Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-08

a Waterloo deteaf-Gatlantryo of Ohio and Indi
I'roops-Ihe Rebels in Overponeriaq
Forces-7hree Separate Engagements-S hre,cd
Management Of the Enemy--CaDtare Of 1900
Prisoners, all our Artillery, and an immense
Wagon Traia.
CINCINNATI. September ), 1862
On my return To the city this morning. find
that the interest that might otherwise attach TO
detailed account OF the battle Tough. near Rich
mOnd. Ky, last Saturday has not only been
partially overshadowed by more important
events in other parts of the country, but to some
extent removed by the statements of officers
and Others, made public in various newspapers
who have preceded me from the field SILL, "a
round. unvarn>hed tale OF the events OF that
ever memorable engagement, from the pen OF
any one present, cannot he wholly without inter
est to the people of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky
and especially to those whose husbands, fathers
brothers and sons there offered up their live, in
the defense OF liberty, religion, order and law
therefor, propose 10 write my version of the at
fair. Ii Is impossible for amy one man To see gN
OF a general engagement between thousands of
men. did not see all of this one. but did see
good deal of it. propose to describe only so
much OF II is | Witnessed. together with such IN
formation, obtained from sources believed TO be
perfectly reliable, rs may be necessary to render
my narrative complete
STRENGTH OF THE UNION FOECIs.
In former letter stated that troops had been.
pouring into Richmond from morning till night.
and that the number then in camp near that place
could not be less than twelve thousand | was
informed that many ten or tw elve regiments
had arrived and from what had myset seen
| was quite confident that the number was not
over-estimated Since then. however. | have
learned that entire force did not exceed eight
thousand men. OF these not more than seven
thousand were effective; and of that number ..ot
more than four thousand, it so many, were at
any one time engaged with the enemy The 95h
Ohio. l2lh. 10th 55th Goth 66ih and list Indi.
ana, 18th Kentucky, aud about FIVE hundred cav.
airy from Colonies Metcaife and Mundy's com
mtnds, together with Andrews and Lamphear's
Michigan Batteries, comprised our entire strength
The aggregate of men ia the sih Kentucky and
10th Indiana did not exceed seven hundred All
the other regiments were of the new levy None
OF them had ever been urrler fire. and most of
them had hot bad arms in their hands over a fort
night.
PRELIMINARY TO THE BATTLE.
Friday evening Col Metcalfes cavalry recon
noiterei the country be,wee Richmond and Bic
Hill the placefrom which they ing oriousl, fled
the Saturday previous When in tie vicinity of
enemy. Col. Scott OF the First Louisiana caval
~, who promptly gave chase, when Col Met
Gales men again turned tail. leaving their gal.
liant commander to bring up the This time,
however they did not run without firing 4 gun /:
ba, they might we'll have done So ior when
they turned III their saddles and empties their
rifles, they only endangered the life OF their gal
liant leader, who was thus between two fires
On his return, Col. Metcalfc Was so disgssted
with has regiment that he refused to have any
thing more TO do with such pack OF arrant
towards, whereupon Lieut. Col c,iin follow cd
his example, leaving the fragment of the com
mand in charge o. Mai Faulker brave and
dashing officer, who would have retrieved the
disgrace into which bis men had fallen. il there
had been any fight in them.
The rebel cavalry, accompanied by few six
pound howiizers. each drawn by a single mule
continued TO advance toward Rogersvilie, a little
village about i've miles south OF Richmond
where they were met by a section Of Andrews's
Michigan battery and the brigade of Brig Gen
Manson, composed OF the 55th. Goth, 9th. and
list Indiana regiments \ small artillery duel
Immediately enSued, which resulted in the cap
ture OF one of the enemy 5 howitzers, after which
they withdrew There l. doubt that the
enemy btied their hook with this insignificant
piece OF artIllery-that they permitted our men