Wiard guns, which did such good service at Shiloh, under Captain Marshall, got to work, and both batteries threw at least forty shells before the enemy made any artillery demonstration; but when they got at it they worked lively, throwing solid shot, which fell fast among our men, causing many a head to dodge as they went whirling, whizzing, cracking, and humming through the air. They threw solid shot mostly, their design being to dismount our guns, knowing that our defences in the city would be injured by the loss of even one gun.

The cannonading was very brisk for about an hour. At the expiration of that time the rebels threw a few shells, one of which burst over a tree in front of where the General and his staff were standing, fragments of which dropped among the party, one piece tearing a hole in the General's pants, and another piece actually taking off a shoulder-strap from the coat of one of his staff officers.

During the firing Col. Wynkoop's men acted as skirmishers upon the left, their experience all over the State making them proficient in that critical duty.

wounded, none missing, and took upwards of a hundred prisoners, among whom seven officers. B. C. T.

Doc. 29.

FIGHT AT BARBEES CROSS ROADS, VA.

A CORRESPONDENT writing from the Barbees Cross-Roads, near Chester Gap, under date of November fifth, says:

At Linden Stuart was joined by three thousand fresh cavalry, which came through from Edgeville, and by Hampton's brigade, which fell back after engaging Averill.

This morning Gen. Pleasanton led the advance again, Averill following in the rear. He pushed on from Piedmont, passed Markham, and on here to Barbees Cross-Roads, near Chester Gap, where he had a very exciting skirmish with the enemy. Stuart's command bivouacked in this vicinity last night, and from the preparations visible in the fields-as, for instance, the fact of fences Col. Stokes's whole force occupied a position having been carefully pulled down, and from the across a field, about a sixth of a mile in the rear statements of some of the residents-it is evident of our batteries; Colonel Sirwell's regiment skir- that this place was selected by him for a fight tomished upon the right, while the Sixty-ninth day. Stuart and Hampton both slept last night Ohio supported Capt. Marshall's guns, and the in the house in which Pleasanton has his headFourteenth Michigan the battery of Capt. Hough-quarters this evening. Stuart had made his artaling. Although the enemy's shots were rather rangements and awaited our advance. The posidistasteful, as far as I saw, every body behaved well.

I saw General Negley, and conversed with him several times during the fight, and he expressed his delight and satisfaction at the behavior of his troops, speaking very highly of the captains of the two batteries, upon the manner in which they changed positions.

The veteran Colonel Wynkoop has got used to the roaring of gunpowder, and exhibited the coolness which is his second nature. I saw a ball strike about five yards in front of him, ricochet, and pass over his head, leaving dust on his cap.

Col. Cassilly, of the Sixty-ninth Ohio, and his adjutant, (Boynton,) formerly an actor attached to the Boston theatre, behaved excellently.

tion is a magnificent one for a fight. The Blue Ridge, varied at this point with peaks and notches and the rich autumnal foliage, runs along close to the right. Approaching the position, a little hollow intervenes between the base of the mountain and a smooth cleared hill which rises from the right, and forms part of the high ground, interspersed with fields and woods that stretch away. on the left towards Warrenton, while in front a small belt of wood is seen, and the hill slopes down into a basin, with the bottom of rolling land, where the road leading to Chester Gap runs off to the right. It was on this cleared hill the rebel guns were planted.

As our cavalry came in sight the enemy opened on them. General Pleasanton, at the head of the column, speedily made his dispositions for the fight. Colonel Gregg, with the Eighth Pennsylvania, and the Sixth regulars, Captain Sanders

At least a dozen balls struck in front of Stokes's cavalry, some bounding over them, and others rolling under the legs of their horses, but no man left his position or exhibited perceptible un-commanding, were sent away to the left. Coloeasiness.

The movements of the enemy and the progress of the battle showed conclusively that the rebels were in large force, and had at least twice the number of guns we had. The general shifted his position, after an hour's fighting, every five minutes, fighting his way till under cover of our fortifications, when the enemy retired.

All of our first half-dozen shells exploded in the midst of the enemy, and their loss must have been at least two hundred killed and wounded. Our prisoners say twenty-five or thirty were killed and wounded at our first fire, which took them unawares. We lost three killed, eleven

VOL. VI.-Doc. 12

nel Davis, of the Eighth New-York, went to the right, and Colonel Farnsworth, with the Third Illinois, and the Third Indiana, Major Chapman commanding, operated on the centre. Pennington's battery was placed in position by sections, and, after the rebel guns had been driven from the hill, Lieut. Pennington himself commanded the section in a field to the right, Lieut. Chapin the one on the hill, in the centre, and Lieutenant Hamilton that on the high ground to the left.

