, 1862-01-01

Floydes Campaign In Western Etr-
&1nfa---Cowardfce of the T1ievfns
Traitor.
EFror, the Richmond Wing, Dec. s3]
General Floyd's retreat from Cotton Hill
having been referred to by his friends as q
invite attention to the following letter. It
gives, we doubt not, an honest and truthful
It's well rs detailed account Of the most dis
graceful rout that our armies have suffered
during tic var: This unfortunate affair celips-
es al the rising Etmc of General Floyd, and
ends tie ll1-Gltcd ca1upai!l III Western Viz
ginia in blaze Of glory for the Yankees.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Whig.1
CAar cASTosMEST VEREsA, Dec 10. 1861.
Perhaps you Lave not had q correct detailed
account OF Gen. Eloyd's retreat from Cotton
Hill, although you may hare heard various
accounts about it. I was at Meadow Bluff at
tke time of the retreat, but soon after left
ego, and have carefully taken notes from ac-
counts Of the retreat furnished me by various
officers It is another dark shadow In the
camFaign Of Western Virginia It is an event
That :5l'ts encouragement and emboldens the
1lc11,y on ell sides.
strong demonstrations, near Cotton Hill, Of an
attack on the next day, and Gen. Floyd or
dtTcd tho army to fall back three miles, to
pickinson's cneampment, where the fortiica-
tions were. Next morning it WAS reported
that The enemy were advancing to Faye.tc-
round our brigade. This news caused
Gen. Floyd to order 4 retreat, which took
place about s O'Clock ut night, when
| the brigade retreatcl back 10 Fayetteville, two
and :. lar miles, and halted TO guard the road
which the enemy were expected TO come i'll to
attempt 10 cut Of our retreat Here the brig
adc rt1''ained until just daylight, without
shelter, victuals or repose, when they were or
dcrcd to continuc their retreat. This was on
The morning OF the 18th, when the report that
the enemy was marching to Fayetteville to
| cut off our retrcat provcdssto he 1tlsc, Us the
llar. The brigade continued its retreat
| ten nlilts OIL tho 18TH, and halted ut
Camp Mccoy for the night. During the whole
Of the retreat, t..Es fir, there Was great deal
Of excitement, fear, and especially loss Of bag
e:ee. p1optrty and provisions; and On the
| night ofilc lltli, they burned abont 800 tents,
| several bales oincw blankets and overcoats,
! and II number of mess chests, camp euuipaye
| Of NIL kinds, and fur barrels were burst, con
tents scattered on the ground, and all kinds oi
provisions wasted and scattered, all to pre-.
vent the enemy from getting them. Wagon
ers were compelled to take the horses from
| the wagons, mount them, md fly for safety,
leaving about fifteen wagons In the hands o1
| the enemy.
On .hc morning Of the 18th the brigade took
| W aIS14 4IDM AIsauiP H1ENDT. anu UlG
gono hut two miles when it WAS reported
that the enemy wcre near and rushing on the
! brigade. At this the cavalry under Col Gro
| ghan were ordered back TO scout tho country
and ascertain the encmy's distance. When they
had gone back two miles they met the cnclny's
men 10 dismount, though he did not, when tht
piesctof the enemy fired on lin and ht
fell MORALLY wounded. His men took him up
and carried him some two hundred yards to
house, whtn they discovered that the enemy
WHO were formed into Y, to tlank our caYal
r, and the signal to close in was the fire 0
the pickets in the road who had killed the col
onel-wcrc closing in, and the colonel tol<
iEt III to ily and save themselves, for he VIA
dying. At the moment those who were will
the colonel discovered that their horses hat
been taken by the Yankee pickets, who hat
rushed upon tlcm, they turned and He'd AMI
the whole cavalry came with five minutes 0
all being cut off and captured.
! The cavalry then all swept on abreast IN
til they c;Nlc up with the rc=lT Of our infantry
aEd proclaimed that the enemy were pursuing
jn double-quick tune. Then appeared i seen
in our army indescribab1c, and Of terrific con
fusion. At the word the enemy arc pursuing
oil broke of in j wild run, some so frightene,
that they threw away their knapsacks, aud al
they lad, hut gun and knife to defend them
stltes with. Il required great effort upon til
I l'at II the officers, who were cool, to preveu
perfect ruut- The enemy seemed to l,av
thu advantage. and pursued faster than our me
cou1aErct,cat, and came upon them even wit
| the cannon aud fired six shots upon the rca
Of the brigade. The road was SO bad all
muddy that the brigade could not march NOR
than miles 81 day, There had been SO muc
rain and TaEoniDg along the road that it wa
perfect niirt, about half Icy drep, aud all ha
10 wade right through it,
After this day tile brigade continued its Fl
treat on towards Packs Ferry, hut with
great drsl Of toll aud difficulty, and finally e1
cumpcd here on The Path Of November, Til
t,Hcam}mcnt is near Peterstown, in the scut
edge OF Monroe county, and it is expectc
that the brigade will winter near here
W. L. B.,
Dalton Guard, Phillips Legion.
Deserves r Erfgadiershfp.
| from Tho LcaycilWutth Conservative 9th
:, t II We could elect our generals, and til
: I question were to-day Submitted to the pcopl
! | Col. Jennison would receive the unanirnor
vote Of the people Of Kansas. Mention tt
nan.e Of Jcnni-an and NIL loyal n1yn excl.in
. 'Hc is the nan for u.s. They say SO bccau:
l:e is efficient, energetic, fearless, eifec,iy
Whers. he ma.cli..e, victory follows, and tre
son is killed. HI las the full confidence
= soldiers and citizens, and ias guined suecc
| by tt6tTJjhr it