Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-10-15

IRON the Petersburg Express, 1th
We were enabled yesterday, through the cour
! tesy OF gentleman who had couversed with Al
othcer present at the fight, to gain a few particu
lars concerning the fight of Friday last. The
| hrst approach Of the enemy was heralded bv ,
1 loud report from enc of t6s Yankee gunboSts
and upon examination, it was discovered tha,
three other gunboatS followed in the wake OF the
trst. large number of Colonel Ferrebes's
partisan rangers, from North Carolina were
\ quickly posted in the dense underground On the
| sides of the river. No sooner had the punboa 4
got within range than the sharpshoOters opened
on them, quickly clearing the decks For sew
eraI hours the gunboAts endeavOred to move
forward, bat as tast as they could supply the
places of their killed and wounded, the new
comeTs were picked of, when the enemy at last
became dishesrtened, and retrograde move
Thent Of the steamers commenced. Our sharp
shooters followed the boats for several miles
down the river, blazing away at every crevice
and aperture, where it was thought q bullet
would be likely to find its way 10 g Yankees
body. 1t is estimated that at least one hundred
OF the enemy were killed and wounded in this
STAIR. The fight on our side was conducted
solely by the sharpshooters, not piece OF can
non baving been brought into action. Our cas-
ualtles We're very tri1iHg. But two men were
wounded, and neither OF them mOrtaly.
During the afternoon Of Friday, the enemy
was seen approaching in considerable foTcs
across the country, coming from the direction Of
Satfolk. This new denomination was made by
about two Thousand FIVE hundred infantry, six
pieces Of artillery, and from three to FIVE hundred
cavalry. Captain Grsham's Petersburg battery,
and two sections Of Captain Wright's Rocket
battery, were ordered into position, and when
the enemy got within range, our guDners opened
on the vaadals with fine effect. The fight con-
finued for two hours, when our shot and shell
fell so fast among the enemy, that they Aod in
great confusion. Our men behaved admirably
throughout the engagement. Captain Grahsm's
battery fred one shell, which exploded in the
very midst of q body of Yankee infantry, and,
as has been since Stated by a faTmor living near,
killed SIX men. The enemy carried off three
wsgon-I0ads Of killed and wounded The Con
fedeTates had one man wounded none killed
Captain Weights rocket guns are said to
have played havoc with the Yankee cavalry
The fierce whzzjng rocket and its fiery train,
as it fell among the Northern horsemen, pro
duced great terror smeDg the horses, and the
animals sn0rted, cavorted, pitched and resred,
and then scampered Off in the widest coafu-
sion, unhorsing many Yankee equestrian
One fellow, whose feet were jolted from the stir
rups, reigned Up bis animal, TO regain a ioolrg,
when rocket struck his horses head, and tie
next moment the rider lay helpless and bleeding
against tree near by.
Our forces are in high spirits al the result of
this first formidable demonstration and anxious
to get another chance at the dastardly invaders.
We have now there force sufficient to repulse
any effort the enemy may make to cross the river,
let him try it when he may.
It is little singular, that in the morning we
repulsed his gunbOats with our infantry (it dis
mounted rangers may be called infantry and
in the afternoon, the Yankee infantry, artillery
and cavalry, were compelled to take the back
track by our artillery alone.
The Rocket Battery used on this occasion
was captured from the Yankees at the battle of
Gaines Mill in June last, and is thought to be
the only one of its kind on this continent. It
IS said that no body of cavalry can stand be-
fore it.