This was the position of the brigade when one of the most magnificent cavalry engagements of the whole war took place. Mounted and dismounted men were deployed in front as skir

mishers on the right, left, and centre. General awaited the assault for a moment. At the same Pleasanton, with his aids, and a number of other instant the dismounted men from behind the wall, officers, including Captain Custer, of McClellan's and the rallied skirmishers on the left, opened staff, were on the hill, close by Lieut. Chapin's fire as the North-Carolinians came near. section. At that moment columns of rebel cavalry came sweeping down the roads to the right and left, and formed in the fields, while other forces were already formed, hidden from our view behind a number of knolls. "General, they are making preparations to charge upon us.' Very well," he said, "let them come on; we are prepared to meet them on any ground they choose." The interest of every one was instantly awakened to the highest point, and the blood coursed quickly through all our veins.

favorable.

At Fredericksburgh I found the river too high to ford at the regular fording-places, and not wishing to expose my men by crossing them in small detachments in a ferry-boat, I sent your scout, to find some place where we could cross, which he soon discovered above the bridge among the rocks, to all appearances impassable, but at which place we managed to cross—one man at a time. My intention was to send the first Indiana cavalry through the town, while the Sixth Ohio would guard the crossing-place and secure the retreat. After crossing with the Indiana cavalry, under Capt. Sharra, I could plainly see the rebels gathering together in great haste to meet us, and not wishing to give them time to collect, started after them before the Sixth Ohio were over, leaving directions for them, and supposing that they would be over by the time I would fall back, if necessary. We found the city full of soldiers, who were almost entirely sur

An order of the President devolves upon Major-prised, and made many prisoners, whom we sent General Burnside the command of this army. In to the ford, where I supposed the Sixth Ohio to be. parting from you I cannot express the love and It being nearly a mile from Falmouth through gratitude I bear you. As an army you have grown up under my care. In you I have never found doubt or coldness. The battles you have fought under my command will proudly live in our nation's history. The glory you have achieved, our mutual perils and fatigues, the graves of our comrades fallen in battle and by disease, the broken forms of those whom wounds and sickness have disabled-the strongest associations which can exist among men-unite us still by an indissoluble tie. We shall ever be comrades in supporting the constitution of our country and the nationality of its people.

GEO. B. MCCLELLAN,
Major-General U.S.A.

Doc. 31.

DAHLGREN'S RECONNOISSANCE INTO FREDERICKSBURGH, VA., Nov. 9. HEADQUARTERS ELEVENTH CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, GAINESVILLE, VA., November 10.

Fredericksburgh, and not wishing to run my horses so far, I sent Lieut. Carr, with a detachment ahead, to dash through the town and see where the enemy were concentrated. Lieut. Carr gallantly drove several detachments before him until they reached the main body. Having now found where the enemy were posted, I ordered Capt. Sharra to drive them away, which he did in the most effectual and gallant manner, charging a much larger force, and driving them wherever they stood. The fighting was of the most desperate nature, our men using their sabres, and the enemy in several instances clubbing our men with their carbines. While the fight was going on, it was reported to me that the enemy had possession of the ford, the Sixth Ohio not having crossed to hold it. On hearing this, I ordered our men to fall back, and after a few moments' consultation with Capt. Sharra, decided to force a passage, but upon reaching the ford I found they had also left, not wishing to stand another charge. After seeing the command all over and on the road home, I started with twelve men for Acquia Creek to examine the railroad to that point, which we found in tolerable condition, exGENERAL: Agreeably to your orders, I started cepting the bridge over the Potomac and Occahe from Gainesville on the morning of the eighth Creeks, which we burned. At Occahe Creek we instant, to Fredericksburgh, to ascertain the force captured the enemy's pickets of four men, our of the enemy at that place, and then to examine surprise having been so effectually accomplished the Acquia Creek and Fredericksburgh Railroad that not one of the pickets was aware of our enon the return. I left Gainesville with sixty men tering Fredericksburgh. The enemy's loss was of the First Indiana cavalry-Gen. Sigel's body-considerable; but it is impossible to state the guard-and went to Bristow Station to obtain exact number. I know of three being killed, sevan additional force of one hundred men from the Sixth Ohio cavalry; but, finding they had moved to Catlett's Station, I went to that point, where we found them. After a slight delay in preparing, we moved and travelled all night, stopping once, an hour or so, to feed and water our horses. We arrived at Fredericksburgh at half-past seven Although our object was to be there before daylight, it was impossible to do so, the distance being too great, and the roads and weather un

Major-General F. Sigel, commanding Eleventh
Army Corps:

A.M.

eral wounded, and thirty-nine prisoners. Our loss, one killed and four missing. We also captured two wagon-loads of gray cloth about to be sent South. The enemy's forces consisted of five companies of the Fifteenth Virginia, and three companies of the Ninth Virginia.

