The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1862-09-04
From the Maysville Eagle.
The Battle at Richmond.

Long before our readers will see this article
thew will have learned of the lamentable dis
aster which has befallen our arms near Rich
mond From the Cincinnati papers and prl-
vate sources, we have gathered a few partlcu-
lars which may give some slight idea of what
has occurred When General Nelson reached
Lexington, he found the forces in command
of Gen Lew Wallace, who was there without
orders except such as the Gov. of Indiana had
eiyen to him, and as Nelson had been assigned
to the command in this State it became his to
discharge its duties. However, he extended
a courteous and cordial invitation to Gcnerai
Wallace to accompany and counsel Win
him, which the latter declined Upon his
arrival he fonnd the troops raw, undicIplln-
ed and disorganized, and not to be depended
on in a battle with seasoned forces. He I'M
mediately determined to mass his troops In
the neiehborhoOd Of Nicholasville or Dick Rob
inson, in a position which would enable him
to command all the crossings of the Kentucky
river as a line Of defence, for which his forces
were qualified, though not prepared for offen-
s;ve operations And he lost time in com
1nencinr his plan, and he would have soon
had twenty-five thousand troops at his com
mand sufficient to have accomplished all that
was desired. He gave the most positive orders
to General Manson not to attack, and reltera-
uted sch orders again and again. He also
enjoined upon him that if the enemy attacked
him not to risk q battle, but to fall back upon
the Lancaster road. Upon Friday evening
diminishing commenced between the advance
of the two armies and Nelson again sent the
most positive orders to Manson to fall back
and 10
risk a fight ut Richmond. On Saturday NOR
ming when the firing was heard by Nelson at
Lexington he was SO certain that these eXpll
cit orders had been obeyed, that he started
towards Lancaster, thinking that Manson had
fallen back towards that place, where alone he
could hope to find the army then engaged in
the fight at Richmond But instead Of obey
ing orders, Manson marched out five miles
from his position Saturday morning, and
brought on the battle by attacking the enemy,
thi hiking that there were only 5000 Of them
there instead of which he had to fight the en-
tire Confederate invading force.
Our force numbered probably 5000. That
of the enemy is not accurately known, but it
was sufficiently large to outnumber and flank
at every point. The fight was brought on
by Manson ut o'clock in the morning, and
continued necessarily until II o'clock, during
about an hour and half of which time a
splendid artillery duel was kept up. At about
Il clock there was a lull, both parties seem
ingly exhausted and water had to be hauled
to the wearied Federal soldiers from Rich
mond, six miles. This continued about an
hour when the battle again commenced, and
the tide was soon turned against brave
troops. At > o'clock many of the Fedora Is
had scattered, and the remainder were retreat
ING to Richmond, the enemy in hot pursuit.
About two miles from that place they were
met by Nelson, who had ridden nearly sixty
miles that day, killing several horses, and
had been compelled frequently to take the by
roads to escape the enemy cavalry who com
manded the Lancaster pike: when he reached
the field, the day was lost, and the army dis
organized He rallied them as well as he
could, and still made brief and desperate re-
sstance. Hearing an officer advise his men to
scatter and rum he Immediately cut him down
with his sabre. The officers set the example
his line was broken, and he was hemmed in
by the rebel cavalry. His life was saved by
Major Green Clay Selling his bride and for
cling him from field. Before this he had been
wounded in the groin and thigh, painfully
but not dangerously On the way to Lexne
ton he directed some fragments of regiments
to try and hold the enemy in check at the
crossing of the Kentucky river. But this they
were unable to do, having lost the cannon in
the retreat On yesterday the enemy crossed
the river and last night Lexington was in
their possession. 1t was believed at Blue
Licks that an attack made upon Paris
and it is certain that there is no telegraph com
munic cation between Paris and this city Our
loss in the battle is stated at about l25 killed
and $50 wounded The number of prisoners
is not known, the force having scattered in ev-
cry direction. We have been unable to gain
any intelligence concerning the rest of the
force.