New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-08
The Disaster mt POeotaIigc, q. .C.-Probssse
Cause Of the Death Of Gen. Mitchell,

The Disaster ut Poe eotaIigo, q. .C.-Probasee
Cause Of the Death Of Gen. Mitchell.
We extract from private letter written by Lieut..
George Edwards, of Col. Serrells Regiment Of EG.-
gneers, the following particulars of the recen. s-
TEMPT upon the Charleston and Savannah Railroad
with suggestions of the cause of the lamented ds.sa
of Gen. Mitchell:
We progressed slowly up Broad River in
the darkness arriving at daybreak, at the intended
landing place. known as Mackies or Jenknss Pom,
or Plantation. The movement was designed as fol-
lowe: To march across tho country and attack and
destroy railroad bridge, track, and telegraph, con.
necting Savannah and Charleston; the bridge cross-
ing stream called, believe, Saltketcher Creek.
Befora we reached that point, however, several
minor streams had TO be passed, and considerable
one the Pocotago, all intersecng the level country
that lay between our place OF debafkatlon ana ud
railroad
aI,yavs a work OF delay-in this instance greatly
facilted by the scows, is leet VIDE, 81 ieet iony
built for tie purpose by onr regiment tCo Serene
| Tnqjneerel We then marched INTO the country
through the lonely ton'hetds-,nlimlreefs hoas
the leadiug regiments. securing the plain TO ths
,bt and leh. for the mounted plcke,s Of the enemy
bsd started on the gallop at our first appearance
we had progressed perhaps Elk miies, wheh tnr
nose of firing ahead Informed US that our men had
encountered the Rebels AMI soon the arriYai OF on
dad and wounded brought additional and SAD con-
Srmation. The order, " Close up men forward,
engineers p took Us half NILE nearer 70 me scene
Of ACTION. Here The rattle Of musketry, quarter
of A mile ahead, was audible and lncess.ht' ooon,
TOO we beard the screams and burst OF sneu ana
the boom o. cannon, followed by soid iS-Ponha
sbot which came along tie road like 90 many good
s,zed oranges. The men standing IN II, cofn'ne!a
on either side beg IN to get uneasy.
Noticing that the fire seemed particularly directed
toward some dead trees, between when my company
was halted, took the liberty OF suggesting 70 our
Colonel a movement Of about $50 feet TO one side
| lie ordered il. and the men laid down q few feet
ssupder. 20 that eod shot could Kill but one az
,ims Thus we remained, peltcd with these pills,
for about half an hour. When We rose ana re-
forued for another advance, four men had teTnpor.
arily skedgddled. Here stood chance OF oecon-
inc ga casualty" / had got up from my friendly
luIrow TO start up wounded man, and ohaneing 70
look M saw an iron compliment from the enemy
coming plump for my head ducked an scknowi'
edpment, and it entered the ground few feet be-
hind ne. Dalrymple, too, aeuns as AdJutans,
willie holding his horse, had shot pass between
! him aud Il. Yon can sometimes see cannon ball
when Immediately before or behind yol
Halfa mile further We passed the spot where tbs
enemy had constructed a battery, IN admrsbiy.
chosen locality, too--a snort caosewhy ana oriags
over m.tsh, "A wood on Our SIDE from which they
had ueppered fellows in the open cid, and on the
other fome hedgerows for rifles, and ice-fold fog
/ their batteries % rake us, commanding The bridge
This We had taken by dashing charge aileI then
infantry had crossed. Without waiting TO timber
no thew set Oft at gaop, leaving us lar behind.
At "A mile and taif ahead we found another and
more difficult position, involving an infantry hght
and n few return shots from two iisldpicces aud
three boat howtzers manned by the bloc lackete
from the Wabash. This bridge was Of come size,
and a section Of il hsd been cut dow:. u learned
subsequently from prisoner taken by my Lieuten-
ant that .he Rebels had 10 guns.) My men went
10 work briskly telling timber, in order TO recon"
ttruct IT, but the discovery that our ammunition Tor
the artillery and howltzers was exhausted, and 81
average of halt a dozen cartridges lett TO each man,
induced the commanding General to give the order
TO retire.
L. was nearly dark aud weary ten miles of re-
treat lay before US, with "A chance OF being out.
fanked while incumbered with our wounded, and
almost ont of ammunition. You may imagine the
scene-the apparently Interminable miles the groan-
ing Of the wounded the appeals for help on The part
OF their bearers the urging and nlectatlon oi being
obliged 70 get work, tired as We were, to build
fresh batteries 10 cover our landing We had been
near enough 10 the railroad 70 hear the whistle OF
the locomotive bringing fresh troops from Savannah.
By D. N. we had gained the lGLdlDg. ! made
the men stack arms, lie down the ground, and got
"a biz kettle of hot coffee for theu-they bad hard
tack enough in their knap5acks. We bnit rousins
fire. ld felt better Twas looking al q doctor
lmd ug when over went, fainting clap away
poor fellow Just dead, whose body broke my fall
perfectly dead beat ami used up for the first tine in
my lie. nghts q sleep sst ire up again.
Col. Serrell was on hand all day-in front most OF
the time. When ordered TO ascertain tho condition
Of the cut bridge, he was slmost or quite solitary.
His telescope was cut In two at hs eide, two officers
on either size Of him wounded, his horse and himsei
overturned by bursting shell. yet he escaped with
ont scratch. Our reglmeut had no losses.
We lost something over jJo-about 10 per cent Of.
our force.
For tho attack OF yellow fever which has
iog,unRtely terminated IN tie death OF Gen. Mitchell,
his son, and several Others, | think local cause
may be found in an abom nsbly llthy place within
2DO feet Of the building erected for the General
/, was out OF sight and perhaps unknown. l slluds
10 the half dry ditch of a email battery nade by u.s.
called Battery Hunter Il had been used by ths
adjacent hotel for a hedre-ah, and the kitchen filth
combining with stagnaut water had made II a con
goIner.ilOn Of nastiness. | have reported 1t TINE
and again, though its existence was unexpected by
me until l commenced scow-buiidlug and found
way across the place short cut TO the Qlar'ernas
ter 6tOfos.