I have the honor to be, with great respect, General, your most obedient servant,

ULRIC DAHLGREN,
Captain and Aid-de-Camp.

"CARLETON'S" DESCRIPTION.

GAINESVILLE, November 11, 1862. To the Editor of the Boston Journal: The charge of Zagonyi at Springfield has been made a theme for an article in the Atlantic Monthly. It was a desperate exploit, an exhibition of courage, bravery, rashness unparalleled, because it was an emergency requiring an exhibition of such qualities. But that affair, although so brilliant, is hardly equal to the charge made on Sunday last at Fredericksburgh by a squadron of the First Indiana cavalry, commanded by Capt. Dahlgren.

I am sitting in Col. Asboth's tent, at General Sigel's headquarters, listening to a plain statement of what occurred, narrated by a modest, unassuming sergeant. I will give it briefly.

who waited but a moment in the main street, then ignominiously fled. Having cleared the main thoroughfare, Captain Dahlgren swept through a cross-street upon another squadron with the same success. There was a trampling of hoofs, a clattering of scabbards, and the sharp ringing cut of the sabres, the pistol-flash-the going down of horsemen and rider the gory gashes of the sabre-stroke- a cheering and hurrahing, and screaming of frightened women and children—a short, sharp, decisive contest, and the town was in the possession of the gallant men. Once the rebels attempted to recover what they had lost, but a second impetuous charge drove them back again, and Captain Dahlgren gathered the fruits of the victory, thirty-one prisoners, horses, accoutrements, sabres-held possession of the town for three hours, and retired, losing but one of his glorious band killed and two wounded, leaving a dozen of the enemy killed and wounded. I would like to give the names of these heroes if I had them. The one brave fellow who lost his life had fought through all the conflict, but seeing a large rebel flag waving from a building, he secured it, wrapped it around his body, and was returning to his command, when a fatal shot was fired from a window, probably by a citizen. He was brought to the northern shore and there buried by his fellow-soldiers beneath the forest pines. Captain Carr, of company B, encountered a rebel officer and ran his sabre through the body of his enemy. Orderly Fitter had a hand-to-hand struggle with a rebel soldier, and by a dexterous blow, struck him from his horse, inflicting a severe wound upon the head. He seized the fellow's horse-a splendid animal--his carbine and sabre. His own sabre still bears the blood-stains-not a pleasant sight-but yet in keeping with war.

Gen. Burnside requested Gen. Sigel to make a cavalry reconnoissance of Fredericksburgh. Gencral Sigel selected his body-guard, commanded by Captain Dahlgren, with sixty men of the First Indiana cavalry and a portion of the Sixth Ohio. It was no light task to ride forty miles, keep the movement concealed from the enemy, cross the river and dash through the town, especially as it was known the rebels occupied it in force; it was an enterprise calculated to dampen the ardor of most men, but which was hailed almost as a holiday excursion by the Indianians. They left Gainesville Saturday morning, took a circuitous route, rode till night, rested awhile, and then under the light of the full moon rode rapidly over the worn-out fields of the Old Dominion, through by-roads, intending to dash into the town at daybreak. They arrived opposite the place at dawn, and found to their chagrin that one element in their calculation had been omitted-the tide. The bridge had been burned when we evacuated the place last summer, and they had nothing It thrills one to look at it-to hear the storyto do but wait till the water ebbed. Concealing to picture the encounter the wild dash, the themselves in the woods they waited impatiently. sweep like a whirlwind-the cheers-the rout of Meanwhile two of the Indianians rode along the the enemy, their confusion-the victory! Victory, river-bank below the town to the ferry. They not for personal glory, nor for ambition, but for a hailed the ferryman, who was on the opposite beloved country for that which is dearer than shore, representing themselves to be rebel officers. life, the thanks of the living, the gratitude of unThe ferryman pulled to the northern bank and numbered millions yet to be! Brave sons of the was detained till he gave information of the rebel West, this is your glory; this your reward! No force, which he said numbered eight companies-exploit of the war equals it. It will go down to five or six hundred men all told.

The tide ebbed and Captain Dahlgren left his hiding-place with the Indianians- sixty- leaving the Ohioans on the northern shore. They crossed the river in single file at a slow walk, the bottom being exceedingly rocky. Reaching the opposite shore, he started at a slow trot toward the town, hoping to take the enemy by surprise. But his advance had been discovered. The enemy was partly in saddle. There was a hurrying to and fro-mounting of steeds - confusion and fright among the people. The rebel cavalry were in every street. Captain Dahlgren resolved to fall upon them like a thunderbolt. Increasing his trot to a gallop, the sixty dauntless men dashed into town, cheering, with sabres glittering in the sun — riding recklessly upon the enemy,

-

history as one of the bravest achievements on record. Gen. Sigel is in ecstasies to-night. He is writing an order of thanks. The prisoners were brought in an hour ago by a squad, and here come the remainder of the troop, welcomed with wild hurrahs. The South will learn by and by that there are bold riders and brave men who were born in the cold regions of the North as well as in the sunny South-men who have not been gentlemen all their lives, brought up to the chase; but who have tilled the soil, wielded the hammer, held the plough, the spade-free men, who be lieve in free labor. The fabulous glory of the Black Horse cavalry is fading. Stuart has his compeers Pleasanton and Dahlgren. We are beginning to learn war. We have had Southern dash and valor against inexperience, in horseman

ship; but the cool intrepidity, determination and bravery of the Northern soldier is beginning to be felt. We shall hear more from Captain Dahlgren and his men.

