Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-15
Intero.siag aceountof1be Bat,Ie.
espondsnee Of the Richmond Dispatch
GgOvETUS. NEAR MANASSAS

hghsyasTerday, 4 VIII drop you line, Stain 2
/ simply what Fs4y and what part was taken By
the battalion % which my company is attached
IL is composed sof four 0mpsnies-Captains
Jordan, Of Begged Rhett of South Carolina :;
EubaDk, aud W Parker, Of Virginia.
Hearing that plight would probably come of
yesterday, ColOuel s d Lee, Of South Carolina.
who commands BE battalion, pushed on from
/ Salem on Friday last till two A. NJ Saturday
when we found ourselves on the balils field Of
the day before. At dsybreak was aroused by
pretty brisk picket firing on our right and left
and, to my surprise found had advanced
flght ~ among tAe plcSets, indeed, not more
than i've hundred yards from the enemy. AboutI
six we were ordered to fall back and take posi-
ton on the left % the turnpike, about half
mile from the road, upon q commanding posi-
ton. Here we had q gTa d veF Of the plains
OF Manassas, reaching as far as Centarville.
To the front the land breaks beautifully into
hill and dale, forming a sort Of amphitheater.
About mile immediate IN frGnt were a few
houses called .Groye.0n, I belieYa- and this
point the Yankees occupied with a strong bat
tery-lndeed, tP0 OF them. On their right and
rear long lines et infantry were seen in Ii4e Of
battle, and far in tie distance Immense clouds
Of dust flied the heavens. From early morn
brisk HtEle picket fring was kept up ou our
rgns, cur boys occupying a barn and al
orchard. an attempt was made BY few com
pauies advancing through a e3rn-hsld) 90 drive
out this Troublesome picket Ia 0ur own batteI-
ION there are sixteen guns and four others. two
from Norfolk and t8o from Lyucd5ury, 1 be-
ieve, making twenty. occupied the crest Of the
hill before msntiOued. The rife guns were
ordered to ''hre a. t1e men I'm The corn-fsld' % I
4 few shots stopped their advance, and caused
the men to scatter and lie down. Then com
menced a eanHoasding between ous batteries
AID twO Of tha enemy 3, which was kept 10, /
with iuteTmissi0Rs Of fifteen or thirty minutes,
TIL the great fight took Place. About Z A 81. a
regiment advanced rapidly ON the euamy's left, .
determined this time 20 DIVE cut our pickats
This effort sncceeded, and cur brave shagp=-
shooters retired through the orchard IN rs8d Or
der. So soon IS they got well out ef Jhe way
We opened upon tie enemy, and in ten minutes
they skedaddled in fine style, Sheitsring them
selves IN the ravlle5 and behind the barn. At
clock the forces thai had been moving almost
the whole day toward our left, began to move
IN the opposite direction, ard we concluded tla.
they were retiring toward Manassas, two or
three miles distant Several attempts were now
made to advance upon our left like those to drive
in cur pickets on our right, but a few shells 7.
served to scatter the skirmisheTs sad drive them /
into the woods that skift5d this beautiful valley
on either hand. When almost every officer was (
satisfied that the enemy, foied IN bis attempt TO /
make us bring on the fight by these l5.le ad- I
7ances on cur right aud LET'S, was about TO re.ile
and merely kept Up the csuu0u2t .ug in order TO /
conceal his retreat, suddenly at P. ST., regiment
after regiment OF infantry were thrown Gus of the
woods upon our lsiJ and advanced In very good /
order for the purpose of driving Ou5 oUr Picksts .
and take our batteries on the LETT flank.
In an instant, Colonel LIE, always cool and .
seltposssssed, ordered every h0wi.z-r TO the left
and then such a blszs Of artillery rs I never
uun ia -Fg 3
were very close together, and If was almost i'm
possible TO distinguish the discharge Of the I
guns IN your own from those iu other batteries
L was clear that the neE. tairty minutes would I
determine the fate of ali 1ur batteries At the .
same time tho enemy made his infantry advance, Z
he commenced a most furious canuonsding. No /
sound was heard for two hours from this time /
bus the rear of cannon and the bursting o. shells +
Ihe enemy had a 80 pOuud5r which was used /
some time during the earlier part Of the day, /.
but fortunately he did not get cur range. So '
soon as the dark columns got nssr enough tc 4
our infantry, two small regiments, which had T.
been placed upon Our left TO support Us. poured /.
deaduing fire into them. /
For some time four or five regiments had cot .
ten out Of our sigh. having advanced under (
cover Of the hill. and I expected 20 see the men
driven out of the woods and see the enemy
mount the hill bat still the battle ragged. The
shells burst above, around and beneath u.s.
