line to resist them. Others, however, fought them singly, and those only made their escape, who were satisfied at the start that the number of the enemy was too great to contend against, and fled immediately, except in a few instances, where they hid under houses and log piles until the enemy retired. Some fifty or sixty are known to have got away, and perhaps others will turn up.

The rebels held the place until about ten o'clock the next morning, when the S. B. Boston came up with about two hundred of the Fifth Virginia regiment, under Col. Zeigler. They were joined by a number of the Home Guards, of Lawrence County, Ohio, who had assembled at Proctorsville, opposite, to prevent the rebels from landing in Ohio, which they had threatened to do.

On the arrival of the Boston, some shots were fired at her from Guyandotte, which were answered by a shot from a small two-pounder, sending a ball through a rebel's brick house. The rebels immediately left on double-quick time, and the hypocritical secession citizens, who had been instrumental in getting up the attack, came on the bank of the Ohio with a great number of white flags, which they waived quite enthusiastically, supposing they could still deceive our brave Union men, who had plead for them and saved their property from destruction, but it was all in vain.

Their destruction was decreed by an indignant people, and three regiments would not have prevented them from burning the town. Our troops passed over; a few shots were fired at the rear guard of the retreating rebels, and a few arrests made of leading secessionists, among them H. H. Miller, who had been for some time with the rebel army, and came in with Jenkins and got trapped at home; E. A. Smith, who was seen firing with a revolver on our soldiers in the street; John S. Everett, who shot at one of our soldiers swimming the Guyandotte, and several others. And then the town was soon in flames. No Union man's house was set on fire, but several caught from the others. The town is, at least three-fourths of it, burnt up. All the stores, the hotel, and the finest dwelling houses, are in ashes.

It is supposed that Jenkins went with his force to his own plantation, as the next night his warehouse was thrown open, a large fire burning in front of it, and a man with a lantern under the bank, hailed the steamboat Moderator, but our captain was not quite green enough to be caught in that secesh trap. He, however, rang the bell twice, as though he were going to land. But ten or twelve men showed themselves, and there is very little doubt that the warehouse was full of his ragamuffin crew.

When I left, there was a report that three thousand infantry of the rebel army were at Barboursville, marching on Guyandotte, but I supposed it to be a false rumor.

Yours, most respectfully,

J. C. WHEELER.

|

He

Mr. Wheeler says, in addition to what he has written, that the first intimation he or any one else had of the attack upon the town-all was confusion, and indiscriminate fighting was going on in the streets. The attack was made about seven o'clock in the evening, and in a short time the rebels had formed their lines around the town. Mr. Wheeler made his escape, in company with his little boy, by running into a cornfield with a heavy fire in his rear. walked all night before he met a man whom he dared to approach upon the subject of crossing the river. When he did finally encounter a Union (?) man, he had to employ the persuasive chink of the almighty dollar before he could be accommodated. Congressman Whaley acted gallantly, appearing in the streets and urging his men to resistance. The secession citizens who knew of the contemplated attack, had succeeded in completely deluding Whaley's men. There was not a single picket out at the time of the attack, and no alarm was given.

IRONTON "REGISTER" ACCOUNT.

Our neighboring town of Guyandotte, Virginia, opposite the upper part of this countya town of about one thousand inhabitants when the war began-was the theatre of tragic events and terrible scenes last Sunday night and Monday. The town is two-thirds in ashes -hotels, business houses, and dwellings, all in one dreadful ruin. The people-nearly all of the bitterest and most violent secessionists and rebels, with scarcely "ten righteous" among thein, far in advance, in rebel work, of any in all Western Virginia-the people have met with a terrible retribution, awfully severe, yet the fruit of their own works. What a reward is theirs! Ten of its leading men now prisoners in jail, their stores, hotels, and fine residences in total ruins, their families wanderers!

