Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-04-04
The Battle Near Somerset, Ky.
Especial Dispateh to the Uincinnati uaEette.
LExINoroN, Ky. April 9.

Especial Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
LEXINGTON, KY, April Q.
General Gilmore aud staff returned from the
front last night. leaving Colonels Runkle and
Woolford TO pick up prisoners and bring up the
rear. H
Gen PeRram's loDg-planned and boasted in
vasion of Kentucky has ended 10 destructive
and disgFaceful defeat, to the bitter disap.
poinlmeDt OF resident rebels and the consterna.
ton of the bragging Contederates, who, at o
vast expense of time, men and money, have at
last made but water haul. re
Gen Gilmore assumed the command In per.
son, and left here with the determination to re-
capture the earnings Of the rebel expedition,
aud punish the sudacity Of the brigands.
| Peroeivlng that they had converted retreat
into q preoptate flight, he left the infantry
and pushed on with his mounted force, consist
| iDg Of the First Kentucky cavalry, Col. Wool
foFd's; Forty-hfth o. v. l., mounted, Col. Run.
kle; detachment of the Forty Fourth Ohio,
mounted. under Maj. Mitchell; and the Ssv
enth o. v. cavalry, Col. Garrard-in all 1900
men. t@c
Such was the dashing energy of the pursuit,
that, notwithstanding the rebels had thirty-six
hours the start, they were overtaken four
miles north of Somerset.
mounted men, had reached Buck creek, twelve
miles from Somerset, when General Gilmore
reached him with his body guard and the 7th
Ohio cavalry, increasing the number to twelve
hundred, with which they double quIcked until
within reach of the enemy's rear guard. The
skirmishing then commenced, Generals Gill
more and Carter with Woolford and the body
guard in the advance. Az often as the rebels
made stand they were dislodgei with she'll
Within twelve miles Of Somerset, at Dutton's
Hill, In avery strong position, the rebels drew
up In force and planted theif batteries; aud hero,
about IL O'Clock, commenced the real battle.
Our line of battle was drawn up, with the bat.
teries in the center, supported ~ the 7th caval.
ry-Runkle, with adetachment of the 44th and
45lh on the lett, and Woolford's on the right!
The preliminary artillery fight lasted one and
a half hours, aud resulted In the dismounting
of three Of their guns. ~
The wings were ordered to advance. Wool.
ford did 80, wounded. Runkle dismounted and
found it too hot, but when the enemy found him
out and commenced shelling, he threw aside
all hesitation, and at the head Of his men, gal
lantly charged up the hill. The rebels moved
out to meet him. For an instant his line wa
vered, with batteries playing directly upon
them, shot and shell booming over them, and
tOeuCh phoyAuk WIN 00huiy mubtO htuuuu
them. They paused, however, only TO take
breath, and with one intent and a single shout,
they hurled their column upon the advancing
foe. Col. Runkle and his command behaved
like heroes and veterans
At the same time, .Woolfotd on the right and
Col. Garrard' in the center charged, and the en-
/ envy broke in disorder to their horses under
cover of the wooded hill, and fed pel nell
through the town. Capt. Stowe, with detach-
ment OF the Forty fourth, was ordered forward
TO reconnoiter. A body of Scotps and Ashby q
rebel cavalry were here detected 10 q flank
movement on Woolford. Colonel Sanders
hastened to reinforce, and after short, sharp
and decisive conflict, captured sixty prisoners
and put them to rout. detachment Of Scott's
men were seen flying into the road to cns on
Capt. Stowe, when General GilasSre, &C the
head of his body guard charged down upon
them like q whi-i- ind, and they turned off an
other --ad. General Gilmore and guard en-
ssred the town and held IL until the Forty fourth
and Forty fifth came up.
The enemy made another stand three miles
below Somsrset, and we're again routed.
Night now came on, and our boys were ex-
hausted. Ia the morning IL was found the reb-
els had crossed the river during the night In
great confusion. More than hundred, it is
said, were dIoWned. They planted q battery
on the river, which was quickly demolished.
We recovered four hundred cattle at the river.
Their loss In killed and captured is nearly five
hundred, Of whom fifty were killed.
The loss on our eide is but thirty .tiye killed.
wounded and missing.
The shot mostly passed over the heads of our
men. The whole affair was brilliant and dash.
hundred to twenty-five hundred.
led BY the Generals In peraon Sur0aon