Every man is at his post; no ta,king-no duck
ing of heads now. All intense, silent earnest
ness. Il was an hour big with every mans
history. 1. was a struggle Tor life. Tle face of
every man was flushed, his eye full, and his
arm stronger than was wont. It seemed that the
very heavens were IN a blaze, or, like tvo angry
clouds sUrch8rged with electricity and waited by
opposing Winds had met terrific In battle Pres
emily the Yankee columns begin to break and
men to fall out to the rear. The rsIesting NUM-
beTs gradually Increase, and presently the great
mass, without line OF form, now move back like
q great multitude without guide or leader From
a slow, steady walk, the great mass, or many
parts of it, moved Al q run, and our eyes tell US
the victory is won. Then did msaY man say
deep down in his heart. with flushed fsca and
filing eyes, Thank God" One youth ran to
NE and said, 50 l though. God Womb give us the
victory" Who knows but God L0uoEed his
faith He hearsth the young ravens when they
cry. Now the scene changes. Oar infantry
pour down from left and right, and our guns
cease lest we should Kill our own men. The
guns cf the enemy, however, biszs the faster,
as if in a iit of desperation. On cur right Long
street. whose name Is 3 terror to the enemy,
closes upon them. and the hills on the right roar
with musketry. The battle gradually recedes-
slowly, but steadily, Ike great storm of e
summers day. Our ammunition was exhausted
and we could not follow. Uatil nighttaL the
battle ragged, especially on the right, and 1t is
said that our loss in that quarter was very heavy
that nothing withstO0d the onset of our men
But must cese. as the courier is about TO leave
llsior KsmpeT, of cur battalion, was severely
wounded in the arm, but not dangerously. He
s brave, Unassuming officer. II was not his
first fight, as the country knows.
OF the 500 men in our battalion rot mOTe
iuIH STA were wounded, aud none tatauy-twO
u Capt. Rhett's one in Capt. Grimes. two in
Capt. Psrker's, (Sergt. james Jones in the arm
md hip slightly, and private David Richardson
slightly in the lsgi) and one other that do not
Know personally.
Colonel Lees position was well chosen, and
he battle was brought on in the enemy's at
empt to capture his batteries Our men behaved
well Il is impossible to state our
oss. It is, however, much less than tia, of the
enemy. This is certainly true in that part Of
he field where our battalion operated. 1 know
his nom personal inspection. This morning
We moved up and occupied the euemy's gr. und,
and we are permitted to rest sud 90 see if o3ms-
hing may not be had 20 eat, as our men have
been fasting for over twsnty-iOUr hours. But for
green apples they would have suffered greatly. /
In conclusion, permit me to say that as =
cation we have often bowed the knes to beg
Gods favor in our trials Should we not, as a
giving for his goodness Il is not always noble
% beg but It's always magnsnimOu5 to be CRATE
ul. Yours, P#*+a+
P. S.-l1 A. n M-CannOnading has been heard
or an hour on our right, 1 suppose eight or ten
niles of. It is said the enemy has fallen back
)eyond Manassas, on our front.
IMPORTANT FROM THE POTOMAC.
Another severe battle occurred between the
J0nfederates under General 4 z. Hill ard
aTge body Of the enemy, on Monday last, at
small village in Fairfax county,
lear the main road leading from CenterYills TO
talrtax Court House, and about twO miles this
de of the latter place. The enemy, it appears,
succeeded IN Tallyiug a sufGcieGs number Of
heir routed troops at the point named, to make
another show OF opposition to the advance of the
7ictoTious C0ntedsrates on their capital. On
sunday TIE pursuit Of Pope's army was com
neuced and pressed with vigor on the Fairfax