Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1862-08-15
Great Battle at Culpepper.

not yet been received. The telegrap
to this place, on Monday, announce
THAT "a desperate battle was fouet
between Banks Division and Stonewa
Jackson, lasting from the afternoon
Saturday until midnight, in whic
neither party obtained a victory, al
though the loss was terrific on bot
sides. At night another dispatch an
5 nouneed that Sigel had come to the res
! cue of Banks, had cut Jaekson's force.
to pieces; and captured taoenty thousane
rebel prisoners. On this good news W.
slept soundly, but regret to say that i
1 has not been confirmed. The last Com
ntercial, from all that is yet known, anc
i'sifting the various reports, says:
can indecicive but bloody engag gemnen
was fought on Saturday last, between 3
i part of Gen. PopE' army and the reb-
/ els under SroeFEwALL JACKSON, nea,
/ Culpepper c. H., Va. There was the
usual disparity in numbers, if we may
credit the statement that the Federal
force was but 1900, and tha. of the
rebels 20, 600, it is not at all probable
that the disproportion was so great.
The attack was made by the rebels, who
seem to have had their own choice of
ground, selecting advantageous positions
for their batteries, 50 as to partially sur
round the Federal forces, and subject
them to murderous cross fire. One Of
these batteries being particularly obnox
lousl a cnarge was ordered, and the task
of taking it assigned to Gen. WILLIAMS
brigade. The dispatch does not state
the result, but from all the circumstan.
ces, we infer that it was as Unsuccessful
as it was destructive The rebels had
massed their infantry in thicket, and
as the Federal columns dashed up to
the battery, received them with a vol
ley that sent them reeling back The
fight appears to have been keptup after
this till dark, when it ended by the Fed
erals Withdrawing to new position out
of range Of the enemy's batteries, which
were annoying.
The accounts of the battle are neces-
sarily imperfect. The details will come
in day or two. But enough is known
to assure US that the entire force on
neither side was engaged. 1t was, SO
far as the Federal side is concerned, an
affair of outposts on an extended scale. |
1t Is quite probable that the rebels ad-
vanced large part Of their army from
to make the attack, and
provoked an engagement, hoping to
annihilate one division before others
could come to its support. The divi.
sion under Gen. BANKS appears to have
been the only one engaged to any ex-
tent. SIGEL was not there, and though
General MCDOWELL was on the field.
We hear no mention Of his division hay
ng been engaged.
The retels were foiled in their pur-
pose, and fell back, the field of battle
lot being occupied by either belligerent.
It appears, however, from the fact of
'ebels sending in flag of truce, asking
'ermission to bury their dead, that the
ground was re-occupied and held by
he Federals, probably by the reinforce
nents that came up to the relief of
5ANKs' division. The further fact that
he rebels have not renewed the attack,
hough reinforced, is evidence that they
i'd not achieve victory or open the
Tay to Washington quite as soon as they
The attack was well planned, undoubt-
dly, and well timed. 1t was certainly
nown to JACKSON that BURNsIDE's
orps d'orpee had disembarked at Fred .
distant from Culpepper c. ,
l., east but 30 or 35 miles, and about '
qui-distant from Orange G. H., which
J but 10 miles from Gordonsville. The !
bject of this disposition of the Federal
orces was too apparent not to be per I
eived. A junction of the troops con i
entrating at Culpepper G. H., with [
'URNsIDE's division, probably at Or !;
nge G. H., would have made it very {
oubtful whether the rebels could S
ing hold Gordonsville, which, as
point, is of more import
ace to them, in operating in the
irginia Valley, than Richmond
self. JACKSON had before him il
lie alternative of abandoning it, or l
AXE bold attempt to defeat PoPE's '
my in de sail, and in this object he
as, undoubtedly, failed. It remains >,
be seen whether Gen. PopE will be O
dashing in his movements, and so
lccessful in his combinations, as i'm Il
edlateiy to resent the challenge thus u u
ven him, by attacking his willy adver- I =
ry in return. 1t is at least to be a,
'ped that when the next engagement tt
fought, the forces engaged will be on p
rms numerically more equal; and it is o.
lite evident that such an engagement, a.
which the present was but prelim- et
a-y battle, is not far of" to