Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-06-12
THE EVENING STAR.
THE CIR EAT CAVALRY FIGHT ON
IRE HAPPAHANNOck.E

THE CIR EAT CAVALRY FIGHT ON
TIE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The New York Times correspondent, after de-
failing tho particulars OF the crossing. thereto
fore published gives the following account OF
the recent fight at Beverly Ford;
The snddenness of the movement completes
ly surprised the rebels, and they at once broke
Tor the first friendly timber, which WAS about
one. fourth OF a mile in their rear. Our caval-
~ followed rapidly, and in these woods the
flrst skirmish occurred, In which we speedily
Lost one of the most valued office of the com.
mand, Colonel Davis, of the Eighth New York
cavalry, who was killed while calamity lead
ing his regiment, upon which the rebels
Eighth being rallied, drove their assailants
back upon the main body of the enemy, who
were now engaged in deploying and forming
in the rear Of the woods, and just beyond
their camp. nearly two miles from the river.
MAJOR Whitisgs command now came up to
the support OF the Illinois and Indiana TROOPS
Gen. Ames also brought his infantry over, and
deployed them on the left OF the road rs skir-
mishers, then pushed them ont in line of bat
tie to the edge Of the woods, in front of which
the enemy was drawn up by squadrons. with
artillery at the intervals, which omitted no
opportunity to shell everything in sight that
IDENTIFY had but one brigade at hand.
Gen. Pleaslnton now directed Gen. Buford
TO make preparations to charge this force in
the flank, while the infantry and artillery en-
gagged it in front. 1t was desirable to do this
As soon as possible, as the enemy might be get
ting reinforcements at any moment. Gen. Blu
ford, having driven the enemy's pickets and
skirmishers in the open fields on the right of
the road. sent in the 9th Pennsylvania, sup
ported by the 5th and 9th regulars, to charge
this line on the flank.
The Pennsylyanians came up to their work
in splendid style. Steadily and gallantly they
advanced out OF the woods, in excellent order,
and then dashed across the open field in an
oblique direction towards the enemy's guns.
They almost went up to their very muZzles,
through storm OF canister and she'll, and
would have taken them. when suddenly there
dashed out OF the woods on their right flank,
in almost the very spot in which they them
selves had issued, two whole regiments of the
enemy, on the full charge Retreat was almost
cut OF, but the regiments, now subjected to q
fire in front and on both fianks, charged hack,
cutting their way ont with considerable loss.
fire was SO severe that even these veterans
could not stand 1t, and they fell back with
some loss.
The enemy was now being reinforced very
rapidly, and in a short time Gen. Pleasanton
found that Buford's small division was op.
posed by three strong brigades Of rebels, with
artillery to match.
After the repulse of the 9th Pennsylvania,
the rebels made two rapid attempts to gain our
rear and the approaches to the ford both on
our right and on our left, but particularly on
the right. But they were handsomely foiled by
Buford, and for two hours there was very
BILE maneuvering by both sides, in the open and
nndulatiEg fields on our entire right. A brigade
of the enemy's cavalry came down the road
rn,rh uran cn,s off to the right from Beverlys,
and made dash for the foro. put they were
100 late. A couple Of squadrons And sec,.S.n
OF artillery interposed. They never got nearer
than a mile to the point, and during the
two hours that they remained in position they
suffered severely from our shells and skir-
mishers.
A th;c etaoo ~ Tho an 10 rov,an. %, D,oo.
anton plainly saw that the division under Gen
Buford was far outnumbered, and much anx-
iety was expressed to hear from Gen. Gregg,
whose column was considerably stronger than
Buford's. Word had been received from him
at eight o'clock, saying that he had crossed with
scarce any opposition, and that he was driving
the enemy before him, but his guns had no. yet
been heard. Matters thus remained in statr osto
some artillery practice, which was pretty accu-
rate on both sides.
About one O'Clock Buford again began to
press the enemy, and this time he showed evil
dent signs of uReasiness, and soon withdrew
his force from our right flank as though he had
fire in the rear. About the same time We
heard Gregg's guns, and some prisoners taken
from Robinson's North Carolina brigade inst
then reported Gen. RusselPs infantry adyanc-
ing through the woods On their right flank and
rear. Gen. Gregg, from the sound OF the firing,
was evidently in the vicinity of Brandy Sta
ton. Pleasanton now pushed forward, bat
the rebels soon gave way. and fell back rapid
ly. They were in a bad predicament-for
Gregg was almost directly in their rear, Rus
sell was on their right flank, and Buford on
their front. They therefore made a nasty re-
treat, abandoning their old camp entirely, part
of which we had already occupied, and TWO
regiments were very near being cut off. as
Fitzpatrick moved Off toward the right to
make connection with Buford. They had bur
a narrow strip OF land, not covered by our
force, through which 10 escape.
Gen. Pleasanton s headq uariers were moved
Fnr rLar..
been, and the lines OF the TWO columns were
soon connec.ad.
While a junction was being effected with
Gregg's column on the left, Buford and Arnes
were pushing out on the right, and with Vim
cents battery, Batord had by two O'Clock ear
ried ali the crests occupied by the enemy du-
ring the forenoon, and had forced him back
over three miles from the river.
The fact that the enemy We're now falling
back upon strong infantry supports, and we
being already numerically inferior to them,
induced General Pleasanton 10 consult with
his subordinates, and it having been left discre-
tionary with the former 10 advance or return,
it was finally deemed prudent 10 return, and at
A O'Clock our forces began falling back The
enemy was not inclined to sspick tight on
the return, and, save some slight skrmishing,
we were not molasted. Buford's division fell
back TO Beverly Ford, and Gregg's division TO
Rappahannock Ford, mile and half belo y.
We brought on all our dead and wounded,
and also some of the enemy's, while MANY of
the latter were still remaining on the field when
we retired. BY dark our forces were all over
the river, and the wounded OF Bu,ord's divi-
sion all loaded in the cars and on the way to
Washington. The loss in his division is about
$50, and in Gregg's about the same. The rebel
prisoners report their loss as heaviefthan ever
before, and express admiration Of the gallautry
of our cavalry The total number of prisoners
taken was about 225, and we lost about 80
Though our force was not large enough to
thoroughly defeat the rebels. yet they received
sound thTashing. and it will res ult in post
poning their "grand raids" into the North for
some time II not indefinitely; for, besides chas-
Using them, we gained full information of their
strength, character and designs.
FROM UTAH.-Col. Evans, OF the Second Cal
ifornia Regiment, in dispatch dated Camp
Douglas, Utah Territory, April II, while ofici-