The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1862-01-04
w.sfistsa oprsspoadsace efshs = vofsA.
ran RATTLE Or DRAiSsviLLE.


General o,i's bas,lss Drains, e-for it
vas soneihing mors than sk'rmisn-s.s
. sarprise TO sill parties concerned, anu ne
result is to Us IN agreeable diversion IRON
the rebel success which has % often mafAeo
these reconnoitering engagements. 40 que
had any reason to suppose thar rioay ~.
aging excursion Of he Third Pennsytsas'A|
Reserve Brigade would be signalissi oy Any
mare fighting than have, presiding e4peWi
lions in the same directIen. tnueeu, n
corps pushed ous from the main hoe, TOT
the purposes Of Subsistence or espoinage,
receive Gen. McCielland's precise inssroe.
tions not to bring on an enlargement. y
battles are allowed TO occur nv nap-nalAa,u
the bss. laid schemes Of Generals VIII >'ait
gang agiee.
No reporter. therefore, vas present Al the
Drainsyile affair, and consequently, IN the
absence of any detailed official dispatches,
il is difficult to get q correct idea OF toe
ground and maneuvering from the state
n ents Of the local press, based On The con-
fused narratives Of minor participants 10 the
action. These statements. howeyer.witi all
reach you, so will add nothing except
few general facts, which may serve in ex
planning to you how much the action
amounted to.
Gen. MeCall's DIVISION, composed OF TIE
celebrated fifteen Pennsylvania reserve req
ments, holds the extreme right OF our lines.
encampins at and abou Langisy.s and
Prospect Hill, few miles north OF Chatn
Bridge, on the fork Of the Leesburg turn
nike running nearest the river. From the
fact that the rebel lines close completely
round our own, from the Upper to the
Lower Potomac, fthus forming a segment
of circle to which the river-if u were
straiyh.-would be an arc) this division OF
Gen. McCa.rs and that OF Gen. Heintzle-
mans on the extreme left, below Mt. YER
non, are perhaps in nearer contact with
large bodies of the enemy, than any other
divisions stretched between them. This is
especially the case with McCalPs division,
since the rebels keep at least 10000 men
between Leesbursh and Difficult Greek, and
the ground intervening between our right.
and their left is general foraging teri.
tory for both parties. 1t will be remember
ed that we have had once before skirmish
near Draiusville, in which We captured
whole rebel company.
The west fork Of the Lecsburg turnpike
passes through Falls Church, uniting with
the road from Chain Bridge and Prospect
Hill At point seven miles above the for
mer, and two miles this side Of Evansville.
Tn latter village, the nucleus Of Fridays
battle, is, therefore, only seven miles north.
west of our earthworks. 1t is aggravatiDg
to many resident connoisseurs that so spir-
tied and picturesque an affair should have
taken place within two hours gailop, and
vet without their knowledge or peculiar en-
joyment.
The first accom-. Of the battle ststed our
loss at ten killed and fifteen wounded /; the
enemy's loss at sixty one dead and eighteen
wounded, left on the field, besides those
carried away. If siyty-one were killed. at
least one hundred must have been wound
ed, to maintain the usual proportions. 1t
is safe, therefore, to estimate the to al loss
Of the rebels ut one hundred and fifty men.
Yesterday, conversing with one Of the Off
GERS ordered to count those left on the field,
learned that the original report was cor
rect in this regard. But from the account
of the battle, in which it does not appear
that Gen. Ord asnked the enemy, or in any
way obtained greatly superior strategic
position, it was lficult to believe our own
loss as small as stated. 10 tho first place,
the forces engaged were not unequal-em-
bracing. perhaps 1000 of tie enemy, sup.
porting battery Of six guns, and four
regiments of our own, supporting Easton's
battery OF four 24.pound and 80 pound
howitzers. Again, Gen. Ord advancing
along the narrow Lecsburg turnpike, the
noticeable Buck,ail Rifles, Col. Kane, in the
van, and on entering Dransv,Ile outskirts,
was attacked by the rebels from their am
I'm. "ade in the Virginia forest.
TODAY We &c. the true statement of our
1ossss and v lille increasing them to an
nmonD, u;,: Oh pro, % that the PennsyIva.
" ";ans AID h,rd md hoaeat fighting, and did
not win BY catching The rebels in trtap, it
is nevertheless. 50 much inferior to the list
of the enemy's killed and y 'nnoea as 20
render the battle Of Drainsviile toe mos,
encouraging and brilliant succes Of. A'.'
won by US since our FIRST occudation Of u. ]
lington Heights. |
Our good fortune mus. have resulted !
largely from the formidable nature and |
position Of Easton's battery. These how
itzers, of the largest class, have bore as
large as a man IS hat. aud throw grape and |
canister at short range with frightful tu-
mutt and effect. They are undoubtedly su-
perior to all other guns for close action
The four pieces we're fanked on bill, from
whence they threw near, plungipg fire
into the rebel battery of six guns, and the
road where the rebel infantry we're de.
ployed. A deal Of musketry practice also
occurred, and an attempted thanking charge
of the rebels was bravely repulsed by the
bayone,s Of the Kane Rifles. Many Of the
latter also maintained their reputation as
sharp-shoosers from large briox house in
the village. These are the significant fca-
turss Of the contest which have reached us.
Toward the close, when the Ere Of the euemy
grew feeble, eur Ninth and Twelfth reyi,
ments advanced under vigorous bugle notes
to make the final charge and sweep the
field. This was an inspirasiny moment.-
Through the pine and oak thickets their
progress was perforce somewhat slow. By
the time they had reached the rebel position
the enemy had fed the feld-leavinp oplv
CHASTITY heaps Of their dead and dying in
Numbers above named, their arms, amuni-
uon, blankets, an explodeAssaisson and /
other wonsed debris Of swift and bloody /
defeat.
The conflict commenced at l O'Clock r. /
NJ, and lasted till 8. As usual. We have /
rumors OF the death Of distinguished rebel
officers. IL il said the Kentucky Colonel
Tom Taylor and Virginia Cavalry General
Stuart, we're among the killed and carried
OF IN the retreat, but we certainly have no
means OF knowing the truth Of such stories.
mus you have the narrative of this real.
y important affair ; doubly important, be-
cause It proves the courage and di.c;nline
OF our army. The Federal regiments On.
gagged are probably little better or worse
than hundred other corps ACROSS the Pc.
tomac. From four judge oil. As to ex.en,
o. tne contest, il would have been one of the
decisive battles" 10 the days Of ,76. tire
semo'ed that Of July Is, at Blackburn,.
FORD, We having the same number ~ ~.