Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-08-20
Miners Surrender.

Carnes, and all of them unconditional
ly surrendered yesterday. Capt. hel-
Ter anderson, Who was held by the
miners as prisoner, was given up.
General Carnes arrived at Coal Creek
early in the morning, and tie entire
village surrendered without opposition.
Tho march was then taken up In the
direction of Fort Anderson, mile dis
tant. On the way the soldiers were at
tackled BY a body of miners, numbering
800. The fire was returned, and con-
siderable shooting was done for about
ten minutes. The miners sent up a flag
of truce and surrendered. General
Carnes arrested $50 citizens OF Coal
Creek, and held them as hostages until
Captain Anderson was given up.
A body of citizen soldiers who start
ed to the relief of Fort Anderson in the
morning was attacked from ambush.
Three militiamen and two miners were
killed and a number of persons were
wounded.
The battle commenced at $50 o'clock
in the morning and lasted nearly hall
an hour. Four of Col. Woolford's SOL
diers were captured. They were soon
retaken. The volunteers and one hun
dred soldiers of the Second Regiment
reached Ofuts, small village four
miles from Coal Creek, about II O'Clock
Thursday night. After thoroughly dis
eussing the situation and comforting by
wire with Gen. Carnes it was decided
to 90 at once to the relief of Fort An
derson. Major D. A. Carpenter, who is
thoroughly acquainted with the topog-
raphy of the country. took command OF
the men. They left Otfutts about 2
o'clock and went across Walden's ridge
by circuitous route, so as to reach
Fort Anderson from point farthest re-
moved from the village of Coal Creek.
The night was dark as pitch. The
sides of Walden ridge are very steep
and covered with huge boulders and
lodges of sandstone. Just after they
started down the mountain on the
north side toward Fort Anderson the
men were divided into three squads, I'M
der command of Capt. w. l.. Ledger
wood, Gen. d. D. Anderson and Col. S.
l.. Woolford, respectively.
Three men, all uniformed and claim
ing to be friendly to the soldiers, ap-
peared and offered to pilot the regiment
down the mountain. Without suspi-
cion the troops followed them into the
well-planned ambuscade. Ledger
woods mc7 were in front. At point
within a quarter of Il mile Of Fort An
derson the firing commenced from be-
hind the great lodges of sandstone. The
flag at Fort Anderson was in full view
and the men were feeling relieved at
the near approach of Notifications,
when bullets began whistling about
their ears.
Ledgerwood's men had passed the
ambuscade before firing commenced,
and they received q volley of bullets in
the back. Carly, Walthall, Givens and
Heiskell, who were killed, were
all in the party. The other
companies faced about at once
and opened fire on the ambuscade. As
the firing became general, men seemed
to rise up from behind every stump and
stone in sight. They were all well
armed and greatly outnumbered the
military. Major Carpenter, seeing that
the odds were greatly against him, or
dered all three companies TO retreat,
s and the long march over the mountain
to OHutt's was commenced again.
The dead and wounded of both sides
were left on the field Of battle. The
miners, after capturing four of Wool
.fords men, started on retreat them
selves Seeing that Carpenter was go
ing rapidly in the opposite direction
the four soldiers were released and al
lowed to return to their regiment. The
regiment reached Oflutt's on the re-
treat about 10 o'clock, thoroughly ex-
hausted. They notified General Carnes
that they were at his service if needed
and wanted to go to Coal Creek any
way. General Carnes wired them he
could manage Coal Creek with his regi-
ment, and they started around the
country among tarm-houses and OBJ
sained food. A squad of picked
men returned to the battlefield and
brought the dead and wounded into
Coal Creek under flag of truce.
Details of Thursdays fighting are
coming in. At Coal Creek $50 soldiers
whipped 5000 miners. 1t is said that
twelve miners are dead and nearly
twenty are wounded. The fight began
in the afternoon at 3 o'clock. The
miners attacked Captain Anderson's
camp. The return Of the fire was Or
dered by Captain Anderson and blaze
of fire from every side Of the fort belch-
ed out. Some were killed outright and
many wounded.
At the stockade the miners stopped
| and men clambered over the walls to
release the convicts. The fort is some
distance from the stockade and higher
up. Tie doors and entrances were
thrown open and the miners were at
last in possession. They began to or
der the convicts to leave, and had them
all released when Capt. Anderson as
sembled all his soldiers at the side the
miners we're on, and, moving the how
tiers on that side, began to lombard.
The miners stopped in the work of
releasing the conyicts and turned to get
out of the way of the heavy fusilade of
bullets. Again and again their leaders
begged them to fight, but they rushed
down the hill to escape the showers of
lead. With never halt and never a
rally they reached the bottom of the
hill, bearing their dead and wounded
with them. They hurried far out ofthe
sight and reach of the guns.
Five miles east of Clinton yesterday
the advance skirmishers of General
Carnes's force heard voices in the tim
Der and were received at first by
| .,ollo,, uhioh caar,ad IN oona from