, 1862-05-20
FreEontsa Column---T1le Advance to.
ward Staunton -.- The Fight at Nc.
Dox<ell---Fina1 Grand Concentration
nf FarceHs


PE7Ensnrne. v May Il. 1862
Friday evening Gen Stahrs Brigade en- |
camped nineteen miles from Petersburg. In |
the night courier arrived, ordering the !
brigade to make forced march Immediately. |
We Immediately left aud arrived at Gen Fre-
mo1 t's Iii a3qI arters at nine o'clock Saturday
morning On arriving at headquarters Satur-
dag afternoon, learned that there had been
stirring news south Of Us. Gen. MilEoy had
advanced from his position at Monterey to q
place called Mcdowell, tan miles southeast,
and found the enemy in strong force. john
Jackson's army.
The withdruwal of Banks's column from the
vicinity Of Harrisonburg, enabled Jackson to
bring his forces to the aid of johnson aud
threaten 3fi]roy. Gen. Fremont, on learning
the situation, ordered forward immediately
Gen. Schenck's brigade, who had reached
Franklin, and ordered tho whole Blcnker di-
vision, who were on their way from Nia-
chester by way Of Romney to hurry mp. Gen
scEenck made a forced march Of thirty-four
miles in one day and joined Milroy, taking
command Of the united forces as he was the
senior officer in rank.
Tie rebels attempted to plant battery on
| mountain commanding our position. Gen.
| The fight continued from six o clock till after
dark. The enemy were defeated in the at
| tempt to plant the battery, and were driven
back to their rifle pits A bayonet charge Was
t maQe, WHICH WIS very ueslIuc!A@t W lHt
enemy. Night coming on, our forces drew
| off Our loss was twenty killed and eighty
| wounded. No officers were injured. The
regiments engaged were the 18th, SD and 25th
Ohio, the Sd Virginia, and one company Of
the I'd Virginia The loss Of the enemy was
very scycre-much greater than Ours. It is
believed that johnson, their General, Is Killed.
The enemy, having obtained positions on
three sides Of our army, and in numbers
greatly exceeding ours, Gen. Fremont ordered
CoL,~ Gil rooI- 4r.L ,r1+1
miles from here, within supporting distance
OF this column.
This morning the whole Of the Blenker Di-
I vision arrived, accompanied By Gen. Blenker
himself Gen. Fremont went out to meet
them as they marched into camp, and after
ward reviewed each brigade separately. lie
was received with the greatest enthusiasm by
the soldiers. The regiments are passing Ill
day to-day, preparatory to marching in the
morning.
Second Letter. dated 3rd inst1
Gen. Fremont and the whole column left
and the advance regiments encamped here,
twenty milss from Petersburg, last n1.ht.
Gen. Blenkcr and q part Of his division en-
camped ten miles back We are now only
ten miles from Franklin. The greater part Of
our force will reach there this forenoon, and
the whole army will be in tonight. We
are in constant Communication With Schenck
and Milroy, by telegraph and carriers. Tue
rebels, some IA 900 strong, have followed them
to Franklin, and sklrmishing has been going
On between the pickets for two days. Our
forces have strong position, and have plant
I'd batteries SO as to command all the ap-
l90actes Of the enemy 4 battle will take
place within day or two, unless the enemy
! retreat.
Third Letter. dated ut Franklia. 13:h.J
General Fremont and bis wholccolumn hare
arrived during the day, and have joined the
| fnr1tS ,ItrE E1hputE and 3isr1F The 4A.Yf-
| ments rs they arrived were warmly greeted by
| the forces here.
A r,bel force has followed the column oi
Gen. SchGnck, as they retired from Mcdowell,
been going on between the p1ckets. Several
rebels have been killed and captured IN these
ekirmishes, but no loss on our side.
Our artillery has been planted in positions
to prove very destructive to them. should
they advance. But last night they retrcated
and have fallen back In the direction Of Nc
4 Dowen.
From officers and men who participated 1t
the battle Of Bull Pasture Mountain, near Ne
D0wcll, I hare been able to obtain mau1
particulars in regard to that engagement
l Tie SD Ohio, under Lieutenant Colone
sweny, had been occupying the pass in til,
Shenandoah Mountains, when Gen. johnson
Reinforced by By 5000 picked men, supposed
: to be from Jackson's Division, advanced upo1
5 them, compelling them to retreat to Mcdowell
= Schenck's force came up.
: On tile Sth, the advance on the enemy wa:
a notdesjgned to bring on a general engagement
t but merely for reconnaissance in force, AM
4 for tho purpose Of preventing tile erection o
e | i battery. The rebels, however, were foun'
:, in overwhelming numbers, and a genera
engagement ensued with tile four regiment
d making the reconnaissance, continuing frou
n about p. M to So p. m- The tight va
2 almost entirely With infantry, nrtil4er
+ could not be brought to- bear with an
# effect. Our men fought with great bravery
S | standing the fire Of the enemy without finch
It | ing and continuing the contest until nearl,
r ! all the cartridges were shot away, and dark
ness prevented further fighting. The encm
l. were expecting our men to renew the hgh
>. in the morning, and were considerably stag
y | gered By the brave fight made by such il
- ferior numbers. But under positive order
n from Gen. Fremont, our fprces LETT the flel
~ that night and fell back in order in the d
rection of Frnnklin- They could have mad
i an efTrctlal stand at several points on the way
but being entirely destitute Of forage, an
their ratiOns almost exhausted, Gen. Fremor
wisely ordered them to fall back to thi
T.. point and wait the arrival Of reinforcement
:. and the supply t9a!na.
= The wounded suffered much in being l.aule
~ back over the rough roads distance OF thirty
~ four miles, but they are now mostly dOln
~ we'll
;, TIC observation Of those in the fight, an
IL the statements Of rcue1 prisoners and dcser
~ ers, ill concur in representing the rebel los
u MS heavy, probably double that Of ours Col,
:. mel jackson, Of the 10th virginia regiment,
~ known to be killed. Gen. johnson and tt
~ Colonel Of Georgia regiment, are rcporte
. to be killed, and many credit this report.