Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-02-26
Gen. Lander gnd Col. Anisnnsel.-A
Oet94ed statement or the COnduSf
OF fthe latter ats sBlo0nleFy. q - -
LLCQETe.po q &c t!ineinn.tl aazette.l i

OA Shs ANItef At l8I0Omae cry. 2 ~ 3sl
(CqUsspO pOniepee d the CineinnAti Gazette
Information having. been received at di.
Visions headquarters for several days, thai
the rebels Tete in fQrce on the road be-
tween Romney aud Winchester, General
Lander deteFniued TO dislodge them from
their position. Bis purpose WAS 10 m.ve
with = force OF clyalFy 90 BIoomery Gap,
q natural turtifratiop in the CacApon
mountains, which was reported to De held
9y q brigade 600 stropg, under General
Carson. Accordingly he ordered up all
9ls caYalry, numbering nearly 400, under
command Of Goly Auisausel, Of the First
regiment Virgins cavalry, a portion Of
tatF force rode sixty miles to participate
l9 tue battle Tho Intention was to have
the CacaPoa fiyst bttdge the day previous
% lt4e ht 1icll the attack Was to be
made, but In Cor Equence of Gen. Lander
and a small rs airy escort having been
alscoysfsd and hted upon, he determined
g s. 4 q clock on Friday morning, Pe5. 18th,
Fpuld make: DE movement afonce. In
order that tle tn65utry might CROSS Caca-
pom river, without Wadiug breast dsep
through the water, he brought his former
mountain experience into play, and by
means Of twenty wagons being hauledih
tls river and ttle3 planked, good bridge
WAS constructed, over which Infantry we're
enabled TO cross three abreast. This
bridge was tmprovisel over a stream $50
feet wide, in four jhours. The idea of Gen.
Lander was TO charge through the Gap in
Tue darkness, tt betng impossible. to flank
tne position OF thF enemy, and then halt
his cavalry on til east side of The place.
and check the retreat of the enemy toward
Winchester until the infantry support had
arrived.
II was thought, too. that whatever the
strength of the rebels might be, in the
darkness and confusion the quarters of the
officers could be surrounded, themselves
taken. before their men could form. 1t
was just one Of those daring, dAshing
movements, which has ever characterized
tllts brave officer, aud which has made the
name OF (OolOn6l) Lander a household
word. Butthe EMMY had retired beyond
.BloOmery Gap, i4ad though led in the
charge by the Gsqeraland his staff, when
the cavalry surrounded the houses the birds
had flown.
Col. AntsanselyFasi Immediately ordered
TO push forward on the Winchester road,
rake Reconnaissance, and, if practicable,
oTertaks aud captnre tho baggage Of the
enemy. In the meantime, portions of the
5th aud slh Ohio, under Col. Carroll. and
oil the 9TH NrginiB, Col. Evans, were or
dsred up for support. The enemy were
encountered in fotre by Anisausel, ut the
head Of a stroud pass, two miles from
Bloolnery. HeWsas. met by q heavy fire,
which caused his Command to halt. On
hearing the'tiring, Gen. Lander with his
stall hurried to tho point, and ordered Col.
Ahisansel up. Tie men, regret to sny,
taltered little under tho enemy's Gre,
when Gen Lander, saying 'follow me,p
charged forward 10 The head of the coll
umui now WndeE sharp FIRE. lie halted
i9F ,an tnstpntr entrsated tue men 10.
remember their h6lS mission, and to folleB.
one who had never lost battle, to certain
victory. His repeal was responded 10 bI
one private, named Johu Cannon, for
mer doscrter from the rebels. Gen. Linn
der charged, followed by Lieut. II. G.. ARM
strong, his Acting A. A. G., (sinee promo.
ted to Major, Lieut.. Fitz James O'BriCu,
aud Msjor Baunister, nav
master, who volunteered for the expedi.
ttOn. Spurring his horse he charged up
the hill sides. A group of rebel officers
encouraging the tagging spirits of their
men were distant about three hundred
yards. Gen. Lander reached them first,
quickly supported by Bieuts. Armstrong
and Fitz James O'Brien. nSurrender,
Gentlemen,h y he said, .you are cut Off aud
surrounded, and coolly dismounting from
his horse, received the swords Of five of
the rebel officers, among the number Coll
Robert j. Baldwin, the commander. His
stad Joined IN this act of courtesy, aud
nine officers were captured at once. AT
this stage of tie battle the erObels perceive
ing the small numbers of their ADVERSE
Pfa r.. e. a =
woods, one ball just grazing the neck of
Lieut.. II. g. Armstrong of Tie staff.
General Lander ordered Col. AnisanSel
to charge upon the road sud capture the
baggage of the enemy. The cavalry dash.
ed forward, and their advance guRt,i sue
ceetied iu turning ont Of the road fifteen
wagons, but the mtin force of the cavalry
tailed to support them, Fifty Of the eue-
my here rallied behind stone fence, hit
ting two of our men, and dWounding slight.
ly two or three others, as they were engA-
ged In turning the wagons. Anothercheck
soon followed, when Col. Evans came up
with portion of his regiment, broke the
way ct once; and captured many moro OF
the rebels.
Col. Carroll was then ordered up with
his command. "Go on, and 20 till you
clear the country of the rebels for ten
miles," said the General. .sDon't stop, Of
1 will come up and takeithe command.''-
Carroll cleaned the road as he went, and
returned at one o'clock, reporting the Vi
cinity clear of the rebels.
The result Of the battle Was the killing
of 80 Of the enemy, the Woundfng of AS
many more, the capture of IL commission.
ed officers, 10 serEeants, corporals and
IA priYates. a pretty good moruing'I
work, take 1t.
The enemy were pursued by Col. Car
roll TO the limits Of Gen. Llander's Depart
ment, when he returned.
sPFirate John Cannon, before mentioned,
will be promoted, and ! understand Lieut..
Harry g. Armstrong, of. Gen. Laader's
staff, viii receive Msior's commisSion.
Gen. Lander very freely expresses his
contempt Of those officers and men who,
although within supporting distance !, Of
these, brave comrades, failed to sustain
them. He tIa0 highly compliments the
command for the mnnuer in which they
endured tue 'hatdships, being compelled to
hfg.ba, Al.