Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-11-17
DISASTER To GEN. lIOkE'S BRIGADE.
AT OUR OLD CAMPS oN THE RArIDAY,
November 10th, lSG3.

70 the Editor Of lie Examiner:
A history Of the misfortune which beftl
Cur brigade on rhc afternoon If Saturday, tie
7th inst, is due to the fricn,is Of the uatHrtu.
nate officers and soldiers al home. | therefore
ber leave t. offer for the Information o: such
ONLY such information as have been able to
gather from the officers who escaped: On
Friday, the Louisiana brigade, under BTica
iier General Hays, was sent across the Zap
pahaunrck 10 act n, a picket guard ut the
mint where the railroad from Culpeper Court
! House to Manassas crosses the Rapnahanncck.
| Whilst the enemy held this road during the
! latter part Of the summer he had thrown up
Il line of brtastwOrks from point short
Distance below the end If til" railroad bridge,
on tho other side which works faced from ia"
river AMI extended some distance Mp. and d.
vcrgins from thcrivcr. The L"uiSian;ans occi:-
ricl the lower paTt Of these works Th.' !"n-
! tom bridge, the only place Of crossing toT in
;aaty, being upon their left, and about ore
hundred wards above where the railroad bridge
had been burned.
At half past , o'clock P. NJ, tie long roll
vas hcat in cur cn:ampmcnt. and every man
! lit for du;- called upon to fall in; We knew
! not why. n wc had 40 artillery, the 'lav being
,.ui.e windy. and our camp being about six
! mile, from Inc river The whole Ct Early.
! division wa marched rapidly To the river
l3.iradicr General IT"ke ; brigade Of three
| regiments, the Sixth. Fifty>touT;G AMI Fifty
seventh, now commanded by Col. \. Z. Cod
win. formerly first provost marshal OF Rich-
mcnd, was ordered over the river to occupy
the extreme lett Of the hreastworks. This brl-
| radc crossed the river under heavy hire "i
artillery tGor the L0uiSianians were already
sustaining furi6rs fire from several bate
| rics This fire from the artillery and sharp
shooters was kept up until after sunset. Tho
| other two brigadcs of Gen. Earl.'s division,
commanded lv Bri.alcr Generals Gordon
and Pcgram, were held in position on this
| s;lH OF the river.
Bv sunset tho enemy had c1ten-cd his lines.
| in tile form Of halG-mo"n, 80 as to enrc!or
our forces entirely, his right md Left resi-
| ing on the river ablvc and below. At tho same
time he had formed three lines Of attack, one
! behind the 'ther, to assault the works held l'y
General Hays and the right of llokr's tr-
cade The sun had gone down when this tor
rihIc onsn. was made. Although the odds
were greatly against us. and we had only four
| nieccs of artillery on that side # the river,
orr mon received the shock as brave men only
do. The. Louisianians fought with deSpcri-
ton. The enemy's front line was tnrn 10
uieccs and scattered in confusion. Being re-
,sforced by the second and third lines, the en-
.nv again advanced upon the works. and, by
nynrpnwering numbers lCaped the works into
the hitch, and came to q hand to>hand fight.
Orr brave men being TINS so greatly outnum-
bpred, were compelled TO yield. Some surren-
dernd others rushed to the pontGon and escaped:
some others. being cut of from that. plunged into
the river below, AMI swan across, few being
drowned: General Hays escaped after he had sur>
rendered; Coloucls Mnnngaa and Peck swan
The river More than half this brigade are miss
ing. The extreme right of Gen. Hoka's brigade
foucht with equal valor. and shared similar fa'e
Ti,s possession Of the works held br the Louisi-
su;sn, gave the enemy possession of the pnnsoon
bridge, and thus GU: Of Genaral lloke'S brigade
from any escape except by swimming. Our ez
tr.me rirht being thrown back the h:a"c Cno-
ne. Golwn, although surrounded m all sides.
e.rept on the river sid. sill fought on and
| whe., compelled TO yicl:l ground 10 overwhcIm-
ing odds. fell back with force of about sew
erty.hye men. still returning the enemys fire
and refused to surrender until fighting WAS use
| less. , ,
Li.utenant- Colonel Tate and Major York,
Cart,rs McPherscn and Raw and Lieutenant
Mobane, of the Sixth, with Captain Adams. Of
the staff broke away and escaped over tire bridge
! in the darkness. LieutrnantS Williams, SInlth
and Fitzgerald, of the Frfty-foarih Brown OF
h. Sixth with few others. plunged into ths
river end SWAN safely over but. unfortunately
q,,:.. other. wer. drowned Leuterent-Connei
II. Jones. Jr. cf tfs Fifty seventh and Captain
White. OF the Sixth. plunged in to win, but The
| rnducss of the water compelled them to put
b1ck.
The casualties ofonr brigade are small in killed
AMI wannad. A,jl;ant N:ban,. of the Sixth,
wounded in The arm aud side; William Johnston,
| Captain Whites company. wounded in thiGh,
s-vrrel, though not mortality; Scrgean FCrisnan.
Captain Hosper;s company, killed The brigade
IS u most annihiatcd. The Fiffy-fru?;h reg :mn"t
HIS only one Captain (PAschal!) left. with Hsc
,ieutenarts. and about fifteen men remaining,
The fragments OF the brigade are nov collected
| under the command OF Leutenant-C Colonel late
If the Sixth, and attached to the Louisiana
brigade These fragments now number about
! ,w" hundred ard seventy five men.
This is serious disaster. SO far As our feelings
ar. concerned but it does not shake Our hopes as
to success. This sad affair took place i'll the pre-
| scncs of General Lee and Major General Early
who had arrived on this side Of the rlYe: