New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-16
2gEsK sEgrY,-csrs NEAR ZCREC, VA.
BriI,;an, Corduct of Oar Forces-Prison-

brilliant (oEauCt OF our HofctS-Tris""-
e-s Tahcn-Tse5elS KILLED and Wounded.
From. Our Special Correspondent
WrSD.on Va. Dec. IL 1862.
Fosters and Ferry's trigades, small but elective
portion of peeks division, have this day had live
" encounter with the Rebels Of the Blacwater, and
I write YOU the facts from their biyouac tonight
lust an have them from my own observation, and
The statemen,s e tie officers in conmand.
| saw the column when. il moved from Suffolk IL
the following order: 39ih H., Lieut.-Col Maani
cd Ohio, Leut.-Col, Steele; 5Sth Pa, Col. Jore.,
| 9th Ohio Col. yosis, ia Ferry's brigade; aud the
18th Ind, Lieut.-Col. Dobbs; 9Th Mass, Col Fol-
laushee. and ll2th n. Y, Col. Drafe. A section Of
Follets battery and q small detachment Of the ll;h
Pa. Cavalry were with the expedition, and all Of
Howard's battery, and Of Dodge's N. Y. lst)
Mounted Rifles. The forces We're afterwards cisi
posed Of ia different order, so that tho Provisional
Brigade, under command of Cot. Foster OF the 18th
Indiana, Acting. brig. Gen., took the advance.
Tie march continued during the afternoon and al
night and at sunrise next morning The enemy's
pckets were encountered. IGey We're posted III q
rifle pit, with perforated Oreastw0TA, with sunken
avenue leading to cover, go that they were entirely
protected.
Ferrys BRIGADE was posted in the woods a mile or
two 10 the rear, AMI Fosters to06 the front. IL
was at first hoped that our cavalry might dash
I
infantry soldier was placed behind each Of The cav
airy Tor that purpose but, az usual, the lord wss
found DESTROY ed All the olly crossing places were
some twelve feet deep. The 18Th indiana imEeiI"
sioy engaged the enemy, and Howaris Battery
commenced sLelug the opposite slde OF tho uyer,
ith the expectation of drawing out artillery, bus
noue replied i re Oh Massachusetts was placed In
support Of lie battery,
Aner firing awhile, It was judged that the force
/ OF tho enemy was small, aua while Company !, OK
] s.st A..ri..s nod o., fr.t n
enemys fire, and direct bis attention, TWO COM
pali.s OF tire Inlnna 18th, under Capt. Gent,
c,ostei a short distance below, aud with those
cheers that the diana boys have gwen Oh so many
fields they charged bayOnets on the enemy worA5.
lie force remaining surrendered ~ discretion. 10
consisted OF Captgin, and some twelve men, Capt.
: kes of .he ,th Confederate Georgia. cavalry.
Three or four were killed or mortally wounded
The force Of the eaemy, though small, was skill.
fay posted, well armed Ald ionsat with great
bravery.
HGnlly lad our force recrossed, whom artillery
opened upon us, and lively Smelling of the woods
followed aud several well-crected shots we're fired,
which killed some horses wounded seversl men, and
in numerous instances gave u very close escapes.
We lost Lieu. a.. &. Barr INSTANTLY killedl 9th
Massachusetts; one from the llth Pennsylvania
Cavalry, and elk more or less wounded in the lss
New-lork MouDted Rlhes-Loai5 Hare New-YorE
Cuy; Sergeant Pinder, Troop 9; Frank Broscbardt,
Troop b; - Donaldson, Battery Troop, and two
Otnels; ana haflleOA NICE .ulsl, COMPANY ID leo"
yerey wounded, and ). Wetor lalghtlyl, OF Com.
pany +. 18Th IndIsna.
We carried with MS pon'oon train, but 1t ws2
not used; aud after siiencIng the enemys battery We
returned. During TUE engage melt we had force
shelhng him, about two miles up the ryer, and an.
other at Franklin, whose canuonadiog we beard
mingled With the sound OF our own.
The Rebels herea6out have very heavy artillery
mounted on platform cars, which they run wnI
great rapidly, and use with great power ana sc-
curacy OF ann. We hope some fac morning to inans
pce eatters 40 that we shall run It OF the track.
We could essily have crossed on urpontoons, and
have driven, aad perhaps captured the bat
terry in question but not being quite ready to go to
ariss in tie mill, the grinding OF which nus. first
4e performed, we concluded 20 return, having ac-
compished our chief pnrpose-that is, such Is thu
shrewd guess Of your correspondents SoJoURsER.