The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-06-12

ASA ~ = = Avn ~ ANA/e
Particulars OF the Fisht,ng Previous 70 tho In.
vessmsne OF viGksburx.
The details Of the fighting which preceded
the investment Of VicksLurg are coming to
light. A participant in the recent battle ol
Bakers Creek furnishes to the appeal the an
nexed account Of the affair, which ia the firs,
connected narrative yet published from q
Southern source. The writer dates at JACK
con, Miss, May 2i
On Friday sf8rnoon, the 18th inst, three
divlalons OF tie army under Lieut.. Gen Penn.
beit0u, (L1ring's, Stevenson ., aud Bowen'a
adva0cet from Edwards depot In the direc.
ton OF Raymond, and stopped that night shout
s'x m'les from the startiDY point, aud on wha,
is known aa the middle Raymond road. Al
eight o clock the next morning, Saturday. iast
as We wsrs preparing t. move forward, the
enemy 0pened upon cur advance guard w ith
artillery briskly. indicating t.at they had found
out our movements ami had determined to
give us hattie.
We Immediately fell back mile to an eiixi
BILE position, and formed in line of battle, to
be In readiness for an advance or to receive
their attack. We had not long to wait. Our
line WAS formed in q curve Of Bakers creek,
upon ridge, our right being posted iu q posi-.
ton y use ford at the crossing Of the creek
in case We were overwhelmed, and our left
equally convenient t. q bridge over the stream;
which, it was expected, would furnish safe
passage for our army in euch u contingency.
The capnouading on our right ceased as we
fell back to this point, and a distinguished Of.
tieer remarked at the time that the attack on
our right was fsint; that, in his judgment.
the left Of our line would have b receive the
shock of their advance An hours time ra-
vealed the truth of his statement; the enemy
having massed large force against our left,
and opened upon us with an earnestnes which
betokened the most serious determination.
Aware Of cur position, it seemed to bs their
purpose TO turn our left, so as to get poeses-
sion Of the bridge over bakers creek, (refer-
red to above,) aud move between US ana Ed
Wards'a depot.
the deadly fire of our brave troops, myriads Of
fresh men fell into their places, and slowly,
bat steadily, drove our left and centre back
foot by foot, until Stevens0n's gallant division
was almost in rear of the line. A brigade Of
Bowea's division was ordered up to the sup.
por: of Stevenson--then another brigade, and
lioally the entire division. Continuing the
hand, and with dubbed muskets) q brigade
(l3uf0rds) of L0ring's division from the right
was sent to the reecue. Gen. Loriny imms-
distsly followed with anO.her Of his trigades
lFea.herston's) by short route, and reaehed d
the left as the lines were giving away, leaving
Tlghmsn with his bri sade to hold his position
on the right.
Having succeeded, with great tact, in COW
eriug the retreat Of the worh OH: forces who
had 80 molly aud bravely stood the shock for
six hours, Gen. Lorin3 moved back to the
rivht in tine to sec u fresh limo of tho enemy
coming down on his front aud flank The Gu
envy were eaiiantly met aud driven back with
great slaughter. Itwss at this point that Brig
adler General Lloyd Ii!ghmaa, QUE Of the
bfavest and best officers in the Confederate
army, foil, pierced through his maiily breast
with a fragment OF 4 she'll. lie Was serving
n ith Lis own hands twelve pound hO y itzer,
trying TO dislotgs piece which was annoy
ing us.
at this tim, two LIigades Of Bowen's di-
vision were painted, one at the bridge across
B ikers Creek and Que a: the ford, to guard
the crossing, while Gen Lorins, with lis di
vision, engaged the enemy in front and drove
him back Bnford's brigade was ALEC ordered
to support Bowen at the ford, aud was in mo
tion for that point, whAn word was sent 10
G en-. Loring by Gen, Bowen that an over
whaimng force Of the enemy had succeeded
in getting into the rear Of the bridge, aud Gen
Bowen was compelled to fall back in the di-
rsction Of Eiwardss depot. At the same
time the enemy availed himself of the advant-
ing tho ford, pressing, ut tho same time L0riDg g
right faux and rear.
The General then determined to make q
bold stroke, and with his divieion attempt to
cnt his way through east, turn jackson, and
effect junction with the forces under Gen.
Johnston then supposed to be near Canton.
How we'll he succeeded i'll the perilous under.
taking may be known hy tho fact that he
reached jackson on the following "Wednesday
with division weary, feoisore, hungry, but
not dispirited, not demoralized; proud, brave,
aud ready to meet the foe under circumstances
where proper management will give thsm an
opportunity to add to the laurels gained upon
other fields. lie would have joined tho main
BODY of the army in which still moved those
gallant spirits-StevensOn, Bowen, Lee,
Green, Reynolds, Benton, and other braves,
but he could not. lie did tho next beet thing.
After eaving a retreating army, he had skill
aud tact enough to save his own command.
BY this movement the enemy got possession
Of the ford, and, although the remainder Of the
army had succeeded in crossing, Loring's di'
vision was cut oil.
In this dilemma nothing was left but for
him to make a flank movement. Lie had with
him an experienced and Intelligent guide, and
accordingly moved to the left of tho road, in
tending to strike ford somo three or four
miles further down the etream-that ford fur
nishing the only possible outlet by which hs
could, with bis division, re)oln tho main body
of the army Tho darkness of the night. aud
the extreme faintness Of the trail by which
they were moving, caused the guide to lose
the point for which he WGs aiming, and the
division moved on, after Loring had satislisd
himself that all the reads leading to Edwards 4
depot were in possession OF the enemy. The
flames in the d,i ectou Of Edwardss depot
too, showed plainly they were in possession
of that point.
The divisions of Stephenson and Lse-no-
bic, gallant men-fell back upon Big Black
bridge, within their entrenchnents, and reeted
for the night The next morning tho enemy
in large force, determined to press their ad'
vantage to the utmost, attacked us there, and
after about two hours hard fighting, carried
, the position by assault.
Our army then retreated to VicksbuTg
where they were surrounded, and where the
task of taking that devoted place began Oh
Monday afternoon last, resulting, 50 iar, III
most disastrous failure.
MILITARY News THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL
TELEoRApH-The Chicago Jon.nai, Cf the
lIth uit., says:
Mis-. Cora L. V. Hatch, the spiritual msdi
um, Of this city-ranked among the most relia
ble. in the estimation of spiriiualists, Of The
country-declared last evening, to party o.
gentlemen, that joint naval and land attack
Waa made upon the forts of Charleston harbol
on Friday AID Saturday last, and that two OF
the forts had been demolished, but that For
Sumter was stili held by the rebels. that two
Of our gunboats had been sunk snd three
others dsablsd; that there was no lighting yes
ter day, tu. it would be renewed . day. Mfs