The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1862-11-21
For the Virginian.
MEADOW BLUFF, Va, Oct. Is, 1862

| MEADOW BLUFF, VA, Oct. 70, LOU. r
! MEssRs. CoALE & BARR- Gent2enaen:-I, be-
| ing a resident Of Washington county, Va,
and member of Baldwin's Squadron of
Mounted Rangers, desire a short space in the
columns of your paper.
Our command was formed from the coun-
ties CT Russell, Scott and Washington. 1t
was organized and mustered into service on
the fourth day of last August, at Nickelsville,
Scott CO., Va Soon thereafter, we were or
dered to Northwestern Virginia, IN which
section Of country we have been operating
ever since. Our marches have been long,
hard, and almost continual, and scouting a
/ daily business, with fighting whenever an OPP
| portunity presented ITSELF Our command is
| in fine health and in good spirits, and only
| long for the time to come when we can aid in
driving every Yankee bowling back to their
| homes in Lincolndona, never more to desecrate
| our soil with their unhallowed feet.
Below, I submit to the public a copy Of the
official report, by our commander, Of a fight
we had in Braxton county, at a place called
The Churches, eight miles east Of Sutton
The reason why desire this from the official
is, that some one had put in the public
prints an account of this fight, and not doing
our command Justice. W. A. II.
SUMMERvILLE, Va, Oct. s, 1862.
Col. G.. E. Tlor5aun, Com'd,g, dc.As per
your order, mustered all my effective force,
amounting to only sixty men, Immediately
upon the road, the evening of the 18th, to re-
deem Capt. Lackey's men and stock from the
bogus Yankees, who had surprised him the
morning Of the same day, in his camp on
Birch River. reached Capt. Lackey and
the remainder of his confused force tsixteen
in all left him, about o'clock, P. NJ, find
ing myself about seven hours in the rear of
the retiring enemy. Learning, by citizen
friends, that he intended to reach Sutton that
night, I determined, in council with Capt t.,
to pursue, and, if possible, surprise the enc
my there.
Upon nearing Sutton, we learned from
lady friend that about $50 of the enemy were
in town, and, probably, in their Notifications.
at once determined not to charge the posi-
ton till we had first accommodated, by which
means we learned that he had taken alarm at
a late hour and fed in the direction Of Bull
town. Believing he would not be able to
push his WORKOUT troops through to BulltoWn
by daylight, we determined to pursue him,
and at all reasonable hazards, redeem our
captive brethren.
After taking up a few stragglers by the
way, and sending them back in charge Of s or
10 Of our men who were about to fall we con-
tinued our march, and came upon his whole
force, mapping" alta place called The Church
es, about s miles east of Sutton. Here we en-
gagged him, yelling for General Jenkins, de
manding his surrender, and opening hot fire
upon him, all at the same time In his con-
sternation, some fled to the brush, which was
near, some surrendered, and some gave us
fight. My men, flushed with the prospect of
a brilliant success, charged the fire of the enc
my, making brisk little contest Of about fif-
teen minutes. Capt Laekey's men chiefly
engaged in gathering up horses, &c., under
cover Of the darkness Of the night tit being
now about o'clock, A. N.Y. most of his i
fore made their escape, leaving from 10 to Is
daa n the ground. Some went off yelling
flotr wounds. We re-captured all of Capt. |
La, y S men, eight In number, and most of
his horses and arms, all of which were prompt
ly restored to him.
We took from the enemy II good guns and |,
few pistols, number Of blankets and over
coats. I lost four horses in the skirmish, IL |
shot under my men, and took six of the enc
my's best, besides those kept by Capt Lack
ey's men, of captured stock, amounting to s /
or 9, making, probably, about l6 or Il ho1 ;es
in all taken from the enemy, all Of which I |.
think ought to have retained in my compa-
ny; but, confding in Capt. Lackey to do nee
justice, he decided that his men captured them,
and ought to keep them, to which have sub
mitted.
I must not omit to say we lost in the trip S
or 6 of our guns, and two men wounded, lone,
we fear, mortality and SO damaged our hor-
ses, that but few of them will be fit for use
for weeks to come.
Respectfully,
VIM. NJ. BALDWIN,
[Signed. Capt com'd'g Rangers.