The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-31

q s5Tss-<-ss-ss~---~s 1873
Asissss<lsss N1ltastss u III Haftsl u ubalsj;:
fse Nvss. o~1 ne eeespat:ss Al ne Esssr4
alsss b IL Isdfsstsss.
HAADo'Rs S9rH VfRotnA H4o'f.
Norfolk Jan. %, isS9. I
E1iesss q IL DtspaseAs-WiL you permit me-,
through the columns Of your paper. to MAZE
statemsns Of the facts oonosrnlne the late
Eastern Shore OF vireinis. and the suhss.
ausnt occupation Of that peninsula By the
tcrces Of tAe Federal 0ovsrnmsntP / am In
duced TO MAKE this staten ent, not only in tua.
Engaged With me In the dsfsncs Of the coun.
tiss Of Accomac and Northampton. Kelley.
ING that the columns Of your paper are ever
open 70 the vtndicausn Of truth and jus
On Sunday morning, the 10th Of November
last, recelved Information Of the concen.
tratton Of large body Of Federal troops;
Of SHOW HIN. Princess Anne, and New Town.
Md. near the line separating that state from
Virginia, and that thsir Intention was 70 m.
wade the counties Of Accomac and North.
tion TO the people Of these counties, And started
with the whole Of the fercs under my com.
mand TO meet the enemy. We marched =
distance Of ,i KY %iiss and arrived within
Ing Of Tuesday. the 18th instant. The work
Of throwing up embankmsnts, telling timber
acfo6S the roads, and other means OF dofence
was Immediately commenced.
The enemy received additional reinforce.
msnu from Baltimore ON Wednesday and
Thursday, and consolidated their entire
force At New Town numbsring (acoording 70
othsrs) about 5000 troops, consisting OF in
fantry, oevsirss and arsilisry, and that this
force was des i sed for invasivn Of the Eat
ern Shore OF Virginia.
council Of war, consisting Of the deld and
staff officers Of both volunteers and militia,
and the question arose whether we should
" stronger position, about 10 miles In our
rear. During the discussion, General Uix's
proclamation was handed me, by one Of our
piekets, VINO stated that q negro had already
distributed number Of copies among the
citizsns and soldiers.
Itwas now ascertained beyond all doubt,
that the enemy would advance upon US in =
day or two with from 1000 % s.oI troopa To
| the seth regiment OF Virginia volun teers,
consisting OF about 90 lnta.itry, lao cavalry,
ana field battery Ut smooth bore six pound.
ers OOlonels GInter and Northam, OF the
Acoomac militia, could raise but little over
one hundred men. armed with flint muskets
and shOt- guns-making totai OF six hun.
drsd infantry, one undred and forty cavalry,
and field battery Of six-pounders, TO oppose
from seusn to eisAs UoHsand Of the enemy. No
sane man would counsel Scststanee in Inc face
Of such odds. The council unantmousiy 70.
solved that, while there was little Tune yet
left n, . rsSeat should be Immediately oruered,
| in order TO save a. many men and arms to the
Southern HOvernment - possible, knowing
that the only chance TO svadc the enemy
would be by running strict blockade 0f
Chesapeake Boy in small, open boats at night,
capable OF carrying from ten TO twelve men.
here insert the resolution, which was unan.
tnOusly signed by the fsld and stan officers !:
hxADa'Rs 3srH Va. RsaIxnxr.
OAK HALL, Nov. 10, 1851.
M
doubt 1T tho forces Of the United states are
upon the point Of invading the counties of
Accomac and Northampton, Virginia, in
overwhelming force; and whereas. We have
also ascerruined that with tho means at our
com and Radiance Uoutd b utterly Aopeicss, and
could but result in q useless sifuslon OF blood
aud destruc Of property, and having a..
certained beyond All donbt that there 10 NO
possibility OF being reinforced, the under.
signed, being ali The officers present at q
council Of war. hold this day, are unani.
mously Of opinion that 1t 10 the duty OF the
Confederate States officers to save AZ many
ssible--we having not more than eight kxn-
dysd badly armed troops, and poorly pro vided
with ammunition, and the ensmy pressing a.
vita from siz to s'Shs MoHso"d men, and being
daily reinforced.
