, 1862-01-31
Tbe Ttihuttr,
FRIDAY, JANUARY 81, 1862.
THE LATE SKIHmTSH AT RsTFT-
ON THE UPPER POTOMAC.
Official Report OF Major Mann, Of the
IAtcs PhalauI.

We lave published brief newspaper &C.
counts of the sklr1nish near BATH, on the
Upper Potomac, III which detachment Of the
:?th Illinois Regiment was repulscd and some
OF its men taken prisoners, but for the sake of
correcting inaccuracies, and as a matter that
viii interest the friends Of the cgimcRt in
Northern Illinois, we give the official report
Of Major Q. L. Mann, with copy Of which
VIC have been furnished by that officer. The
report is as follows:
THOMAS @. OSBORN. Licut CI. Connau1iug,
:>AM Regiment III. Ttls.:
Sill have the honor 10 submit to you, at
Your request, the following report I Should
have made it earlier, but for the pressu1c Of
more nnI 'oriant duties.
ui.. ing your order, took possession Of
ti, ,;lllYe Of Bath, Morgan county, Va, about
the 10th of December I had under ny com
nland Companies D, I and X Of our regiment,
and few days litter Lieut.. E. D. AIuhlenberg,
OF Capt. Bcst's battery, reported to me with
two pieces Of artillery, They were planted on
Warm Spring Ridge, in position, to conl-
Bath. Nothing unusual occurred until the
ID IF JANUARY, when vague rumors Of an
approaching enemy reached me. at once
seut parties to reconnoiter, but nothing was
discovered that substaltiatcd the report until
!uC altIHGUH ol lnc Ja. AT LtlaL LlEne
I detailed Captain Linton with thi1ty Of his
best shots and five mounted cavalry men from
Captain RnsselTs Company, and Lieutenant
Belcler, al=o mounted, from Campany E, to
niake.a reconnaissance with me in the direction
Of the new grade leading to Winchester. We
had proceeded but about three miles when
NC discovered squad Of the rebels cavalry.
They soon halted near the advance line Of their
approaching. force, which have learned from
several different and thoroughly reliable
sources, numbered not less than eight
cen thousand, Including one regiment
Of cavalry and twenty-five pieces, of
artillery. Il brisk engagement ensucd be-
tween our men and t1tetn OF twenty rebel
cavalry and about one hundred and fifty in
faltry. Discovering the great odds against us,
l ordered retreat, which the most Of our
1ncr accomplished under great difficulties, but
with much credit TO themselves and disap-
pointment to the enemy. Lieut.. Belcher, tie
five cavalryn.en and several Of our infantry,
rctrtatcl under q yolley OF not less than i
hundred guns from the enemy, that evidently
tried 10 cut OIL our retreat: and, strange to
say, no harm Was done except one Horse
wounded.
We lost in the sEirinish eight Of Captain
Linton's mcn, who have since learned, were
taken prisoners, and three others were wound
ed am crcdib!y informed that We killed iyc
Of the enemy, including one First Lieutenant,
and wounded nine.
can uut speak in high terms Of comme1,d:,-
ton Of Ill engaged with me in the skirnlish.
Our position was ut one time critical one,
and nothing but consideration and courage
saved us from falling victims to rebel lead, o.
biting booked for Richmond.
Returning TO Bath, strengthened nv plcke!
guard and applied to you for rcinforcelnents
At midnight til" Pennsylvania 4t1, Col. Muir
ray commanding, and i portion Of Captain
Russelrs cavalry company arrived.
We al left the village about o'clock 4. ~
and took onr position On Warm Spring Ridge
near OF r artillery.
right, early III the morning, and from that
time until Col Murray ordered retreat,
brisk shiS1ni=llng tire was KEEP. up by drtach
cd companies Of tile Pennsylvania S4th AMI
porto n5 of our companies. But SO perfte
was our position Of defence that noue OF oul
f'rccs we're killed, while tho enemy must have
lost rs r1any as fifty Or scycntJ-iyc. Tic gun:
with which the Pennsylvania 34tA were armed
were new, and lnany Of theu were at first very
inefficient, otherwise still more destruction
would doubtless have bccn dealt out to tht
| enemy.
| lis artillery, enabling lis to hold the enemy Il
| hay lnuch longer than We otherwise eoult
| lave done, while lie cavalry was very eticicu
| in scouting and attending to picket duty,
| Late i'll The afternoon the enemy appcaree
| in full torcc from several directions, with can
non ara afl11l"TE Col Murray, 1elFlD9 VI
! should not be able to hold the place durin!
the hight against the heavy force that oppose,
| US, orlcrrda retreat via Sir Johns Run. Nca
| the Potomac We met the 18th Indiana Rcgi
ment, which we had been assured would rcacl
| us at = . clock A. NJ. To return cud attcln1,
regain our position was deemed hazardous
Tic companies Of the s9th, with artillery an'
train WI Sons, therefore rctrcatcd across tt,
| Potomac, i'll as guod order us could be expect
| ed, with no means of 1errla5e ut our disposal
| the Sith passing down tie railroad to Alpine
! ] deeply re=rct the loss Of our brave boy
whom the enemy captured, but notwithstand
| lns. this I regard our skirinish on the cvenin
| Of The 3rd : very fortunate affair. 1t cyideutl
| thwartcd tile plans Of the enemy, which wcl
| to surround us under the cover Of night an
| take us :ll1 prisoners.
| have the honor, sir, to remain,
Yours, very, truly,