The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-03
FItzhugh Lees Repulse.
From the Cincinnati Commercial.
BERMUDA HUNDRED, Va, May g


Fitzhugh Lee, the commander of a
ragged rebel cavalry brigade, has been
very anxious to ape the performances
of Forrest and Chalmers, at Fort Pillow,
in order, probably, to gain for himself
eclat from the worshippers Of King JEFF
for cruelty and barbarism in massacre
| ing a large number of negroes who
have donned the United States uniform
/ to battle for the cause of the Union and
their freedom. A kind Providence,
however, has infused these sable patri-
ots, who were singled out for butchery
by blood-thirsty chivalry," with great
courage and endurance, so as to defeat
the Vaccinations of their hellish plans
In my letter of yesterday gave a
somewhat rambling account of the at
tack made by Fitzhugh Lees rebel cav
airy upon the garrison of General Wild s
colored brigade, near Wilson's Land
ing on the James River. To-day have
received additional and more interest
ing details.
When General Butler made his great
and strategic movement up the James
River to Bermuda Hundred, his quick
perception taught him that the only
places along that muddy stream, where
| the enemy would be likely to obstruct
the navigation of the river, would be at
| Wilson's Wharf, on the west side, and
| Fort Powhattan on the south side of
/ the James River He accordingly or
dered General Kinks, commander of
the division of colored troops, to garri-
son both these places, and Brig General
E. \. Wild, in command of a brigade,
was stationed at Wilson's Wharf, while
a brigade under Col Baxter occupied
Fort Powhattan. For two or three
weeks, no enemy showed himself, until
last Saturday, the Dist inst, when an
attack was made on the latter place,
but Gen. Kinks sending reinforeements
promptly, the enemy was driven of,
pell-mell.
Being baffled in the attempt at wrest-
ing Fort Powhattan from our possession,
the enemy next made an onslaught on
Wilson's WI& f. On Tuesday, the oath
inst, Fitzhugh Lee, lately promoted to
a Major General, by Jef. Davis, in COM
mand of 5000 cavalry, advanced on
Wilson's Landing where Brigadier
General f. A. Wild is stationed with a
brigade of negro troops Before at
tacking the post Lee dismOunted his
men, who were to act as infantry, and
sent flag of truce toGen. Wild, setting
forth, that If the garrison would sur
render without fighting, they should
be handed over to the authorities at
Richmond as prisoners of wal" The
tenor of this flag of truce epistle was
as deceptive and false as a lying rebel
could make it. Instead of saying that
the garrison, in the event of surrender
| should OF lcould be treated as prisoners
of war, he merely promised to hand
them over 10 the authorities at Rich
mond as such, and he left their future
treatment to the clemency Of the au-
thorities. When General Wild refused
to surrender, Lee replied that he was
bound to take them, and he would not
be responsible for the result Wild
said he would try to hold his position, "
and he did it handsomely.
The fight began at l24 P. m, and last
ed six hours. The enemy fought des-
perately-so did the colored troops
| Our pickets were set upon with great
fury and pressed back into our in
trenchments, and also assaulted in their
works, several times The rebels were
hurled back, bleeding and mangled, at
each onset
In order to make a more desperate
charge, the enemy was compelled to
come across a clearing in front Of our
po7ition, up to very deep and impas-
sable ravine. With deafening yells the
rebels charged our lines, but the ne
groes unhinchingly kept their position
and fired murderous Yolleys into them,
driving the enemy back with shattered
and shrunken ranks, completely de
| moralized-
The enemy fought with the most de
| termined stubbornness and bravery.
Lee seemed determined TO capture the
negroes, cost what it might. The right
and left hanks as well as the center
were madly assailed, but Wild proved
more than a match for Lee, and defeat
ed him at every point
From the fact that our gunboats IN
the James River, and a fair field TO
sweep the rebels with grape and canis-
ter, it cannot be wondered at that the
enemy losses are 50 tremendous. TWen-
/ ty-fve dead bodies were abandoned by
them in the woods in theft fight, but
the immense pools of blood on their
track, and where our missiles had ex-
ploded, is an eloquent but silent wit
ness Of the slaughter made by Yankee
guns. even if handled by the irrepres-
sible eontraband The lowest estimate
of the rebel loss, is about two hundred
in killed and wounded Among the
rebel dead left on the field was the body
of Major Breckinridge, of the ID Vir-
ginia Cavalry.
Our loss was one killed outright and
twenty-one wounded. Captain Wild,
aid-de-camp TO Gen. Wild, was struck
in the forehead by spent bali, and
slightly wounded
The bearing Of the negro soldiers was
/ ike that Of veterans They behaved
well and never dinched in the slightest
They deserve we'll the confidence re-
posed in them, and officers who were
at first bitterly opposed 70 negroes be-
ing armed, now profess their admira-
ton Of the soldierly qualities displayed
by them.
The battle near Wilson's Wharf has
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