Col. K. V. Whaley, of Wayne Co., Va., was forming the Ninth Virginia regiment, with his camp at Guyandotte. He had altogether about one hundred and fifty men, but many were absent on furlough last Sunday. On Saturday, thirty-five men of the cavalry of Col. Zeigler's Fifth Virginia, under Lieuts. Feazzel and Shanley, joined him; and probably Col. Whaley had on Sunday night, when attacked, not to exceed one hundred and thirty-five or one hundred and forty men under his command in Guyandotte. Eighteen were in the hospital, mostly with the measles. The attack was sudden, and entirely unexpected, and his men were "taking it easy"'-some at church, some sauntering about town, some asleep in their quarters, and only a out, no "pickets camp guard In short, they were in a criminally careless condition, and, so far as Col. Whaley was concerned, merited to be "cleaned out," and it was done, although there was abundant evidence of his gallant conduct in the fight. About eight o'clock in the evening the rebel guerilla cavalry of Col. Jenkins, in force estimated from four hundred to eight hundred-very good authority

66

out.

of, said to be mortally wounded in the side. Also, they carried away, in wagons that belonged to Col. Whaley's men, several dead bodies. The names of the dead on our side, as far as we can learn, are James Massie, Wm. Vititoe, Pleasant Lunsford, all from the northeast part of this county, and John Malloy, an Irishman. We can arrive certainly at ten wounded on our side-among them Wm. Wilson, Clement Nance, George Sines, and Amos Lambert, of the northeast part of this county. The leg of Sines was broken by a ball. Also a man named Bragg was among the wounded. Dr. G. B. Bailey, of Portsmouth, who com

puts it at eight hundred, but probably four | Ceredo, one of them a rebel captain. They hundred is nearer the actual number-suddenly carried off their wounded, except one we hear fell upon Col. Whaley, from different directions. Rally!" was instantly the word in Whaley's camp; the men gathered in squads, sheltering themselves behind buildings, embankments, and from the darkness of their various places of making "stands," made a gallant resistance of over an hour, pouring a dreadful fire in upon their assailants in the streets. From their scattered condition at the onset, probably not many over one hundred Union men got to their guns-Enfield rifles, but those that did, fought desperately against four to one, and they only gave up the fight, at last, when overwhelmed by the superior numbers. There was a sanguinary struggle at the bridgemanded the Portsmouth Company in the First over the Guyandotte River, and those who Ohio, at the Bull Run defeat, is said to have have since visited the bridge report it covered been shot in the chin, and taken prisoner. He with blood, as in a slaughter-house. Some of was acting as assistant surgeon in Col. Whaley's the Federal troops were killed here, and their command. We know, leaving out of account bodies are said to have been thrown off the any reported thrown into the river, that of the bridge into the river by their rebel antagonists. Federal troops five were killed, ten woundedA reliable man, who was in the fight, tells us this positive; others probably killed and that one wounded man begged not to be wounded. The rebel loss was probably greatthrown over, but he says, "I heard a splash." er, for they were exposed in the open streets, Three of our men attempted to swim the Guy- while our men fought from sheltered positions. andotte River; two of them are reported shot; P. S.-The dead body of Dr. Bailey, of Portsone did swim the river, but he received a bul-mouth, was found in the river, at the mouth of let in the leg. One man was pulled out from under a house. Another concealed near says: "I heard an officer yell, Here, shoot this d-d Yankee!'" Wm. Wilson, of Marion, in this county, is said to have been thrown from the Of prisoners, the rebels took about forty-five, bridge. He swam out, concealed himself, and Col. Whaley of the number. Among them after daylight the next morning, he with an- were Dr. Jona. Morris, surgeon; Thos. Ross, other man, having passed up under the bank sergeant-major; Hamilton Smith, (son of John of the Ohio, was shot from the house of Rob- K.,) Jacob Black-all of Ironton. Capt. Uriah ert Stewart, a notorious rebel, just above Guy-Payne, who had a company there from the andotte, and wounded severely in the thigh. back part of this county, which suffered severeWilson was lying at Fuller's, in Quaker Bot-ly, was among the prisoners. Captain A. T tom, Monday night. Yells of the infuriated rebels were often heard, such as: "Don't let a man escape! "Give 'em hell!" "Take no prisoners!" and language not best to repeat. There are reports of firing on our men from the windows in town; so men in the fight say.

the Guyandotte. The wound in the chin was not serious; and probably he was either thrown from the bridge, or drowned while attempting to swim the Guyandotte River.

