Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-11-18
The late Fight ct Keily,s Ford.

-. The late Fight ct Kesly's Ford. ,:s Is
The chaplain Of thu Gath n. G.regiment has, furn-
ished to the Richmond Examiner, with request
that North Carolina papers copy, the following &C.
count Of the late fight on tina Rappshannock :-ssp
DISASTER TO GEN HOKEs BRIGADE,
y - =, Ar ora Oh cAAfs orrnE RArnAh
-. = = = : -. November 10th. 1865 (i'F
10 Ae Editor If tic Ecaminsr - :. a.,.
A history ofthe misfortune which beiel our bfi$.
ade on tue afternoon Of Saturday. tlie 7th inst, Is
due to the friends Of the unfortunate officers and
soldiers at home therefore beg leave 70 oHsr, for
the information of such, only such information as
have been able to gather from The officers who es
capped: On Friday, the Louisiana brigade, under
Brigadier General Hayes, was sent across the Rap
pahanhock to act as i picket guard at the point
where the railroad from Cuipeper Courthouse to
Manassas crosses the Rappahapnock. Whilst The
enemy held this road during the latter part Of the
summer he had thrown up q line of breastworks
from point short distance below the end OF the
railroad bridge, on the other side, which works
faced from the river and extended some distance up,
and diverging from the river. The Louisianians
occupied the lower part of these works. The pom
toon bridge the only place of crossing for infantry
being upon their left and about one hundred yards
above where the railroad bridge had been burned.
At half past o'clock P. NJ the long roll was beat
in our encampment and every man at for duty call
ed upon to fall in We knew not why, as we had no
artillery, the day being quite windy, and our camp
being about TX miles from the river. The whole
of Earys division vas marched rapidly to the river.
Brigader. General Hoke's brigade ofthreercgments,
the Sixth, Fifty fourth and Fifty seventh, now COM
manded by Col. A. G. Goodwin, formerly first pro-
| vost marshal of Richmond, was ordered over the
river to occupy the extreme left of the breasworks.
L. > I'LL =. nof
artillery Cor the LOuisiananS were already sus
tanning furious fire FROM several batteries) Fhis
fire from the artillery and sharpshooters was kept
! up until after sunset The other two brigades VI
! General Earlys division, commanded by Brgadler
! Generals Gordon and Pegram, were held in position
on this side the river. By sunset the enemy had
T. extended his lines, in the form of hafmoon, SO
as to envelop our forces entirely his right and left
| resting on the river above and below. At the same
time he had formed three lines of attack, one be-
hind the other, to assault the works held by Cen
eral Hayes and the right of Hoke's brigade. The
sun had gone down when this terrible onset was
made. Although the odds were greatly against us,
and we had only four pieces Of artillery on that
side of the river, our men received the shock as
brave men only d. The Lousianians fought with
desperation. The enems's front line was torn to
pieces and scattered in confusion. Being reinforced
by the second and third lines the enemy again ad-
vanced upon the works, and, by overpowcring
numbers, leaped the works into the ditch and came
to hand.to hand fight
Our brave men, being thus SO greatly outuumber.
ed, were compelled to yield. Some surrendered
others rushed to the poneoon and escaped; some
Others, being cut eff from that, plunged into the
river below and swan across, q few being drowned
General Hays escaped after he had surrendered
Colonies Monagan and Peck SWAN tho river More
than half this brigade are missing The extreme
right of General Hoke's brigade fought with equal
opaSh orod q eS,,,i1S fofo Yho
the works held by the Louisianans gave the enemy
possession Of the pontoon bridge and thus cut of
General Hoke's brigade from any escape except BY
swimming. Our extreme right being thrown back
the brave Colonel Goodwin, although surrounded or
all sides, except on the river side, still fought on
and when compelled to yield ground to overwhel
ming odds fell back with q force of about seventy
five men, still returning the enemy's fire, and re
fused to surrender until fighting was useless.
Lieutenant-C Colonel Tate and Major York, Cap
tains Mcpherson and Ray and Lieutenant Mebane o
the Sixth, with Captain Adams, of the staff brok,
away and escaped over the bridge in the darkness
Lieutenants Williams, Smith and Fitzgerald, Of tn
Nfty-fourth Brown Of the Sixth; with few others
plunged into the river and swan safely over but
unfortunately, some others we're drowned Lieu
tenant Colonel H. Jones, Jr, of the Hfty.seventh
but the eoidnsas 81 he S.fsT conpesd them 70 pu
back.
and wounded Adjutant Aebane, Of the Sixth
wounded in arm and side; William johnson, Cap
tain Whites company, wounded in thigh, severely
though not mortally Sergeant Crisman, Captain
Hooper's company, killed The brigade is almos
annihiated. The Fifty fourth regiment has only
one captain Paschall left with five ieutenants, AM
about fifteen men remaining The fragments Of tn
brigade are DOW collected under the command o
Lieutenant Colonel Tate Of the Sixth, and attache,
to the Louisiana brigade These fragments nov
number about two hundred and seventy-6ve men
This is serious disastor so far as orr feelings ar
concerned, but it does not shake our hopes as L
success. This sad affair took place in the presenc
of General Lee and Major General Early, who ha,
arrived on this side Of the river
The loss of the enemy has been serious As tn
groundin front of our works was literally covere
with his dead At midnight on Saturday nigh
General Lee began to fall back. On Sunday morn
ing he formed the line Of battle beyond Culpeper
but although the enemy had forced the guard at Kel
ly's ford and compelled General Rhodes to foil bac
with q loss of two hundred men, killed-wounde
aad missing-vet no attack was made on US BY tn
infantry. In the afternoon the enemy's cavalry al
tackled General Wilcox's brigade, and were badl
cut up. During Sunday night Gen. Lee fell bacl
to his old position, south Of the Rapidxn.
p S.-Lieuts Morrison, Letter and Maynard Q
the Fifty-sesenth are all SAFE $780, !. -
JOHN aaARIs,.
60 Chaplain 54th Regt N. G. T.
80 NoRrHrCARoLNA ELBcTIoNs.-A- very singula
and eccentric community is sister State of Mort
Carolina A State which has no occasion for pris
ons, and which, until the war came, had little or n,
debt but paid as she went, has certainly most re