Doc. 32.

PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S ORDER.

EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, November 16, 1862.

GENERAL ORDER RESPECTING THE OBSERVANCE OF
THE SABBATH-DAY IN THE ARMY AND NAVY.

THE President, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, desires and enjoins the orderly observance of the Sabbath by the officers and men in the military and naval service. The importance for man and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best sentiment of a Christian people, and a due regard for the Divine will, demand that Sunday labor in the Army and Navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity.

alongside; made sure that they could not extinguish the flames, and again steamed up the river.

At one P.M. I reached the town of Jacksonville, landed, threw out my pickets, and placed guards over the public buildings. This place is the county seat of Onslow County, and is quite an important town. It is situated on the right bank of the river going up, and is thirty-five or forty miles from the mouth. I captured twenty-five stand of public arms in the court-house and post-office, quite a large mail, and two schooners. I also confiscated the negroes of the confederate postmaster. I forgot to mention that the town is situated on the main direct road to Wilmington. Several rebel officers escaped as I neared the place, and carried the news to that city.

At half-past two P.M. I started down the river, and at five P.M. came in sight of a camp on the banks, which I thoroughly shelled. At the point where the schooner captured in the morning was still burning, the enemy opened fire on the Ellis with rifles, but were soon silenced by our guns. I had two pilots on board, both of whom informed me that it would be impossible to take the steamer from the river that night. High water and dayThe discipline and character of the National light were two things absolutely essential in order forces should not suffer, nor the cause they de- to take her out. I therefore came to anchor about fend be imperilled, by the profanation of the day five miles from the outer bar, took my prizes or name of the Most High. "At this time of pub- alongside, and made every preparation to repel lic distress," adopting the words of Washington an attack. All night long the signal-fires of the in 1776, 66 men may find enough to do in the ser- enemy could be seen on the banks. At daylight vice of God and their country without abandoning I got under way, and had nearly reached the themselves to vice and immorality." The first worst place in the channel when the enemy opengeneral order issued by the Father of his Country ed on us with two pieces of artillery. I placed after the Declaration of Independence indicates my vessel in position, at once hoisted the battlethe spirit in which our institutions were founded flag at the fore; the crew gave it three cheers, and should ever be defended: "The General and we went into action. In one hour I had hopes and trusts that every officer and man will driven the enemy from his guns and from the endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian bluff, and passed within a hundred yards of their soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties position without receiving fire. of his country." ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Doc. 33.

EXPEDITION UP NEW RIVER, N. C.

LIEUTENANT CUSHING'S REPORT.

U. S. STEAMER HETZEL, Nov. 26, 1862.

Up to this time I had been in every way successful; but was here destined to meet with an accident that changed the fortune of the day, and resulted in the destruction of my vessel. About five hundred yards from the bluffs the pilots, mistaking the channel, ran the Ellis hard and fast aground. All hands went to work at once to lighten her, and anchors and steam used to get her afloat; but without success. The headway of the steamer had forced her over SIR: I have the honor to report that I entered a shoal and into a position where, as the centre New River Inlet on the twenty-third of this of a circle, we had a circumference of shoal all month, with the United States steamer Ellis un-around. When the tide fell I sent a party ashore der my command, succeeded in passing the nar- to take possession of the artillery abandoned in row and shallow place called the Rocks, and the morning; but when they reached the field it started up the river. My object was to sweep was discovered that it had been removed while the river, capture any vessels there, capture the town of Jacksonville, or Onslow Court-House, take the Wilmington mail, and destroy any saltworks that I might find on the banks. I expected to surprise the enemy in going up, and then to fight my way out. Five miles from the mouth I came in sight of a vessel bound outward with a load of cotton and turpentine. The enemy fired her to prevent her falling into our hands. I ran

we were at work on the vessel. If I had secured this I proposed to construct a shore battery to assist in the defence of my vessel by keeping the rebels from placing their batteries in position. At dark I took one of my prize schooners alongside, and proceeded to take every thing out of the Ellis, excepting the pivot-gun, some ammunition, two tons of coal, and a few small arms, Steam and anchor again failed to get my vessel