Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-10-22
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prorr morning during the present week,
hn, This tbe troops have been in readiness
a, davbreak for an expected attack. For
.,or,e reason the precaution was omitted
This morning; apprehensions of an attack
having probably died away. The army
rs Western Virginia on the left, on the
Winchester and Strasburg pike; the 10th
corps in the center and 9th corps on the
right. In the absence of Sheridan, Wright
commanded the army. A dense mist en-
veloped the country, favoring the enemy's
designs. On the previous night Early,
who still commanded the rebel army,
maSsed three divisions of infantry, Pc
grams, Gordon's and Ramseurs, at n con-
cealed point, threatening our extreme left.
The two remaining divisions (Wharton's
and KerShaw's) were moved from Fishers
Hill along the pike, threatening OUR center.
Shortly before daylight while the army
was dreamless of danger, and soundly
sleeping, an assault was made on the
right. The rapid and continuous dis
charge of sentinels' muskets extended
thence along the front towards the left,
when suddenly the rebel infantry adj
vanced against Crooks position in solid
columns, pouring fierce fire on our
flank and front. Only portion OF our
troops had manned the breastworkS when
the assault commenced. II was so ener-
getic and deadly as TO break our lines Mt
once. The men of both divisions were
swept from the breastworks into which
the enemy came hocking like the sea.
They entered the encampment IN the rear
of the works, where the soldiers had
scarcely awakened, and were actually
rising from their blankets.
To save the artillery at the breaStworks
became desperate object when the as
sault was first discovered, but the nature
of the ground rendered this next TO i'm
possible. Battery B, Sixth Pennsylvania
was captured. By superhuman efforts
all but one gun of the Fifth Regular bat
terv was saved. Meanwhile the enemy
still advanced, completely turning our
left flank, and were nearing the pike on
the heights above. The whole army was
BY this time aroused. Wagons, ambu-
lances and artillery were making for the
rear. The Nineteenth Corps which had
stood firm during the assault on Crooks.
now found itself confronted by second
division of the enemy, which had moved
up the pike and attacked it fiercely in
front and flank, with musketry and artil-
lery. Coll McCauley's brigade, second
division, on the left, swung out Of its po-
sition in front to receive the flank fire Of
the foe.
The assault increased in fiercenesS, and
the whole division reformed itself to meet
the shock. The rebels advancing mount
ed the breastworks in its front. and with
whitening volleys forced it back in re-
treat. The Nineteenth Corps abandoned
all its works and now fought retreating
and partially broken. The left Of the
army was completely turned, and half Of
the army of West Virginia was flying in
dismay through the fog. Its camps and
the greater part of its camp material were
in possession of the enemy. The rem
nant, together with part of the provisional
division of Col. Kitchings, which had
been encamped in the rear, were fighting
still for the possession of the pike. The
Nineteenth Corps was fighting more or
less stubbornly. falling back and constant
ly losing in stragglers. The entire coun-
try about Middletown, and beyond in the
rear, was populated with demoralized
soldiers.
The moment that the army Of West
Virginia and the Nineteenth Corps were
found to be falling back, General Wright
sent orders to the Sixth Corps to change
front. swing around and stem the torrent.
Scarcely q moment elapsed when its col
umns were seen moving by the left flank
straight into the heat of the conflict, open
ing moment for the passage of stragslers,
and then closing up Immediately. For q
time the career of the rebels in the centre
was brought to a pause. Some OF their
cavalry had already penetrated into Md
dletown on the left, capturing portion OF
Gen. Crooks ambulance train. Their in
fanrry had swung around, and were just
passing the pike above, when Generals
Merritt's, Powers and Custar's divisions
were withdrawn from the right and sent
to prevent the further advance Of the reb-
els. After the check of the enemy In the
center, the lines of the 9th and 18th Corps
were re-formed-the 9Th on the left, and
the 18th on the right. 1t was then found
necessary to withdraw the whole line some
distance in order to connect with the cav
airy, who were advancing to drive the
enemy from the pike on the left. and held
the field at that point.
The retrograde movement was not &C.
complished without loss. The enemy fol-
lowed up 80 closely and so revengefuly
that their bullets rained on the artillery,
killing horses and men, and embarrassing
the attempts Of the artillerymen to move
the guns to the rear. The guns were
fought splendidly. They fought every
where until the last moment. when it was
found they could not be removed. Six
guns were lost in the attempt to remove
them, when the lines had reached the creek
just to the right and rear of MiddIetown,
where the second stand was made, and
where two charoes IF tho aro,,,,. ,,,.-, -,