The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-05-07
The Stampede at Bridgeport,

Mr. towies, who returned TO haeon from
Cha.ianooga yesterday. gives Q oepioraola
aSeoua: .. ths Coalecetaae STAN jed a.
bridgeport. BY which mGss I'M por tuht ,.r.
way 'o Georgia was opened to Tho enemy
ahd she possess Ion Of all cur Ti,h mineral dc
pos's OF cosi. iron, and saltretrs plac=d il IN
m1nSnt iL&eT.
a guard Of about 800 men had been placed
by General Asadbetter on lhs western sua
OF me bridges a. Bridgeport. Thee are TWO
IN NUMBER, resting tor their yermiui upon
un island In tn. middle of tas river, and
distant about thirty miles from hattanonea
On TUESDAY laat word was brought to Csea
LcadDet.cr ct Chattao0CgI, HAT ;ha eIe1nY
Vas advancing and hal Cfi q. =, iAe biCba !.
o: the guard stationed q. lac pr.dses &c
coioinSiy, ten l.. siarget for tEs scene OF
&cloh "ith a special ain, .aking .y;ta MIN
relntorc.mentS to henunlber OF 500 men
Sopn Gisai hisarr1val the enemy approach i ed
70 the AuMb>r, as was sapposso, OF zen to III
sesn hundred, ard opened fire upon oar inen
n Los "a nt stampeds followed, in x hich Gen.
Leadhelter led better than any oodj else, &C
cordiIx 10 the accounts we have reg eiyed Ee
TOOK to the cara he had bro u sht up with him
put out. and never s.opred ill ne renched
Chattanooga. ali the Officers, with one ex-
ceptlon, so far Us We have learned, did the
same. The men followed il double. quick
throWiNg 6 away their arms and Announcements
as they ran. Bus q Captain Gain remained
"shiEd, approached the eastern bridge. and
crepS un eE it to shelter himself from 1he
enemy's fire. and there whiting shaviugs
from the timber, kind!ed 3 fire with some
matches he happened to have iI has pocket,
and never lett his position Till the siTuoiuIe
was too fsr In flames 20 be saved.
Meantime, wheE General Lesdbe.ter b ID
arrived IL CHAT ncosa, & General ReynoI6s
and Major from Virginia game no; recoi.
lacted) took the tain ind ran b., K to Bridge
port, meeting many streggs-rs on the " ay,
and sathei ed the arms and aeooutrrmea,s
1h;ch hnd been thrown aside. Thoy collect.
ed some four or Ave hundI ed nuskets and q
corIesY onding number CT knlpsacks, car.
fridge boxes, blankets, &c, and finding the
bridge burnt, the Cor feisrats force al dis.
persed, and no Immediate likelihood OF the
en=my's crossing, returned 10 ChattanOoRa
with what they aad saved.
Tha only loss Of life in this "blilliant af.
fair y was said to have been occasioned by a
novel experiment. in guRIs.y. Some CT our
a hand car, and in the act OF letting it down
the grade towards the bridge, The concern be
came eunmaIageEbie. ran CT the track. killed
two Confedei ate soldiers, and severely wouni.
ed two more
The etragglers were daily coming in, and
say they ran bacause the otiicers ali ran, and
left NOT ody to take command
Gen. Reynolds was by Last accounts trying
to gat up volunteer force to offend the
passes this side Of the bridge, wLicn, 1t Is
said, could be easily defended by d en- Ii force
mayor Smith, OF Chattanooga, had Deen teie-
graz hing about. In the vain hope OF arousing
the attention OF the Confederate a ers N
that region to the lmpor tance OF defeIdingis
We tell this stocy as it VT told to us, By
one who had the empiest opportunities OF
getting u. the truth. ]. is G record OF shame,
unless our informant was altogether m SLED
In the facts. We learned by private tels gra m
yeeterday that the enemy have now Isses.
sion OF both sides Of the Iivsr at Bridgeport
Macon Telegraph.