Of the enemy should he undertake tC
| fall upon ours. That gallant reg fAent IL
| sponded, as l have learned, most heartily tt
| the call, and when halted upon the road by
| the things that the day had already beer
won despite OF its not TO- be- DO bted pal ri
| otism, could not entirely conceal its chagria
| The two brigades in this camp. weakened
By the absence of the several corps on de
| tached service he 9Th having been reduced
from this cause and from sickness to scare,
| one-thir OF its legitimate number) posted
| in the following order: The lst Georgia re-
/ Riment upon our ex RENE hight, under com
mand Of MAJOR Tn: mpson, colonel Ramsey
{ he field officer of the day. having been Gu
rfY from Us bv The enemy while dischargiEa
| mis- duty upon the road next to it was places
| the 18th 0eorgia regime t-both OF these re
giments designed for the i'm mediate command
of Colonel Johnson. At an early mo
ment threw out what few mounted
| men were available unter Capt. t,l.rrett
of the Churchvilie Cavalry, to difftren
points along The valley upon our righ
for the purpose Of bringing las timely notice
| OF au approach by the enemy, and ais,
streng hened considerably the picket Ruart
| advanced in tn at hIreciion. The entre Gil
| ruste ed to the 9th brigade, under com 'na..d o
i (!0l T0li4 n m nos aed NJ nc h AMI.
| egiment, Col. Scott; the 23d Virginia TeRi
ment, Lieutenant Coionei Tall ,ferro, apC
Major ROgers's battalion, c,mm ,nded, in b /,
absence from sickness, sy senior Uapta.l
John y. H,gginbotham Tnis brigade wa.
reduced in the course Of the action ny IN.
detachment OF one hunered men under MI j
Jones, Of the 44th, to reinforcs our left wing
| This detachment marched in galianL style
under the enemy's fire. 10 the position ne
signes 1t In line. The troops on this wing
| which, from the charac er OF the ground
were widely disIer ed, fell under th'
general command of Colonel Rust, O
the 81 Arkansas regiment. and consiss.d %
his own command, the 3lst Virginia volun
tstrs, Lieutsns mt Colonel Jackson, and ,h.
batts lion OF Lieutenant Colonel II ,nsbo
rough, com manded, In his absence On accoun
Of sickness, by senior Captain J A Rober,
sen. Upon this flank also two Held piece
bad already been p'aced in battery enfila
ding the Huntersviile road, which runs Il
right angles, II. In deed, hose terms ca. b,
applied TO serpent tine mountain roads, from
| the turnpike. These guns were under th,
immediate charge Of Captain p. h. Ander
son, and the zeal, skill, and determi ma tor
Of that onicer, havs NO nbt that the,
would have done great execu ion had III,
enemy veptu ed TO call them into action
Captain Shumaker's battery, consistiag z O,
four pieces, (six pounders,) ~ne Of them ri
d, and ont six FOUNDER, under Capt nj.
| were he id ia readiness for the front and Ugh
flank. The places occupied by these various
corps you will fiod specified oIon the map
ny1Y yUAr all in rNna -
| about s O'clock, the enemy Ope ded heav,
nrs from six te) pieces Of different calibre
| placed In u field upon the right b and siie II.
them) Of the turnpike read, and bearing
upon our front and centre. This nun oe i
| was sub,eq uentiy increased by tvo other
pieces. placed ON the opposite stds OF
the the tarnpiss, r.. one ne. near Il and tn.
nre (of rOund shot, sphsrical case, shell, :, re
ooeasif naaly upon our left wing, Of CAMS
tsr,) was continued with extraordinary ra
diotty, and wi hout later mission, for up.
wards OF four hours, the eigh guns consul
tating the we'll known field batteries o I How,
| and Of Loomia The bill occupied by l,ol
Tsliafsrro's brigade. inviunEiy exposed e
all OF these batteries, received the greater
p.osction al ,rded BY the di ch ana EN- bank
| nent running along the brew, and construct.
| I'd under the I'm mediate supervision of Col
Taliaferro himsslf, We shou Id do btIess hav.
had inflicted upon us very severe loss In
deed.
This IRE was returned with great energy
md, - the result has proved, with signa
effect. by the guns Of Captain Shum ksr nuC
| Captain Rice, and by one piece detached
| from Captain Anderson d q battery and pls cer
upon the hill occupied by Lieut. oil. Jack
son. Lieut. Matsie, its proper chief. helm
qui,s ipdisposed, although he maintain -
his position near his piece, It was place
under the command OF Captain Iteshis,
Aid.As.Camp 70 Col Johnson Prom ths Sa
that ths rt1ed gun Of Captain Shumaker 20,
/ became ussless 20 NJ, (for the cans =
this great misfortune see HE own re
L OcTt, Addressed 10 mysAlft ~ ~ A..