The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-24


some arrangement of the nails been delayed
tained in 1t which have not heretofore been
made public, and which will be found in.
teresting to the reader.-DIs
CAMP ON BzAvER CRsEK,3
54th Reg't Va. Vols, Jan. IL.
Editors Of the Dispatch: The first brigade OF
the Army of Eastern Kentucy, under the
command of Con. H. Marshall, engaged the
enemy on the 10th inst, at Middle Greek, In
Floyd county. The enemys forces were
commanded by Col. q arfieid, from Ohio and
/ understand was composed Of two Ohio re-
giments, one Indiana regiment, and a Kon.
lucky rsgimept-ths latter under the COM
mand of Gel. A. Moore. The strength Of the
enemy,is estimated ut from four thousand to
forty five hundred men. Our brigade was
composed Of Col. Trigg's regiment, the 54th,) }
Col Moore's battalion; Col Williams's Ken.
lucky regiment, and Capt. Jefries's battery
Of four field pieces. The VIII ole force On our
side, including sick did not amount to over
twenty two hundred men.
The force engaged on the day OF the battle
waS about one thousand strong, Col. Trigg's
regiment NOT being engag~ d, but held in re-
serve to protect our battery. Col. Moore's
men and those Of col. Williams's were first
assaulted by the enemy at one O'Clock, their
commands having first bsen deployed as
skirmishers across the crest OF mountain,
the battery being placed in a narrow defile,
so as to command the entrance to the narrow
valley in our front, and which was held by
the enemy. The enemy attem pied to storm
the height. upon which Col Moore and Col:
turning our battery, but were three times re-
pulsed ana driven back by the gallaat and
brave men under their command The battle
lasted from one to six O'Clock p. n and with
the exception of about twenty minutes,
ragged with unabated fury. both parties
fought with great energy until darkness
closed in, and the enemy, seeing Uol Trigg's
Regiment advance for the purpose Of rem.
inc nj a 6aI ho
enemy sheltered himself behind u pine
thicket, and from which he could not be dis.
lodged by the men opposing him. Gen. Mar.
shall ordered Col. Trigg to reinforce Viii.
from the pine thicket. Col. Trigg at once
marched his Regiment to the top Of the
mountain, and selected the Mon ntgomerS
7th" and q company commanded by Uapt
Burwell Akers, from Floyd county, and plac.
ing them under the command Of Capt. James
u. Taylor, directed him to perform the
bloody job. The enemy, however, abandoned
the point before Capt. Taylor reached it,
and gave up the field. Our loss in this
engagement summed up as follows: OF
Colonel Moore's men, five were killed and
six wounded; OF Colonel Wslliamss men,
elk were killed and seven were wounded
The loss OF the enemy could not be less thar
three hundred. A gentleman as just arrived
from Prestonsburg, who rep rts that they
lost, in killed, wounded, amt missing, one
thousand men. We are infoy med that they
Immediately resreated back to I'aintville, and
there reported that they had 10 1t but one man
killed and two wounded. Their report II
false, and calculated to deceive their own pso.
PIE. Our position was such rs to enable ul
to overlook them, and 1t makes my heart nchs
when think Of the numb ber Of human 500 L
who were hurried into eternity ON that day
It is NO disparagement of their bravery fol
me to record the above facts; for must say
they fought long and fought well, but Ger.
tatnly persisted in what they could NO,
accomplish. g., to drive rs from our posi-
ton We had been falling back from Paint
willie for several days, because he could no,
ceived the idea that We were retreaunG from
them. But to their sorrow did they find
themselves mistaken, when they encounter
ed US If we had had oae meals victuals fol
our men, we would have driven them bach
with great slaughter, but, owing 70 the sreat
scarcity of supplies here, General Marshall
has been compelled gradually TO withdraw
from the country. Our men had been com.
days when the fight commenced, and many O
them fought that day who had not had T
mcuthfQl to eat for twenty four hours. -
In order to subsist this Brigade, Gen. Mar.
his command TO 60 into the corn. fields, K
shack the corn, she'll It, carry it to the mills
have 1t ground, and then to pack It on horse.
back, to the men.
The roads are awful, the country barren
and mountainous have often seen thu
General In the mud superin tending thu
movement Of his wagons. and 90 bad are ths
roads that he can rarely ever move over from
two TO three miles Per day. therefore a.
ssrt the proposition that 1t is madness and
mand here any lonGer-it cannot b subsast
cd, and unless the War Department tntendl
TO sacrince onr health and lives to NO pur
pose. It should speedily wi!ed..w rs from
toll. Humanity saYs let NJ return.
Yours, Ae., vBro,