Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-10-26

- oSau idhhceS were lett upon the :
held as far as could see. We lost some
prisoners, but how many l cannot say !.
acknowledgment over a hundred, [ think. !
Last night the enemy again retired in !
good order down the 0ccoquan road, but !
1t IS supposed they have turned VI and /
are making Tor Ccntreville, where their
prisoners say that Meade has told them
That he intended to make a stand. Hill
captured about one hundred prisoners
Yesterday, which | have seen. What the
Yankee loss was in the fight yesterday |
nave no means of learning. am told
that they lett about one hund ed Of their
wounded in the charge of two of their
surgeons, in our hands.
1t is certainly little singular, and
fact calling for explanation, that a pur-
suing army should have its artillery cap
tured by its retreating adversary. It
must have resulted from gross misinan-
agement somewhere. But as at present
advised, | am not prepared to fix the
blamo. General Cook, who commanded
the two b'igadcs, SAY S, aminformed, that
his men fought well, but that thy were
not properly supported, the supports be
ing more than q mile in the rear and
uAIlSt Nu~S III iACA ilIQ 10 move uDOn
the enemy in a line running somewhat
at right angles with the enemy, so that
be had to encounter, at the same time, a .
superior force in front, and on his flank,
or rather in his rear. This may or may
not be the explanation; | cannot say
| made efforts TO find Gen. c.. but was
unable to do so. | passed over the field
to- day it is Immediately at the railway
station. The ground on our side, and
over which we charged the Yankees, is
an open field, skirted at its farther edge
by pine forest. AS soon as our men
emerged from the forest they were ex
posed to the rakinS fire from the ensmy's
batteries, which were situated on a crest
just below the railway station. This
crest was the highest elevation in the
neighborhood. The open field of which
| have spoken terminates in a high bank
on the upper side of the railroad, and it
was behind this that the enemy were
concealed, and from which they poured
their murdcous fire upon our men, and
once succeeded in driving them complete
~ back. No further effort was made
yesterday to dislodge them. This morn
ing the Yankee bird had flown.
Stuart has kept the cavalry quite &C
, tive since this movement. began, and
! Jones brigade, which has been in. the
l advance, has been specially active and
l serviceable. General Stuart has COM
handed in person and headed the adj
: vance, and has fought the enemy from
| James city in Madison on Saturday even.
ing back to this point. At ope-tiase on.
, Tuesday evening the enemy contrivsd to
= | o,1t II Sk,,o , -. - ~
Lee, bat this was readily restored on
Wednesday morning, at WHICH time the
S lst North Carolina cavalry captured a
whole regiment Of Yankee Infantry, but
n being heavily pressed by a large column
I, OF the enemy We're compelled to relin-
IS quish their hold upon them. At this
time | am told that Col. Rufin of this
o regiment was killed.
Meade can truthfully say that General
l Lee has broken up his Meade's) winter
quarters for from Culpeper to Bristos
the Yankees had constructed their huti
and cabins. And here at Bristoe they
, had torn down an elegant new house to
get the weather boarding to construct
n huts for their winter occupation.
IS 1t is certainly true that Meade has man
|" aged his retreat NEST orderly and that ht
has saved his stores, and lost but len
men. Though l think it equally tru,
: that the yankee army is considerably
z, scared. And it is a fact that Bernsy die
S, not sleep a wink Tuesday night while en-
canped at Greenwich, in Prince William
"a county, but paced the floor Of the house
g in which his headquarters, were almos
necessarily, repeatedly consulting his
III watch and sending ~couriers to the pickett
to know if they saw any rebels.
There has been heavy firing all day to
g, day, and even into night, seine distanc
= below but atthis writing l have no
learned the nature of it, though it is sup
rs posed to be an engagement between som
ne portion of our cavalry and the enemy.
ry Our boys have been sadly disappointe
in their expectations of captures, an
IS. from more than one of them you can hea
such an expression as this: If jackson
80 had been along, we would have gotte
:, everything We wanted. Alasi we hav
he no jackson now. Our boys, hoveyel
make the yankees, whom they capture
pull off their shoes, which they at onc
convert to their own use.
OF The country people hercabouts are lou
in their praises for Mosby. They sa
that he has doneAhe yankees great harm
ST besides compelling the enemy to keep
=, least fifteen thousand men as a railwa
L ~