Sixned-Uhas. Smith, Colonel commanding
seth Virginia regiment; Louis u. II. Einney.
Lieutenant Colonel, seth Virginia reglmsnt;
n. b. GARY. Major, seth Virginia regiment;
VIM. A. Tnom, Surgeon, sofa Virginia rsgt-
ment; WIN. s. Stoaklsy, Assistant Surgeon,
Ssth Virginia regiment; VIM. q. Smith, A..
:istant Surscon, Ssih yireanie regiment; =:
w. West, Briyadisr- General, 7lst brigade
Virginia Militia; Benz. T. Guntsr, Colonel,
I'd regiment Virginia Militia; VIM. p. Gus
ris, observation-disclosures I'd regiment Vir.
ginia Militia; Eugene ]. W. Read, Major,
I'd regiment Virginia Militia; Philip A. Fits.
hugh, Aid dc Camp to Brigadier- REM ral;
John g. Aarmaneur, Surgeon, I'd regiment
Virginia Militia.
A retreat was accordingly ordered that
Of the small arms and aocoutrsasnts. were
carried to q vessel (the only one avaiiablel
In PunEoteaque creek, and ordered to bo put
on DSa1o; 9 9Ss. owins to very high Wind
bic to ship them for two days. BY that time
the enemy had invaded Accomac, the block.
ads in tho Chesapeake at the outlets Of all
the creeks was made elective, and the hope
Of thus saving the guns was abandoned.-
Many Of the small arms and accoutrements
were either buried or destroyed to prevent
them nom falling in to the hands Of the on
emy. All who could Of the men add Of.
hcers, procured small open boats, and
crossed the Chesapeake ct night, through
the ensmy's blockade. Thirty of1csrs and
about one hundred and nfty Prtvates have
Many more are anxious to come, but they are
now strictly watched. Butte even nsw q boat
load escapes from time to time. Those that
Q6VoI0mol ueO nave Ocou t680U una 0okQ oy
Brigadier General Lockwood a. "prissnsrs
OF war" Why cannot our Government OK.
change for thsmi
have thus endsavoIed, briefly as possible,
to narrate the facts concerning the retreat of
our forces ON the Eastern Shore Of Virginia.-
Those who have escaped, have ssxtfesd eo~y.
thing on earth for their country, and are now
ready and willing to sacrifice asety Heas, II me-
cessary. This force was organized ON the
Eastern Shore for the purpose Of protecting
the property Of our citizens In that section
Of our Oonfederacy from 1rsxdinE erpedi.
tioxs Of the enemy; but We knew At the same
time that IL the Federal Government saw
ment In order to show the state Of feeling
existing at the time Of our retreat among the
citizens Of that section, here annex . paper
which was handed me ON Thursday, the l1th
inst, signed BY tDsntv- ons OF the most promi.
nsut citizens Of Accomac:
"The undersigned, citizens Of the county
Of Accomac, believing that they are acQuaint.
Cd with the feelings and wishes Of . large
portion Of our fe'low-citi1Aus In the present
emergency, would respectfully make TO Col.
smith, and others In military auth ority, the
following statement:
ssUonnding in the military TO do all in their
power for tho defen % Of the shole, and not
Wishiag to interfere In the least with their
province, yet - citizens they cannot b blind
want Of ssnacient munitions Of waE may
render the military entirely poWefleO to
afford NJ adequate protection. In the event
NJ such Q contingency arising, and OF the
olYering Of any farms on the part CT the
enemy which can b acceded 70 with honor,
and thereby. sangnin:ry and useless
oonao. s.oidsa: We is:i =. s.saors::d in
ma acceptance Of such terms would meet
-ith our appro baton and that Of our citizens