Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-01-30

10 the hdtfUr " H' WY
Thinking that perhaps account OF the operations
of Capt, Downs and bis men, during the past summer
would be of some interest to your rAny readers have
sketehed the following synopsis, as related 70 me-
in per,ou, BY Capt Downs. II shows plainly that the
spemy have suffered greatly the hands OF the brave
Captain and bis gallant little band
The first rendezvous of this company was at spencer
the county seat Of RoAne county and here they bad e
frat fight Capt. Downs had 81 men in his commano'
aud Capt Henchin, Of Writ county, another partisan
leader had 80 men, and the Yankees had 80 men, Az
ter fighting nearly all day, killing sI and wounding pine
Of the Yankees Captain Downs went In to the enemy
with flag of truce and written Agreement vas enter
ed into with the Yankee Commander that no Arrests VI
persons entertaining Southern sentiments should 10
made and that no property should be molested or ds
tro,ed The Captains command suffered no casualties
In this engagement which took place in the saiy part
o! July.
The second engagement occurred at the same place,
shortly Afterwards in the early part Of August the Yam
kees having broken the compact The enemy were 300
strong and had forth. ID aud entreDchsd the place. Capt
Downs with fifty men, Capt. Jas Smith, OF Sandy JACK
son county with forty men, and Capt Robert Irwin, OF
Roane County With 81 men, bssegsd the place for nine
DAYS and nights hoping them out and force
surrender Oa the 9Th day of the seige, Dan Fros ats
member the House of Delegates. from Jackson ooun'
ty attempted to reinforce the Yankees from Ravens
wood, with some Union men. He pursued nearly
to the Ohio River by Captain Smith, and a part
of Downs men But this pursuit having With
drawn part of the besegng force the enemy succeed
ed in going out and driving beef cattle under the
cover Of night This of course defeated the object OF
A - n lied tn
seigs. In this action fifteen sixteen Yankees we're
killed and nine wounded Irwin had one man killed and
one wounded; Downs had two men wounded.
The third engagement took place at the neck oil Big
Bend, in Calhoun county, on Little Kinawha river
The Yankees, 500 strong, under command oil Col)nel
Thompson, bad started to come down TO Capt. Downs
place for breadsu. aud the Captain, having heard oil
their advance gathered twenty-seven OF bis men and
placed them on the side Of the @osd, where Is makes
bsli similar in shape to q man's elbow, and when ihs
enemy came within about fifteen psces no gave the COM
mand TO fire. which duly executed and hs ren then
fell At Oh the ground This fire resulted In king four
tseu and youndng seven Yankees. The enemy sturned
the fire. but IL passed the Captains men, doing no
Injury aud they then retrea,ed. During the retreat,
youne man named Franklin Rernet,, became separated
from the Of the force and stumbled among the enc
nv, and ar ne came up with them exclaimed, Its all
right boys" They Immediately arrested him and slot
hm through the head, blowing out his brains and left
him In The road. This about dsybresk, and at
sbou, 10 O'clock O. m, they returned and found bin
s living and shot him three or four times again. TIE
dy the Yankee Colonel divided bic force into rquads
OF fy men, aud sent them into the GODS in search OF
O,, Dosns and his men, and told the Captains bFothpF
th, he you'd have him spend month in the geaTcl
D,.ns also divided bic in small squads and they
Ind running fight Of six days which resulted in tillpg
10 ty.three and weundng prOpOFtiouate number Of tue
Yukees Downs lost only the one MAD, Bsrnett.--
Daring this running fight the enemy to the house
of man named John Brown, true Southern man, who
vas not engaged 10 the fight but had hid from the Van
kee.. They told his vile to 30 out and bring him in,
and gave her written agreement that he should not be
h.r.ed Lctng under this document she went out and
brought him IN. fheJ tcoE bin out soHo so-.e IitI
rArds from bis Louse AID made him knee by log aud
| .hot him. They nett surrounded house of MIR.
Wright whose son, lad abou. fourteen years Of age,
and who had before seen Yankee soldier, was
greatly frightened and secresd himself in the loft OF
] the house Yankee Lieutenant, hcClaskie, Of Richie
county foo~e no the ladder leading TO the loft and
shot him notWiihJ; ladE the bog Leggee md pr2hlea
to DO anything If they would spare hlm THIS WRETCH
Wa afterwards shot and fingered t~o days Before his
death be old red his 10 spare neither men, women
nor children in Calhoun county but TO kill all the "Sectst
breed This was Oh the 23l of August.
In the e.rb part Of September, ct High Lock Bridge
in Writ county, another sna ssiraish occirred Capt.
Hill had force of about 50 men at Burning Springs.
Hgh Lock Bridge IL about four miles below Burn
Springs. The Yankees had arrested Ned Hopkins, 4
prominent Southern man, whom they we're taking 10
Elizabeth Downs men fred upon them, woundirg two.
Hopkins said he f to the ground snd be thinks eve'
oae Of the TankeesIan ki. The ne-t n,ght the
evacuated Burning Springs and fell back to Elizabeth
Downs followed hoping to decoy them to the main dy
of his force At the first FIRE by hi, men fys Of u q
fell and they then hoIsed up Gnd, laying soRe prisor
ers followed acroos the river to Dosp that he aid usi
cs,se firing on them they would shoot their prisoners
Downs then returned TO his camp and the way bad
to pass the house Of named hcPee, where, he had
e learned member Of the Home Guard, named DoolaD
was staying for the night. He surrounded the house
and asked Mckee Il there sere any Of aug tnd l
tho house, 70 shiUh hsrpied in toe negative. TIT
,so,ip then .-tsd him Il D00su vas armed, to which
h. .l.o ,enlisd no. Downs then told him 10 tell DooAD
Who was I'd stairs to come down. and he should not DC
harmed. This be refused TO do. losns tLen toOk |
light aud sArt'd up, and inst as he reached the top
the stars Doolsn slot pistol at him, the ball grsgti
the back Of bis neck He Do~nsl fell back and Doost
shot at him again. He had two losd.d retolvers SOC
two raes with him. Downs men then followed, hire 10.
!. building, and he down and surrendered He was
:. | taken out and met his deserts.
On Dec I'd, on Strait Greek, at and near the house o
Levi Brumage, Perpont, (bro.htr OF the bogus Gov
uor) sent out ~ men a scout and Capt. Downs me
theu With twenty Of his men, aud had fight, killing
10 aud woundng Of the enemy, and lost one man.
Several other slight engagements took place between
the rcouts, resulting al~aysin killing Of the snem
aud no harm TO Downs force.