The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-01-28
PROM KExp0KY.
y.unby.y Marshaifs victsry In Ken.
,.ctv-A Clear stassmens sf Facts--In.
..,..,irs Details Written BY an Eye.
,r,,.ess and Partici pant In the CsHiict.

r,. following brief and clear narrative OF
,s,. i'm ror,an, conflict Is furnished az by a
".r,,r,nant in the affair. Its truthfulness Il
y. srsa,est Recommendation, but its particu.
interest to Virginia reader lies in the
nn,orsnIe men tion made OF one Of our own
regiments
! q. news from the State OF Kentucky is hailed
/ with great interestby your nun erops read.
| srs. have thought proper TO give~you q
short account of the movements OF Gen
Marshall from the eth 10 the 10Th Of Jan.
aary
Gen Marshall had taken a position and
tor:ted himself some three miles above
Paintsyiile, on the river. But after learning
Tie movements of the enemy, he thought
best 10 fall back SO as to prevent the enemy
tfom cutting on his supplies and getting In
his rear. Hence we slowly began our retro
grade movements, noticing the .nemy, until
on the night OF the 9th we rested at the foot
0! the mountsin, some four miles west of
Prestonsburg. During the night Of the 9th
We learned that the ent my, In large number
was moving towards us from the direction
of PrestoDsburg.
On the morning of the 10th we took our
Iile of march in the direction of the Cross
Roads, three miles west OF Prestonsburg,
son learning that the position would be dis
puted by the enemy.
ON arriving at the Cross Roads. we learned
hist the enemy, 5000 or 5000 strong, had
ilken his position about three quarters Of q
mile below the Gross Roads. Two regime n Is
and some cavalry, as reserve, had taken
their position at the foot Of the hill to our
font and left, while the main body Of the
enemy was formed into line Of battle at the
foot Of toe hill, to our front and right, await
lag our approach. xA
pieces in number, to the right Of the Cross
Koads, and Col. Trigg's oath Virginia regi.
ment, In the rear to protectit. Our cavalry
were placed to our left, across the creek, in
the wood. Col. A. q. Moore's goth virginia
regiment was posted TO the front and right
Of the artillery, on the brow of the hill, at
whose base the enemy had his line Of battle.
Col. Wiiliams's Kentucky regiment was
placed On the same hill, protec ting the right
OF Col. Moore's regiment.
Thus posted. the two armies for a momen t.
in silence gazed on each other. What a con.
trast they presented The enemy looked
grand and imposing, com pletely equipped and
neatly dressed. Our line was small, and
seemingly of little firmness. when com pared
with the enemy. Badly equipped and uni.
formed, and well nigh exhausted by long and
heavy marches through the mud and rain,
living on less than half rations for the last
few weeks. But we feared them not, and
were anxious to try them.
But the time to view the enemy was Of
short duration, for soon the boom of our ar
ullsry announced to us that the battle had
began, and then the kissing OF the ball An d
cracking OF the brush over our heads told Us
that the hottest of the conflict would fail on
| Col. Moore's 29th Virginia Regiment; but
| our boys were calm and ready.
| For TWO long hours the enemy poured upon
Coils Moore and Williams's . regiments a per-
feet storm OF ball, which our boys received
sth coldness, and responded to with such
terrible fires that the enemy began to stagger
| from the effects. Just at this point, Colonel
| Moore ordered his regiment TO charge, lead.
Ing it in person. With such firmness was the
charge made that the enemy broke at our
anh nu,s ,tI@ NJ
from his position, we were cross-fred from
the right and left with deadly effect, supposed
partly to have been done by our own men
through mistake. At the same time come
iall back to our old position. Thus, IL an
instant, we lost all We had gained in two
long hours OF hard fighting. In the charge
we lest hye or six Of Qur brave boys
On reachiDg tue prov Of the hill, we gSve
shout Tor JEFF Davis. resolving to have the
1eia OF die. again we opened fires with
doubis energy Now the battle ragged along
tine "hoie brow Of the hill. Col. Williams
iousu' aant hae hig Iser Twice the enemy tried
Inc cavalry having dismoun ted poured a
dfeadlui and destructive fire into the right
iisl nank OF the insolent foe. The artillery Wa.
ing shot and shell with fa tai effect. Colone
iGgg regiment was called forward to re
iuioree Colonel Moore; but, before they coule
fsach their position, a victory was proclaim
w ~ lawn VI Jcu DdvlS. Inc onomV 6 gum
were silenced, and, as Soon as the YANKEES
could get of the field, we were left its pos
SCISSORS
hac not night been on us the rout woul(
nave been made complete but the day wa.
gone, We tired and hungry, eight miles frcn
our camp, thought best to gather up our deas
anu wounded and seek rest for our bodies
much might be said of individual acts O.
bravery out time will not permit. All die
sheir outy. Most of our troops had never
,s psi2fe seen battle field yet they Tough
WIN WIN the courage and boldness which char
m!eiizes ,r!4 the people which they represent
WIN united effort they completely whipped
s.s ioe numerically five times stronger thar
themselves.
.oi A. q. Moore's Goth Va. regiment Dor,
.at .ae neat OF the day. He was under the mos
eilihc IRE for more than four cOnsecutly,
aoaIs yet his ranks never staggered. ON,
ooionels, Moore an0 Leigh, were CONSTANTS
a. lne head of their column, cheering theil
men and directing their fire
- Inc sloomiest part OF the day was afte
W .ne enemy had left the field. The shrieks O
sne wounded and dying were truly heart
our loss is five killed and four wounded IL
ul. .noores regiment and four killed an,
T,e T wounded in Col. Williams's regiment
ae ehemy's is from 400 to 600 killed, an,
aoout the same number wounded.