The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1863-05-14

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5000. Before this news came, and
whilst all was yagne rumOr and peple1
ing uncertainty. many of our fighting
mon whom We relied upon gs certain to
die in "tbe last ditch" II die they must
performed ga grand strslegical move.
ment' and "fell back" to new "base On
operations" at Cameron, Moundsyille'
Wheeling, and various other points in
Ohio and Pennsylvania. Those whose
I lips retained the crimson hue of natural
! life, and whose knees did not qlako like
C9sar's with the ague in Spain, remained
and busted themselves in hunting up
arms and 10 making every effort to de-
fend the place ogainst the impending
assault. A delegation went to Man
nington and returned on Tuesday morn
ing with two companies of militia and
as many guns as were fit for use. The
whole defensive force consisted Of only
800 men, made up Of Companies D and
F, lO6th N. Y. Vols.--l05 men; Two
companies OF the 10th Virginia militia
LII men; 3s men Of company A, 9th
I Virginia and few men Of company F,
9th Virginia, and about 40 citizen SOL
diers.
! The rebel army was commanded by
General VIM. E. Jones, and consisted,
according to his statement, Of regl,
mcnts of cavalry, regiment Of moua.
ted infantry and 800 mounted sharp
shooters, in all 5000 men, many of them
being of the celebrated Ashby's caval,
Iry. 'Jgr,a
Wednesday morning dawncd wet
and foggy; our scouts came dashing in
reported the enemy approaching only
two or three miles off. One company
of militia and most Of the armed citizens
went out OH the hills to meet him
About eight O'Clock picket firing com.
mencel and was kept up briskly for halt
an hour. The enemy finding We were pos
ted on the hills prepared TO rake him
severely as he came down the pike along
Coal Rom, sent heavy force on the
hills to drive US off. In this they sue
ceodod after several of them hal been
summarially embossed. The men from
the hills retreated, some 10 The main
force, near tho railroad bridge, mile
above town, and some TO the Palarine
end Of the Suspension Bridge. The
latter made gallant stand and resisted
the. crossing for nearly an hour. They
took shelter in foundry and fred from
the windows upon the "a bel Snapshot
ors, who ,iismountcd and took positions
in vacanthouses, behind fences, stables
and whatever else would conceal their
cowardly carcass from our unerring air -.
Thus was the unequal contest contin.
ued until one man, named Goldman,
from Bingdman, was fatally wounded,
aud all but five jr six ha ! slrogglel off
The remainder ceased firing aud each
one took care ofhimself as best he could.
When The firing ceased the rebels sent
over a aag Of truce 10 demand surren-
der, but TO theft establishment they
found no one TO receive it. They then
hastily replaced the plank which had
been removed from The bridge, and
crossed over to the number of nearly a
thousand, aud pushed on mp TO get in
the rear of our men at the Railroad
Bridge.
| While the fight at the suspension
bridge was going on the rcb,ls disposed
their main force for attack at the upper
bridge. Our force in defence of lie
roilroad bridge, now about 275, bod ia.
ken up position half mile North.
west of tie bridge and within guushol
of the road leading TO Pruntytown. As
Ithc rebel cavalry dashed along this road
in order to reach the liver above the
bridge, they were exposed 10 a rdking
and destructive fire, which uHhJrSed te u
or twelve of them. Having crossed at
the suspension bridge and occupied the
heights Ut the eastern end of the rail.
road bridge anil gained the river above,
they had our men completely Surround.
ed. From bis position on the heights
10 the rear and Immediately overlook
ing the spartan band, the commanding
Gen, "a 'lcd,Ou', "Why in the I'LL don't
You sumeuderl' Our boys sen; back a
defiant response, when he Immediately
commanded his men 10 "RalIy." Then
began one of the most desperate and un-
equal contests of this or any other war.
For some time the rattle Of muskelry
YVES incessant. Our men were in open
meadows, protected somewhat from the
fire in front by myines, but exposed TO
the rebel sharnshootezS bshiad rocks ard
trees on the right bank of the river
Inch by inch were VIC forced back 10
within two hundred yards Of the bridge,
all the time cooIly loading and firing
FOR the most part after deliberate aim
! 9t the cogdrdly rebels, who, uotwiIh.
standing hey had twenty to our one,