Brattin, of Ironton, after the fight, concealed himself under a house, and escaped the next morning. Ol. McClure escaped in the same way. It was McClure who shot the rebel captain. We are indebted to Captain Brattin for much of this narration, corroborated by several The rebels pursued the squads, charging upon others. In leaving Guyandotte Monday morn them around the corners, running down indi-ing, the prisoners had their arms bound behind viduals, killing some, wounding others, taking others prisoners; and after the fight was over, they hunted many from places where they had attempted to conceal themselves. The rebel troops held possession of the town until about eight o'clock Monday morning, when they left, just as the steamer Boston, with a portion of the Fifth Virginia, under command of Col. Zeigler, was about arriving, and other Union soldiers were gathering in; for the country, for thirty miles above and thirty below, had been alarmed.

We find it a difficult matter to arrive at the exact loss on either side, but probably can get fully as near to it as usual in such cases, perhaps nearer. The dead bodies of six-four Union, two rebels-have been brought down to

with strong cords or ropes, and, in some instances, where they did not step to suit their guard, we are quite reliably informed they were kicked; one was seized by the hair of his head and kicked.

The rebels captured about two hundred Enfield rifles, thirty-eight cavalry horses, and all the saddles and horse equipments, which had just been received, and were new; also, they took some commissary stores. When they first made the attack, a strong party went directly to the stables where our men had their horses, in their manner showing that they had been fully "posted." Several of their horses were killed.

There is no doubt that the rebels in town had accurately informed the rebel troops of

down the river bank, through a narrow and rocky ravine, driving the bushwhackers from their hiding places as they advanced. Company B, under Capt. Swoyer, swung round to the top of the bluff.

large force from Ceredo and points below had | Pushing through the brush, Company A charged already assembled, and the rebels, anticipating a warm time, scampered to the hills with about one hundred and thirty prisoners, among whom are Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey of the Ninth Virginia regiment, Dr. Jonathan Morris, formerly of Gallipolis, John Lawson, and Thomas Berridge, in the employ of Wm. H. Langley, and all the Union men the scoundrels could lay hands on.

Col. Zeigler, of the Fifth Virginia regiment, ascertaining that a trap had been laid by the secesh citizens of Guyandotte to ensnare the Federal troops, and that they had actually fired upon the troops from their dwellings, ordered the match to be applied, and every house, except two in a remote part of the town, was laid in ashes.

Doc. 151.

BATTLE OF LITTLE BLUE, MO.
A CORRESPONDENT gives the following account

of this action:

CAMP JENNISON, KANSAS CITY, Nov. 12, 1861.

The Jayhawkers have already vindicated their reputation for daring, celerity, vigor, and pluck. Night before last, two companies, B and II, and part of Company A, under Capts. Swoyer and Pardee and Lobnis, commanded by Col. Anthony, left camp for Majors' Farm, about ten miles south, where the Government wagons and oxen were coralled. Reports had come in that a force of rebel guerillas, under Col. Hays, which were reported encamped on the Little Blue, had threatened to attack the train. Yesterday morning early, Company C, Capt. Jenkins, was sent to reinforce.

Information was soon after received that a fight had taken place, and some of our boys killed. This latter was confirmed by the arrival of messengers for the surgeon.

