, 1863-10-27
The WAR IN VIRGINIA.
The caralry Advance TO Back
land Mills,
TIE LATE FIGnT OF THE THIRD
C4YaLGA DIVISION;

CONTESTED fields, It was not thought worth
willie to advance lLfaotIy within iu1lnediate
supporting distance. Notwithstanding this
d1vlelun has been constantly On actire duty,
nnd the men and horEes were considerably
the WORST 1or wcau, the order to march was
obeycd with alacrityy, and the command was
moving by : O'Clock p. IN. on Sunday. But
little prsgTtss had been msde from Bill Run
before the eLemy's pickets were encountered
and driven back upon their supports at
Gainesville, where two regiments were found
drawn up in line Of battle. Night coming
on, the command eucamped Early Monday
morning Tie advance was sounded, and the
enemy retired from Gainesville, fighting as
they went, taking the Warreuton pike.
From GatneaTile Gen fitzpatrick took the
precaution to send the First Vil,inis regiment,
MINOR Fs1rable, to Hayuarket and vicinity to
guard TIC right flank, and she Seventh Michl-
gan, Col. ffauu. to Greenwich and vicinity to
Eua1d the left flank, while the remainder of
the division 1noved up the WarIenton pike
The enemy fled prcci iitately until they had
CROSSED Broad Run, at BucGlaud Mills, where
Hampton and Jones' bEigades, under the iu-
meoiate.commsnd Of Stuart, With two battc--
tie run. The banks Of Broad Run in this Vi
cinitT a1e very steep, and, therefore are forda-
bic only at . lew places. Pennfngton's and
Elders batteries were opened with effect,
compelling the enemy to move their
balte1ics several times. After an a1tille.
= duel and ekirmishing for nearly
having received word that there was no ena-
NY near ut Land On his right or Left, under 4
concentrated tire Of tie artillery crossing
was effected In force By the pike bridge. The
ekirmishers, not to 6e lett behind, boldly
waded The river, and Notwithstanding all the
obstacles to snch movement, kept up IN eI-
cel1elt line, the whole command puslltns tor
RI rr1sf lint
though comparatively brief here, was sharp,
:he enemy contendipg manfuliy for every foot
Of ground, but when they did give way, Gen.
Davis brigade, which had before been held
in hand while Cuatar's had the advance, NOV
cd rapidly torward. pressing the enemy above
New Baltimore. While Gen. Cusiar's COM
masd vas taking . incoming, q messenger
with tie information that . column Of the
enemy was threatening his left. Suitable
deposition Of the force Ha5 ut once made
to resist this unexpected d.pger By Ma,
jor Cock, CAief Of Staff, and Adm.
Int Cereal Estes. No sooner bad this
which had been stationed On their flank was
forced hack by line Of rebel Infantry, acting
aE ekir7nishers, with a strong reserve, belieT-
ed to have been at least onetun division, ,{with
brigade or more of cavalry. The extreme
danger Of the command as Situated was seen
~ y 6AAAEE ~ 0Eu. AApillI1GA7 AHu uG ula-
Iatchect Lieut.. Gtcaey, with orders to Gen.
Davies TO fall back at once, as he was in
danger Of heing cut of. Gen. Davies had, in
pa1t, anticipated the order, for upon Learing
hlfpg at his retr, had fallen back to within
one mile acd halt of Gen. Casters brigade,
se5eer ar:iycd- While tLis was trsnsplring,
tie 5th Michigan, Col. Alger, Was deployed
rs kki.mishers to ill up the gap between the
two b,igaaes, md keep back Threatened
movement ct the enemy to divide the COM
mand. 4 severe struggle now took place for
poesesEion Of the pike--onr forces trying to
holdis so "a to enable Davies to pass and take
up new position, while the enemy were de-.
te11nlned that tie movement should not be
2nude. Having both infantry and cavalry, In
this they were successful-aen Custa1, how
eve-, succeeding. In getting Ills command
II safety 1s1ess Broad knn, af!es The most
battery, (co: Ii, q artillery,} Is usaal, tooE :
most Important part--1lring with grea: rapid
ity anG making their guns Terror to all
1Iaseed forces with which the enemy threat.
