The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-02-13
LANCASTER, OHIO, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 49, 1862.

"Col. Battles regiment was thrown out
as picket'guard in front of the forti6ca-
tionS whilo the retreat Of :he other regi-
ments was made, They we're ordered by
Critlenden 10 halt within four miles Of
Monticello, ard form line Of battle. to
draw on the enemy for another fight
The regiments halted at Mrs. ROBBERS, al
the point designated, and a consultation
vas he'd by the officers. . a'.a ''
o"When the officers gathered for con.
sultation, Col. Battle revealed the con
tents Of tho papers which had been ex.
tracted from the body ofs negro man who
was shot while attempting 10 cross the
river 10 the eneEy, on Saturday night, at
about lO4 o'clock. Mr. Smith, our in
formant. was one of the persons who cap
tured the negro. The story runs thus;
"a Capt. West. Union man, lives
near the encampment. A Dum5et of the
members of Duucah's company had been
having their washing done at Vests. On
Saturday, prior to the battle, Gen. Crit
tenden dined with West. He gave ia
West some papers, which were to be trans.
mitted across the liver, bya negro, to
the Northern army A negro. Elizabeth
in the afternoon. told The negro girl at
tached TO Duncan's company, that a Ger.
tain negro Calling him by name of hel
Mr., was to 20 beyond the river that nigh
with papers to the northern army. The
intelligence was conveyed to the member:
ol Dupcan's company, who at first disre
gardsd the report, attaching no lmpor
lance to it. But the report was empha
sized by the two negroes (the girl Of Capt
West and the negro Of the company Wis
iting the camp together and reporting it
whereupon eight men (among item W
e. Smith) were sent toward the river BY
Capt. Duncan, Duncan going himself il
search OF the negro. These menhad pro
ceeded about four and half miles whet
they met maL driving cattle, who in
form ed them of tie direction in which h,
had seen the negro travelling. The mel
FASTENED to within half mile below Sta
gals ferry, reaching there about 7 P. NJ
They saw the negro in canoe about hal
way across the river They called TO hin
to stop; but he went on. when four of lh
men fred upon him, killing him in tn
canoe. They then felled log into tn
river, somewhat above, which was strad
died by three, which with their hand
they padded into the middle of the rive
10 the canoe. They extracted from tn
person of the negro, papers which. upol
returning to camp, they delivered I
Col. Battle. 1t was between III and
o'clock VIXEN the papers were delivered
Col. Battle, who had his command NOV
ing under the order TO march against tn
enemy. lie was unable, consequently
to examine the pagers until after the who
battle had occurred. The papers wei
examined early Monday morning. an
were exposed before the officers in the
consultation at Mrs, Roberts, in for
: miles of Monticello, where they had bee
2 ordered by Crittenden to halt.
"When the consultation Of the Office
: was being held, Crilteuden rode off hast
T ly TO Monticello. Col Battle told Il
: brigade that they had teen sold TT
e regiments then proceeded 20 Monticell
e and, upon Il cir arrival, Gen. Crittendt
= was found at the Houston Hotel, in h
y he'd, deeply intoxicated, He was INN
II diately arrested. and is now a prisoner
i war, held by Coils. Stanton, Battle, Si'
: ham and Newman, The papers discove
e ed are said to reveal the character of o
Notifications at Mill Spring, the numb
OF OUT troops, and the amour, OF prov
ion on hand, DC.