Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-02-04
Operations of Capt. George Downs in Wes-
tern Virginia.

Wig we copy the following interesting account
of Captain George Downs and mis- men ia IVES.
tsrn Virginia: K 81 T. =
The first rendezvous of this company was at
Spencer, the county seat of Roane county, and
here they had their tirstight Capt Downs
had 3ifinea ia his command aud CsptainF HeU-
chin, of Writ county, another partisan header,
had 80 men, snd The Yankees had so nlen. After
lighting nearly sA day, killing six arid wouraine
nine OF the Yankees, Ospt. Downs went fnto the
enemy wfSA y ase OF truce, and written aSree-j
neut was entered into with TIE Ysnkee Ooha-,
lnsoden tAst no sFrests OF persons ntestskeiue
Southern sentiments should be Fnssa saa ehas
no property sAesAS be aaolestee OK Destroyed
The Csptssn ceARlsnd Sc fsged no essas ssss 10
this ensaxsneas which book place u the early
part OF JAY. ss.G : .aet .3GvG 5oI
The second engagement occurred at the ssme
place, shortly afterwards, in, the early part of
Angus, tue, Y snksss having broken the compact.
The enemy we're 1850 strong, and hadlfSrtifedI and
men, Ospt. James Smith, Of Sandy Jackson
county, with 40 men, and Capt. Robert Irwin, of
Roans county, with. 81 men, beseigsd the place
Tor nine days snd nights, hoping tO istarve them
out and tofeeSa Surrender. On the 9Th day OF
tire siege, Dan Frost, Qate member. u the House
of De, egates, from jackson county, attempted
to reinforce the Yankees, from Rsyenswood,
with same Union men. He was pursued nearly
to the Ohio river by Capt. Smith, and part of
Downs men. But this pursuit having With
drawn a part of the besiegns force, the enemy
succeeded ia going out and driving in some heel
esitle, auder the noyerof night. This, of course,
defeated the objecsof Capt. Downs sud he, was
compelled 10 abandon the siege. 10 this sation
fifteen or q xteen Yankees were killed aud nine
wounded Irwin had one man killed and one
wounded; Downs had two men wounded. 4! .
The third 1epgageinet took piaee at the il eek
of Big Bend In Calhoun county, on Little Kan
swha river. TIE Yankees 500 tstrong, under
command of Col. Tho pson, had started 70 come
down TO CsPt Dawps' place TOR bfealslutfs, and
the OaPtsin, hayit9 heard Of their advance, gath
cred twepty-ceytno OF lis men and plscs d tiefn
on the side of be IOa., whese i.i makes a bend
similar in shape to mans elbow, and wien the
enemy caf,fe within about I'll. cen PAGES, lie gave
TIE Command To fire, which vas duly execnted
and his men then fell fiat ON the ground. This
fire resulted: ia ng fourteen and wountlipe
seven Yankees. The enemy returned the fire.
but itsIiassed over tile Oaptaus men,. doing 10
Injury and they then re.reatetl During the q
treat. young mannained franklin Bennett be-
came separated IRON the rest of The 10, CO. and
stumbled among tie enemy, a, G as lie came up.
with them exclaimed, sits all right. 4boyg.p-
They immediately arrested hun, and shot!.hi
through the head, flowing out his b. aims and
left him in the road. This Wassehout dag.Ireak
and at about 10 O'Clock, a. II :, they :returfed
AID found hin sti1 living, and shot him three or
~ four times again.-The next day the Y ankee
Colonel divided his free into sdhads of tift5
saness aad sent them intotbe woods 10 search nf
Capt Downs and his Inen, aud t5Id he Oaptain,s
brether that he would have him or spend a
u mouth in the search D. WIS also divided his
$ men in small sqhsds. and they had running;
tight OF six days, which resulted 70 killing forty
three and ~ouldit.g a rop6ftiohate nuEnbsf of
4, the Yankees. Downs lost only the one man.
