, 1864-07-02

! HtdhEuluE u OuI NEAtElt lANQ uQk KUN LUZ W
| the return Of the kanawha division, the rebels
came on IN perfect confidence of victory.
I There they come-old veterans OF the famous
Ewcu corps, practiced in the hundred battles
Of the Potomac a1my-rank alter rank, VIII
our men resist and repcl this almost irresisti'
bletorrent Of steel lead and iron rushing on to
| overWbelm them! We wait but few mia.
ntes. Grape, canister, shell, are hurled on
themfrom our batteries, while regiment after
| regiment pours in It's effective fire at short
range. They eyWayer-halt-tnrn with
n cheer, our men are up and after them, dr1-
wing them clear into and beyond their breast
works. These being completely command
ed By works in the rear. onr men reluctantly
retired, bringing with them numerous guns,
dropped By the rebels in their hurried flight.
In this charge, the 5th Virginia infantry by
some understanding got into the front
ranks, although they with the whole I'd d.
vision were bnfy used as reserves. As It
pying the lett, and suffered severely, losing
obont thirty men.
With this charge, repulBe and charge ended
the second days work before Lynchbarg. We
Ind tested the enemy's position and numbers,
and found both too great for our army, with
a strongly fortified town, that If taken by us
Mt all, could only be taken by surprise. In It
we're troops far SURPRISING Ours In numbers
and freshness, fighting behind breatworks.
So quietly on the night OF the 18th the Wa
Eon and ambulance trains Were started; In
the afternoon and about 9 o'clock the troops
we're Withdrawn, and our journey home was
commenced. Gen. Crook's division bringing
mp and guarding the rear.
COL. PowELL's EXPEDITION.
On Saturday evening Col. Powell, I'd Vir-
g1nfa cavalry, with the LIST and I'd Virginia
cavalry regiments aud two guns, marched
around By the right to cut the railroad east
Of Lynchbure, and surprise fort about two
guide missed the road md led them ten miles lies
ont Of the Way to Campbell Court House,
After slight skirmish, IN which they killed
TWO and captured stI, messenger arrived
from Arerill, Informing the Colonel of our
withdrawal, and he was compelled to rejoIn
the main column without doing much injury
to the 1ailroad.
uoMEwARD MARCH.
passed from one end Of our column to the
other, as to the number and designs Of the
enemy following in our rear. The event
proved their only object to be to hartass,
as much as ], 500 men could, our army, and
pick mp stragglers. Early's division could
not be spared from! Richmond longer than
SO McCa1sland followed is with bis brig.
soldiers to retire thus in the guise Of
retreat before the men they had so often
overcome and routed. TogiTe them battle,
II they really wished It, at Buford's Gap, Gen.
Crook drew up bis division in line and
awaited their onset. The men were tsirly
longing. for one more chance to punish the
wolves lowering in our rear, hut they came
not, and after waiting couple OF hours,
once more we marched Oh, and once more
they followed All night of the Goth We
marched along the line Of the railroad, and
every bridge or culvert that was burnable
was burnt, SO that through the whole coun-
Of our devastating march.
= Il D1s0RAoEFuL LOSS.
IA the command WAS at breakfast on the
morning OF the 2lst, in and around Salem.
the rebels made fierce attack on tie rear,
with both mUsketry and shells. A brigade
being sent back to assist in covering the re-
trent into the valley at the foot Of the Cataw-
ba Mountain, the trims were hurried on,
Fora few moments it was very difficult to
decide whether we were not going to have q
regular stampede, such panic seemed to
possess the inevitable teansters. The tratus
passed on in safety, and were followed by
Carlin's and Stones batteries, that by some
any except tho artillcrists, they having
neither 1eTolyers nor Babres. Passing into
defle, aparty of one hundred and fifty to
TWO hundred rebels rushed down on them,
drove them of, mud proceeded 1eisurely to
chop up the spokes of the wheels and cut the
traces, and lead oil the horses, and ali too
without firing single shot, So quietly
was 1t all done, TINT your correspondent aud
afriend, quietly resting iu a wood near by,
heard or knew nothing Of it, until score
or two Of frightened artlIlerists rushed m to
tell Of their loss The remaining command
coming up were astonished to find the ruins
Of two splendid batteries standing In the
{" 1t6 afn a.
ineficiency andBuM- An effort was made to
haul oil the pieces In wagons but 1t was
found possible to carry but four; the re-
1naininE rix spiked, and with t1unuious
knocked of, were hidden. The ten carriages
and ten caissons were then, By some bill.
roadside, over which almost our whole col
unn has still to pass. The result may easily
BE- imagined, and the folly and stupidity OF
the MORNINGS work eliminated In tue kill
ing Of SIX men and rounding ten of the End
Virginia cavalry. Opr loss, then, bY this
ten carriages, ten caissons, one hundred and
twenty horses, cir men killed and ten
wounded.
It is entirely owing to the policy maintain
ed in the LIST division Of carrying the batter
les as trains separated from the column. Un-
armed as the men are, We can readily per-
ceive what m easy matter It would be for
any enterprislng rebel with small command
to dash in and destroy and capture, Us was
done Tuesday morning. Attempts Lad been
made to induce General Crook to place his
batteries in the same position in our col
umns. but he steadily refused, and the good
results Of bis persistence became evident On
Tuesday when similar attack was made
upon Capt. McMullen's blttery, when the
rebels were driven oil, With number killed
and wounded.
On the evening OF the aist, Gen. Crook,
growing tired Of the incessant sklrmishingIn In
onr rear, determined to give the rebels les
son, and, concealing tic SD regiment on
each side of the road, marched On. The
ovc1-confdent bushwhackers- such alone
they are-fo1lowed, and, Us usual, fred On
our rem. A return fire from the infantry
from the roadside greeted them, and killed
fifteen and wounded several Since then
they hnye been very cautious Of any too near
approach to our columns
At Salem We turned north On tho road over
Catawba Mountain to Newcastle, and on 4he
night Of the 23d We camped at Sweet Springs,
in whose beautiful grounds Of old the chiv-
airy We're wont to assemble and dIsport
themselves. Passing the night of the 9th
at White Sulphur, We reached Meadow Bluffs
on the 25th, Without incident, save the great
need Of ralone that began to be felt so press
ingly in the ranks. On The 2Gth and eth the
march continued; on the latter day the
command meeting wagons with abundant
rations. Oncemore rest and quiet await us,
and in 4 short time the army will be ready
for another expedition, with, let us hope,
better auspices. G.