, 1862-03-15
The Battle of prainesville.

The following are particulars of the recent bat
tie at Dranesville Va;
For some days previous to the battle about 100
of the enemys cavalry had been in the habit of
coming down to Drainesville and foraging between
there and the Potomac. Gen. Mccall determined
to attempt their capture, and on Friday morning
at early hour issued an order for the Sd Brigade,
consisting of four regiments, commanded by Gen.
Ord, to proceed to Dranesvile for that purpose
and to forage. Forty or fifty wagons were taken
along. The whole line, except one regiment had
passed wood on rising ground near Dranesville,
to the left of Leesburg turnpike, when the skir-
mishers of the 9th Regiment were fred upon by
rebels lying in ambush. The 1st Rifles returned
fire, and after two or three rounds a concealed
battery opened on the rifles, but with little effect
the balls going over their heads and falling into
low place in the rear.
General Ord Immediately posted his men in line
of battle, ard Capt. Eastons battery opened a
most destructive fire on the concealed enemy
The position of the enemy's battery could not be
ascertained except by the smoke from the dis
charges, at which Captain EastOn fred so rounds,
three only of his guns being in action The fourth
had been placed in another position, and was not
operated during the fight. On the third round a
shell from one of the howitzers burst Immediately
in the enemy's battery, killing several men and
horses and disabling one, if not two of their guns.
After the battle, evidences were that the en-
emy's magazine had been exploded, and it is
thought that was the effect of the SHE'LL
After Capt. Eastons battery had fired about 60
rounds, Gen. Mccall ordered the firing to cease.
for the purpose of making an advance The force
of tie enemy at this time unknown, as they
were all concealed from view by thicket, in which
they were sheltered, and which they did not leave
during the fight. Gen. Mccall, who had come
early il the fight, placing his whole force in posi-
ton for a charge, himself and Gen. Ord leading
the assault. 1t was gallant and brilliant charge,
and was perfectly successful in routing the enemy
who fled precipitatsly, spurred by a calling fire
from the Pennsl lvania reserves, and leaving the
field strewn with the dead and wounded. A panic
seized the rebels, the men throwing away their
blankets, knapsacks, overcoats and arms of every
description, and even the officers throwing away
their swords and revogers, and in some instances
their coats. In the meantime the wagons were
loaded up with the forage which the enemy had
deserted, consisting of II wagon-loads OF hay and
% loads of corn in the ear The arms, and cloth
ing, and accoutermen:s thrown away by the enemy
were sficent to have loaded all these wagons,
and more, but the things were so scattered thatt
was impossible for our soldiers to gather them up
in time to return to their camp.
In addition to from 40 to 10 dead bodies left on
the field, there were numerous pools of blood
where the rebels had been posted showing that in
their flight they had taken with them what dead
or wounded they could carry off. The highest es-
innate of the killed and wounded which has been
made is l5O but the probabilities are that the rebel
loss was much greater. The victory on the part of
our troops is considered the more brilliant as they
had never before been in any action. They have
been highly complimented both by Maj. Gen.
Mcclellan and Gen. Mccall,