To show the position of the rebels, a slight explanation may be necessary. After passing the undergrowth, some half mile from the horses, two deep ravines were discernible, running to the right and left, winding down to the stream round a high bluff, the top of which formed a plateau, upon which a large number of rebel horses were picketed. It was on this plateau, and through the upper part of the right ravine, that Swoyer's men charged. Down the left one to the stream went Colonel Anthony and Company A. On the east side of the creek they found a number of tents ensconced between the bluffs and jutting rocks. On the opposite bank of the stream, on the bluffs commanding the east camp, was another encampment, which, with the force at command, it was impossible to reach. Col. Anthony drove the secesh from their holes below, while Capt. Swoyer did so above. Every rock and stump was used for cover. The natural defensive strength of the place was very good, and the fighting was almost hard to hand, men on both sides bringing the muzzles of their rifles against each other. It was evident that the rebels were over four hundred strong, and well armed.

The individual cases of bravery were somewhat surprising. In the fight below, several were killed on both sides, as also above.* At this, Col. Anthony issued orders as a feint to bring up the reserve. The bugler, mistaking the purport, rode back, sounding the advance, and Pardee's men rushed on to the ground. By this time Company B had swept up on the bluff again, and a charge was again made under a severe fire from the concealed foe. Company H suffered severely under the fire, and, though It appears that Col. Anthony, receiving in- in it but a few minutes, lost more men than formation Sunday night that there was a rebel any other. They fought like tigers. Cheer camp at a point eight or ten miles southeast of after cheer was given by the different compaMajors', after consultation with his officers, de- nies for each other, and the continuous yelling termined to make an attack early in the morning. was startling. Though wild with the frenzy of By six A. M. the command, consisting of one battle, the boys were under perfect control, and hundred and ten men, was composed of parts of when the order was given for a retreat, they Companies A, B and H, the first under Lieut. did so in excellent order. This, however, was Lobnis, the others under Capts. Swoyer and not done until all the firing on the east side had Pardee. The rebel encampment was located ceased. On the plateau spoken of, nearly one at some distance from any main road, and in a hundred horses were picketed. Col. A., findvery dangerous and strong place. The exacting himself too far from his horses, which were force was not known, but supposed to be double our own. After a sharp ride, the pickets of the enemy were discernible. They fled at our approach, and gave notice to the camp. About three-fourths of a mile from the creek, the command dismounted; the horses were left in charge of Company II. The guide, a secesh named Gray, broke and ran back, but was stopped by Col Anthony, who compelled him to rem ide throughout the fight.

liable to be cut off, and perceiving that with the force under his command, it would be useless to attempt to cross the stream under the fire of the western camp, and endeavor to scale the precipitous bluffs, which there were at least fifty or sixty feet high, privately gave the order for the men to secure the horses fit to ridemany being wounded. At the same time the bugler sounded a charge, and under cover of the movement and of a brisk fire from the

other encampment, the boys left the battle | cient to oppose the landing of troops. The comground of the Little Blue.

A number of tents were found, but in the position of affairs it was not deemed prudent to risk more lives in an attempt to carry them off. Our dead, which were mostly in exposed positions, had also to be left. The men reached their horses, and leisurely returned to camp.

manders of the gunboats above named agreed with me in this opinion, and also as to the desirability of a thorough reconnoissance of this point. They very kindly placed their vessels at my disposal for such a purpose. Sunday evening was the time agreed upon for this service, but Lieut. Magaw was unfortunately prevented by orders from his superior officer from carrying out his intention in this particular; but Acting-Master William T. Street, of U. S. cutter Dana, volunteered the services of himself and vessel.

Col. Anthony took one prisoner early in the battle, a fellow named Estes. When Company H had reached the bottom, he rode furiously down the other gully up to the colonel, shouting, "They are coming! they are coming! "Who's coming?" "The Federals!" was the The Island Belle, with the Dana in tow, ran answer. "You are my prisoner," shouted Col. | up Port Tobacco Creek to Chapel Point, and on Anthony. The fellow drove his spurs in his them I embarked about four hundred picked horse, but as it jumped he was fired at, and a men of my regiment. The embarkation was ball passed through the neck of the animal-conducted silently and in good order. Arrived not the man, unfortunately, though he fell.