q IBernettg During this running fight the enemy
% came TO the house ot man rafned JoIu Brown,
i q true Sonth7rn man, who wssl not engaged In
the light, cut had hid from the 7 Yankees They
j told Ills Vile to g05 OFT and bring him in and
gave her g. written agreement that he should not
o be liarmesi.o Acting Under This slocullent she
r went ont and brought ahiiA in. Thsy took him
out some fifty cards. from his house aud made
IS Lila kneei by log sDd shot HIM. They next
surrounded q house OF a Mr.. Wright, whose son.
q had sbont fourteen ye.rs, of age, and who had
! as yer before seep Yatkee soldier. was greatly
frightened, and secree9 himsslfih the loft of The
- honse.ie A u ankee ,Lieatenant, McCiaskie OF
u 1sitohe county, lowed up the ladder leading
70 the loft aud Shot, linn, notwithstanding the
boy b Sgel and promised to Go any thing if they
.5woold spare him. this Wresch was afefwar.i s
SHOT ant fingered two days. Before his death he
Tor children III Calhopp county, but TO Kill all the
sSeneshZ breed. This was on the 23d of August.
= II Ia The early part OF sapfepbers al High Lock
Bridge, in WHIT county, another small skirnSh
occurred yaCant HilI1hsdlao force OF about 80
met at Burning Sprngsa High Lock Bridge is
aboutfopr miles below Burning SpriDgs. The
Yankees lad arrested Ned Hopkins, prominent
% fSouthein man, whom they " ere taking to Eliza
:. BETH Downs men fred upon them, wouRding
ttwos Hp,hins said he fell TO the ground, AID be
id thinks every one of the Yankees ran over him.
Tie next night they evacuated Barnipg Springs
=, =, cd fell back to Elizabeth Downs followed
HOPING TO lecoy them to the main hodb of his
40 force at the first fire ~ bis men FIVE of them
fell, and they tier hopsed up, and, having some
Prisoners, followed q, ross tie liver to Downs,
. that If he id not cease firing on than they
would 'hoot their prisoners. DowDso then re-
:, tpred 10 hs camp: and tire way had to pass
q the house OF a man naiaed MeFee where he had
learned, member of the Home 4aard,. i AIMED
Doolln was staying toT. the night. q He surrcun-
ded the house, and asked McFee IT, there we're
any arms Of any kind IL The house to which he
s,replisd int. e negative. The Csptainstls asked
!. biln If Doolan AZ armed, to which he also Ie+
piled no. Downs then told him, to tell Doolsl,
who Was up stairs, TO come down, and he should
not be harmed. This he rnfused To do Downs
tLeE took q light and started up, and Just as he
81 reached the top OF the stairs Doulan shot pis-
ital hnst the ball grazing the bacS of bis neck.
He (Dowes) fell back and Dooian shot at him
ri again. He mad two loaded reviewers and two
rides with him. Downs men tl.snk hollow ed.
fire the building, and he came down and surren
dered. He WIS taken out and met his deserts
Hon d eel 2Ea GA 9Stfas igfeek, at and Hear the
q house of Levi Brunhsge 5Pierpoiat, (bfother Of
the bogus Goverhrr) sent out % Hls d as Scout.
and, Capt. Downs met them, with twenty OF bis
nel, and had q fight; kuing 10 and wotndins
(; s6of the enemy, iaad, lost one msn. SIC ne ~
> : Several other slight engagements took place
~ between the scouts, result ng af# Us in killing
some Of the eneaiy. and no harm TO Downs force
- Thenext important engagement took place az
= Sutton, onthei 29rh December The Yankees,
lioi na,hber, 80 cavalry and 30.iafantsy,, had
fortified the Place, and from thence had been
max ne forays upon The surrounding country -.
Downs with 40 men, and Spriggs with about
s 3d. attacked Sutton about 10 O'clock A. H., and
fought them -anll 4o;eleck in the evening, roult
ing them, and the se1aptsfih says it was the pret
tiest fEn he ever saw ,lnade. The loss was none
on sur side, sixteen Y4nkees kiiiedand % woun-
o lded.s CaptaDowns took aIeonsidera6Ie QUANTITY
of stores at this psee amounting to at least $40.
- 600, embracing 80 lnuskets, aatbines. so line
sabres, 10 sacks o; coffee, horses, 400 Blankets
and 40 oVercoats, with other articles OF clothing.