The Portland daily press., 1863-06-11
BY TELEGRAPH.
T0THE
Portland Daily Press.
BRILLIANT CAVALRY FIGHT.
THE REBELS DRIVEN BACK SIX MILES.
WASHINGTON. June 10.

",
under command OF Gen. Buiord. made an i'm
portant reconnaissance towards Culpepper, and
had one OF the most obstinate cavalry fights
that has occurred during the war. The force
was composed OF Gen. Buiord's brigade aud
another cavalry brigade under the command
of Col. b. +. Davis, supported by two batteries
| of artillery aud two regiments of infantry as a
reserve. AT half-past II O'Clock on Monday
| night, the cavalry bivouacked near Beverly
Ford, on the Rappahannock. At three o'clock
| in the morning the men were called, the horses
fed and saddled, and at four O'Clock they cross
| ed the ford beyond. The ford was semi-cir-
cular belt of woods, with a range of rifle pits
near the edge OF the timber and line of
pickets guarded the ford and the southern
bank of the river. The Sth New Y rk cavalry
crossed first and drove the pickels back to the
rifle pits, and after desperate conflict cleared
the woods, the enemy falling back upon their
artillery and maintaining their position until
twelve O'Clock, when our artillery came up and
drove them back six miles in the direction of
Culpepper Court House. and our forces return
ed and recrossed the ford in good order
Nearly all the fighting was done by the cav
airy, and was of the bloodiest character most
ly hand to hand with sabre and pistols in the
woods. The heavy timber was not very dense,
SO that the horses could advance through it,
but the underground was thick, and when a
trooper dropped he was efiectually concealed.
Our own loss was considerable, and the slaugh-
ter OF the rebels fearful. The proximate num-
Der of the casualties on both sides are not yet
reported.
BY this sudden and brilliant dash of our
cavalry into the enemy's lines, their plans
have been frustrated aud the intended raid of
Stuarts forces prevented.
Gen. Lee. it Is pretty well known had as
sembled his cavalry, supported by artillery
and Infantry, between Culpepper Court House
and Beverly Ford, with design to send them
upon raid, and this fact is further substan-
tiated from a document that fell into Gen.
Pleasanton's hands, by which it was ascer-
tanned that Stuart was to have started on his
journey within an hour or two of the time
our forces came up with him. Gen. Pleasan-
ton, in view OF the information above stated,
was despatched with portions of divisions of
our cavalry, commanded by Gems. Buford and
Gregg, to prevent the consummation of the
programme. Gen. Bulord's force, which was
on the right, first met the enemy's pickets half
mile south of the ford, when a severe en-
gagement ensued, the rebels being in force
and resisting the advance of our troops with
continuous hand TO hand fighting, when Gen.
Gregg brought his force up to the fight and
became engaged. The enemy gradually gave
way, dsputing every inch of ground desper-
ately. In this way our men made more than
dozen charges into the midst of the rebels,
,ho, s a ,,,;,,, .ar. Lpoa s.o T WHICH
aIse rasaa,o,1,,. ot.aI aI.'; ne on .,a:y
revolvers. For the most part, however, both
sides were repeatedly driven back in the
course Of the battle, though we succeeded in
driving the rebels back to point about six
miles southwest of where their pickets were
first encountered, where Gen. Pleasanton
found the enemy so heavily reinforced with
infantry and artillery as 10 make II prudent 10
tar fn fbis side Of tba
This commenced ahout four o,clocl In tho
afternoon. Gen. Pleasanton brought off about
200 prisoners. his own wounded and the bodies
of his officers who had been killed. On the
return to this side the enemy skirmished fire.
ouently with onr rear ouard DOING ms no dam
age to speak Of The proportion of horses
killed on both sides in this almost nnexamnled
hand to hand fight were very large. The field
from where Buford and Gregg first became
engaged throuphout the whole distance of five
miles over which the enemy were driven was
strewn with dead and wounded rebels we
had two batteries of artillery engaged. The
officers represent this as the fiercest and blood
lest cavalry fight of the war.
The latest news from the Rappahannock is
as follows: Yesterday afternoon the enemy
opened several of their crest batteries upon
our works and the forces on the plain west
and south of Fredericksburg. They also
threw several shells on this side of the river
Our batteries replied to them. The firing
lasted only a few minutes. The resnective
lines remain the same as Yesterday morning
W. -. ~
Tho pos,,s w.sb;o,,,a,, 49,, WI. I'M. 40 ~.
foht batn,aa, c. Hal,'nrgp oa,..,., .nS
Sfmart,s r,roas ,as,ar,a,, 80 -, hs;,,;a.'.
axnlo;, On no., sressaa a. D. ,a.,''a,.
and made The attacL dr;y;na ,ba rr.aIaIs f,n,,,
the;r antranchman,S .,;,h I - ,,, LIN
I;lIad ond ,.o,nSad W. -. So. IL.
Of nr;snnar" hn, ,ha n,,,uinn y e., -. 10y
Tho T;,na,, d;sna,.h Ia,aS po,.ari,' ~
EVENING Of OIL, laSs ' S W. can rao,ri ,,'a
greatas, oarair,, an, - ,sa - c .
hannnol ~ tao on,nne IL .;',,, p,a,pp,a,
Ford and ieft a, KaIIx,s tord IN n,;lss hs,a,yv
The fords were cantnrod ui,hn,,, L. po',
arI, Ell No. ,.i'do ~. "i.i,oJ 80 ~,
s,h IN and e,h pa ,,,o 80, 49, " ~. ~
south s;da hotora ,ho onan'a No. ,,rara ae !,
Con Creoa tnnt Ke,,r,s Eord III MI; n, II.
sL;rm;sh sed ~, ,oss rho r;,,l,, nai 80.
undar Cen Rncord .nd ha had ,rnnaoS "a
onIv milo fron, Tho ,;ar v,ho 10 da,ro -,
Jones, Whole hr;aeaa ,,ho had 10. ~ aPon
thamsalyas on, oq tha;r slaer ~ 80 - ~,
ready 10 receive ne The fs,h, '' now ~ con'
menced and continued from < NJ 70 . p
NJ. Inv which time The en,;ra forco Of S,vor,
CONSISTING ACCORDING 10 naners fonnd in Their
cams. of IL 600 cavalry and sixteen n;ecas
artillery. had been enpa9ed and driven bacl
three miles on the right and five miles ON the
left with heavy loss. our forces forming
junction near Brandy Station at p. M.
The fighting of both columns under Gems.