Col. Anthony was not wounded, though two balls struck his sabre, one passing through the handle, the other striking the sheath. It is certain, from a comparison of the different reports, that no less than thirty of the rebels were killed and many wounded. A large number of their horses were also killed.

The following are the dead and wounded on our side: Company A-Killed, Robert Henderson, Corporal Eye, supposed to be killed; wounded and missing, Steve Stilwell, - Anderson, both of Doniphan County. Company B-Killed, Isaac Merrick, William Popjes; wounded, Fred. Kimball, William Bowman, Robert Barry, W. T. Johns, James A. Hunter, H. P. Swan, severely, all of Illinois. Company H-Killed, Wallace Holmes, of Linn County, Johnson, of Leavenworth, Dillon, Leavenworth, Reese, orderly sergeant, and since reported wounded and a prisoner.

Doc. 152. RECONNOISSANCE AT MATTHIAS PT.

COL. GRAHAM'S OFFICIAL REPORT.

HEAD-QUARTERS FIFTH REGT, EXCELSIOR BRIGADE,

}

at Matthias Point, I landed my force, under the admirable direction of Masters Harris and Street, and made a most thorough inspection of the point for several miles around.

Master Arnold Harris, of the Belle, was the first to land, and, accompanied by a squad of skirmishers, pushed forward and took possession of "Grimes' House." About a quarter of a mile from shore he came suddenly upon three of the enemy's pickets, one of whom raised his musket and was about to fire, when Master Harris shot him dead in his tracks with his revolver. The other two pickets ran. We secured the musket (flint lock) of the slain, and the horses of all. The main body of the command, under my own guidance, then made a thorough inspection of the point for some four miles inland; we met two more of the enemy's pickets (mounted) and endeavored to capture them, but they escaped; one of them, however, wounded by a musket ball. We discovered a few rifle pits and a battery partially masked, but with no guns mounted. We burned a number of rebel houses and barns. Beyond this point there were no batteries or troops to be seen, except a party of perhaps twenty cavalry, who retreated precipitately as we advanced. existed at Hamstead, at which was located, We were informed, however, that a rebel camp also, a battery of three pieces of rifled artillery. Capt. Street tendered the use of his twelvepound howitzer and crew, but I preferred not to expose my command, by the risk of a too great advance over the enemy's country, to at

CAMP FENTON, NEAR PORT TOBACCO, MD., Monday, November 11, 1861. GENERAL: Shortly after my arrival at this point, Capt. Arthur Wilkinson, of Company I, of this regiment, by my orders seized several boats, and manned them with crews of sailors picked from his company. They were en-tack his camp nine miles distant, the force not ployed in reconnoitring the Potomac shore and neighboring creeks, and in keeping a general surveillance over the movements and actions of the secession sympathizers on this shore. In his numerous reconnoitring expeditions Capt. W. was frequently materially assisted by Lieut. Samuel Magaw, of the U. S. steamer Freeborn, and Acting-Master Arnold Harris, of the U. S. steamer Island Belle.

I was on board these steamers in several of their explorations, and from information gleaned from reliable sources, I became convinced that there were no batteries at Matthias Point suffi

being sufficient to keep the avenues of retreat open in case of an attack by overwhelming numbers. A large amount of forage and grain was burned, and several horses and some cattle belonging to the enemy were captured. It also fell to the lot of the Fifth to capture Mr. George Dent and son as prisoners, and bring them to this camp. We found them armed, and under circumstances which leave no doubt of their complicity with treason. I shall transmit them to you, with the papers found in their possession, as soon as possible. Several attempts were made to burn the heavy growth of timber