The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-04-21
THE ArTAcK ON THE RUPPALoRs
- % M cHowAH couKTx. n Q. 9,


lFlsf5-B n "A frem, the vRAieisA JournAl.
t,Allow ma 10 reivs your leaders some brief 40.
keoant of Tie attack a1poa the BuFaloe camp ia
Chowan--called1byslthe YANKEES, Wing6cid.
- Leut-0ol Brown win portions Of companies b.
n, md r. Of the 42d regimeaf OF NC. Troops,
started ON Sunday evening, the I'D March, 1858,
from his eamp IN BERTHE; marched up the ChoHan
river six miles; crossed his mon, one hundred and
| fftS in nnmber, in small boats--the river being
four miles broad at the place Of crossing-And
marched about fourteen miles 10 the camp called
Wingdeld. This camp Is situated on the Chswan
river, where il can be protected BY the Yankee
gunbOats, aud is defended by q semi-cireular
breast-woIk and ditch filed with water, and insido
! had two block houses, q large house, barns 40.
After 4 Continuous march all night, just before
daybreak we arrived at the hostile camp, having
been Joined by Capt. -, with forty guerrllAs
Six men were detailed and sent forward by Col
Brown to capture the pckcts Of tho enemy 20 pre-
vent any alarm in their camp. Failing in this,
| our boys were ordered forward, and after driving
| in the pickcts, charged the breaEtworks OF the
enemy ut o run, and with an enthusiasts shout
that carried dismay TO the foe who hed from their
well protected works without firing q Shot and
took refuge in their block houses, as we supposed
Col. Brown ordered Lieut. PEBBLES, with portion
| of Go. u, to reconnoitre one block house, while
Capt Clement, With 60. Il, 'ielt the other The
latter found one block house unoccupled; but
Lieut.. PEBBLES was fired upon from the other,
with musketry and artillery. .Sheltering his men
| as well be could, under cover OF large barn .
aud house, Col Brown kept up an inccsAant Gre
of musketry, directed at the port holes Of the
block house, which frequently silcnced the Gre Of
the enemy tor time Al length becoming satis.
fed oil the impossibility OF reducing the block
house, defended as il was By artillery, without
having artillery, and anticipating suecor by tho
gun-boat', Col Brown took measures 70 destroy
the commssary and squartermastcF stores Of the
enemy and withdrew, hsving burnt tho house,
barn, and all their stores, and safely brought OF
thirty mules which have been delivered 20 a Con q.
federatc Quartcrmastcr
Nor was this resolution taken too soon For,
on Monday evening, while he was crossing hiI
men over the Chowan, necessarily tedious opcra.
ton on account Of the small number Of the boats
-gunboats nppeared-some thirty odd hssinK
thus started over, leaving Col Brown, Capt.
Brown aud Capt. Clement, and somo 10 men,
The men thus embarked, wrre forced to return,
thus giving Col. Brown forty. Eve men TO make
head against the Yankees.
Tuesday morning, after our men had been we'll
fed by some true men of Chowan county, Col.
Brown hearing the Yankees Intended landing q
force, ordered his men down 20 the river side TO
prevent it if possible. But in this We were too
late, the Yankees having already effected land
ing, were ambuscaded in q swamp near which they
allowed our men to pass, until as tho rear got
opposite themsa Yankee officer came from the
thicket and demanded q surrender without firing.
Little Billy Hoose, Of Co. r, replied in phrase
more curt than courteous, surrender, hell, III
give you surrender" aud fred, a. did othcs
The ef6cer-fe and was dragged back into the
bushes by his men. Our men wore Withdrawn
and soon were formed in lire OF battle, and ad-
vanced in an old field in front Of tho Yankees in
the swamp, and exchanged rounds with them.
Col Brown ordered his little band TO fx bayonots,
and prepare to charge-the Yankees then could
be seen rctrcating into the swamp some fifty
yards. by this time our men had got TO the edge
OF the swamp, and Col. Brown discovered that the
Yankees largely outnumbercd us, and that from
the thick underground OF bamboo briars iD the
swamp, it was impossible 10 charge thom, ordered
his men to lay down and load, and then after giving
them another round, as ordered, the men With.
drew across the open field, which they did in as
perfect order m though on parade, carrying OF
their wounded, although under n shower Of bul.
lets at short range, and not leaving even KNAPP
sack or gun. Capt. Clement bis mon retired,
seeing they had left the gun Of = wounded man,
deliberately gathered il up and bore il of, deter
mined that the foe should gain no trophy on that
field.
In this fight were engaged forty Eve mss, 10
wit: Thirty seven Of company Y; six Of company
b; two Of company +. Our men withdrew 10 an
opposite sWamp, aud there lay down in view OF the
Yankees and awsited their spproach, which they
declined 10 make, although outnumberiDg us Eve
to one
In the meantime the Yankees landed q cannon
from, the gunboats, and reliable information was
brought the Col that three Yankee cavalry compa-
nies were approaching and within Eve miles Of
him. The gunbosts had been shelliDg the swamps.
Col. Brown availed himself Of the cover Of dark
ness on Tuesday night to reoross the Chowan-
which he did successfuly--tho lights upon qua
boat being 10 view at the time
The Yankees in their account admit that Gen.
Foster brought three companies rom Plymouth \
and Gen. Peck sent three cavalry companies from
Sufolk. With the former, Col. Brown aud forty.
fvs men (cbieAy Of little Davie) skirmishsd on II
Tuesday, and came Of without material loss.
Casualties on our side in Monday mornings hsht N
Lieut. PEBBLES Of company X, wounded in foot, n
and three prvates wounded, one MORALLY In n
Tuesdays fight, Lieut.. Wilson severely wounded N
in shoulder, also private Collett seysrely wounded
both Of company 2. These were left on the t
eastern side Of the Chowan, and lOli into the
hands Of the Yankees. -.
An, from Col. Brown down, acted their parts
well --st- 81 -.ii ya 90
This Is q plain, unvarnished tale, and =say be
considered reliable Our boys only regret that
the guu-boats and cavalry would not lst them
fght Gen Foster and his brave Q) 300 marines
from their cannon. ,. s, RAMRoDs
raCol. Brown" epokeu Of above, ia Lieut-Col.