ered the retiring troops, though at one time
they bcIdly came within very abort distance
Of The guns. intent upon capturing them.
once ac1oss the river the bridge was held
though Eome Of the men were entirely out Of
carbtne ammunition, and resort MAS had to
Colts reyolre.s, In which the officers took q
consp!cuous part. The enemy, however, Ct
fected C. crc.sing some distance to the left,
and tie brigade fell back fghtirg to the VI.
cinity Of GAINESVILLE, where the troops disap-
peared in belt cf timber, passius through a
line Of Sixth corps infantry ekirmishcre tiers
concealed. who.a the enemy, not seeing,
, mmz1oe bc.d to charge, nnd vera repn1.cd win
great less, the officer leading the Charge be-
tEg among the killed.
When Gen. Fitzpatrick saw that Custar's
brigade was safe across Broad Run, he direc.
ted him to fall back slowly, and lighting If
pursued. and then started. accompanied by
he had notified previously By m Aid that he
was cut Oh, and must make his way to the
r1le lending from ThorougMare Gap to
Gainesville. To many not acquainted with
the circumstances, this might seem fool
t2say e1rand, havi;g to Eecross Broad Bun,
gauntlet Of .skIrmlshera for more than
i. mile; but Gen Ki1patrick would rather
Lave lost his own life on the field than to lose
brigade, the flte Of which then hing In
the balance; and while having tho utmost
confidence n the. ability and cooluess OF
| realized the tact that his own pres
ence wer.d do something toTa1d enconr-
aging tbt troops, Particularly as some OF
| them had beer associated with him for years.
Providence permitting. he succeeded in
reaching the command with ten or q dozen
| seeing the noble conduct Of their General, re-
solved to accompany him, without orders.
Fortunately, as tho sequel will ahow, d.
Carpel2rt, Chief Surgeon cf the brigade, was
&! familiar with thst section Of country, and
| avoiding the main road leading 10 Thorough
fare Gap, reached thc pike short distance
| above the village Of HaJmarket.
The difficulty Of this movement viii be m
de:stced whea it Is slated ttat his reduced
! brigade vas attacked in the rear by both
Hampton and Jones' brfgeleE, and that Fitz
| Lee was ready to confront i: on the Thorough
fare Gsp road, which they expected Daylss
patrick reached the command, lie At once or
dered the Harris Light l5ecord N. 7. .cav.:) ]
to ect Us rcsr guard So hard Tae6sed were
theG In rear md flank, that the choicest spirits,
-bccaute the bravest, both officers and nen
Of the command Joined the rear-guard, and
1obly did they witness the onsets Of the enc
| NY, and even Knocked them-Wllile exult1ug
| at the idea Of even driving of kllpattick' {
command-in their beast like yelp, and Aurl'
| ed them back on more than one occasion bJ
the eword alone. Atone time the rear gua.d
! and the advance Of the enemy were MI mixed
together; the enemy'e advance wearing 8
uniform similar TO- that worn by onr o"r
trocpe, in the exciteEen: OF tbs moment Il
| Ees not easy to distinguish one from the 9th
er. Ae an Instance Of this, I nsay state that {
| rebel urged Litut. Whitaker, Of Gen. kilpat
rlck's staff, 10 prets forward. Whita
ker, sprposing It was some ct our own mon,
upbrasied him. for wishing, rs he supposed
to press past and abandon the wagons. 3,
sn carp ut Gainesville, having been engagei
nearly al day fighting d combination Of in
fantrT and cavalry, With Q loas, all told, q
now arlears-i1clnding Killed, wounded aus
missing-not to exceed 100 men, instead 0
800 or 200, as was at first reported by stragg
g1ers. And instead Of losing eight or min
Of these got nired, and the other broke down
No hcrses o. mules were lost. II this re
treat Elders battery took a aconspicuous pa-t