Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-06-12
The battle Of Hanover Court HOUSE.

under his command that occasion has received OFF,
ciay the hearty approval of General Lee, who is 70
mean Judge of such matters. And yet such we know
to be the fact, the troops being especially ,mpmented
on their heroism and patriotic devotion.
1t would seem that the fight commenced in he mora
ing and was up TO about one o'clock in the day. pure
y artillery duel. Col Lane with the 18th had been
sent off early in the morning scouting expedition
and it being supposed that be was pressed by the enc
my, about ~ o'clock Col Lee with the 37th and
Col Cowan with the 18TH were sent down to bring him
of IL not kno1cn that the enemy tcas bet,0een us
Our troops had idea OF fnG1g the enemy n position
as they did. When we found him the 18Th was
formed on the right OF the road along which were
then marching the 37h on the left, aud ordered
to advance in line of battle. Just at this time the
my opened with bis artillery. The 9th ordered to
flank to the LETT through dense piece OF woods,
get round to the enemys right and faDk him if posi-
ble The 18th was ordered TO continue its advance
which was full in ront of the enemy and, as soon as
it passed through the strip Of woods behind which
it was deployed, to charge the battery and take it.
1t reported that the battery was 10 position not
than 200 $50 yards from this strip WOODS and
that the whole force of the enemy one regiment
and half OF infantry. When the Eighteenth passed
through the strip Of woods however and entered up
on the open field. it found itself at least six buudred
yards from battery Of four pieces of artillery, de-
Tended by six regiments of infantry drawn up in line
of battle on either side The artillery playing
upon our men all the while-throwing sbrapnel prin
cpay and soon the Minnie rifles began to assist the
artillery Still the regiment continued to adganc8-th
line in perfect orderwitbholdiDg its Gre because the
range was great for effective musketry, and thus
it continued until within two hundred yards of the
battery, its brave men falling at every step
At this time it was reported to Col. Cowan that a.
regiment Of the enemy trying to flank him, by get
ting Into piece Of woods the right OF his front,
abOut four hundred yards in advance Of the piece from
which he sared) projecting to point out into the
field through which be passing. He at oDce,
that if this movement cuted his force would in
evitabIy be cut pieces by heavy crossre. He saw
further that his charge utter madness for he was
totally una6sisted COL Lees regiment had not reached
its position opened It's fire and Col Cowan had
succeeded in carrying every OF his regiment up to
the battery he would then have been rtrumbered ten
to one. He saw that he had but one chance to save
bis regiment from total destruction, and be avaed him
self of it. He halted his line-gave the command to
fre-poured in four Or FIVE destructive volieS and
under cover OF the smoke threw the regiment into the
piece of woods which the enemy was trying to gain,
where he promptly formed his line ard opened his fire
and, for at least half an hour after the Eighteenth
gained this comparative cover we'll the whole time
it in the field, it exposed to tie whole fire of
the enemys line, Infantry and artillery. About this
time, Col Lee opened with the 37h on the enerny's
right, and between that regiment and the Eighteenth
fought the enemy for two or three hours driv-
ipr bonz 70
keeping him there until the order came from General
Branch to retreat They came off in perfect order,
with coors flying, although the enemy's shell were fall
! ing thick aid fast around them
From this sccount, which is undoubtedly correct it
is apparent that the 18th did not fall back to the
woods, lad been stated by correspondents. 1t did
not fall back at all. Every step it took was in the d.
recton Of the enemy. Tie point of woods into which
! Col. Cowan carried his men was not the same from
which he started. It extended into the field like
peninsula, and in easy musket range of the enemy.
There was no retreat ordered and none execated IN
til General Branch brought the regiments of the field
There confusion except at time, for about
five minutes. That SO slight that the companies
did not lose their place in line of bate-so promptly
remedied that the enemy gained advantage from it..
The most OF the lost as the regiment was ad
vancing the field exposed to nurderous fire of
shrapne and minnie balls which could not be returned
at that distance by nusketry.
The 18th was in the fight at least three quarters of
an hour before the 3tb but not from any fault of the
latter noble regiment its accomplished commander
1t no doubt got to its position as soon possible and
the fought like lions after they got there. The
ror consisted in this The 9th aud other regiments
also ought to have been started hour ahead of the
Eighteenth. This not being done, it impossible to
render mutual assistance ia time for effective good
Only seven companies of the 37th were in the fight,
the other three companies having been sent Skin
misbers The numbers OF the 37h, 10 the fight, were
about equal to those of the 18TH and combined, they
not than one hundred and fifty what the
Yankees say we lost in killed and wounded.
1t would seem that General Branchs information was
incorrect all the time, but that was not bis fault. The
Virginia cavalry, who acted his Iairols and videttes
would go enough to ascertain whether the
e0emys force was one company one division but al
soon as they would get glimpse of bayonet they
would wheel their horses, put them to top speed, anC
come in to report uncertainties.
We would here notice matter which has surprised
US than little. We aluie to the fact that sun
dry officers Of the Eighteenth evidently under tb
impression that reports have been Fut in circulation
derogatory to that regiment calculated to deprecat
its conduct on the 9th. We can only say that nou
such are circulated or believed in this section.
IT IS REPORTED that in of the recent skirmishe
in the Valley of Virginia, the intrepid ard dashn:
Turner Ashby has been killed. The Ashbys have beer
the very models of the dashng cavaliers of the Old Dc
minion during this war, and though Turner Ashby ha