From the editorial correspondence of the Lynchburg (Va.) Republican, of Sept. 11th, we extract the following statement with regard to the late engagement at Carnifex Ferry :
On Tuesday morning Col. McCauslin’s regiment, which had been down at Summerville as our advance, was driven in, and the enemy encamped 14 miles distant from us. We expected him to drive in our pickets on Tuesday night and attack us on Wednesday morning, but contrary to these expectation he forced his march and drove in our pickets at 2 o’cl’k Tuesday. Our line of battle was at once formed behind our breastworks, and scarcely had all our forces been placed in position, before the enemy was seen swarming in the woods from one end of our lines to the other. He approached with great deliberation and firmness, and his central column emerged from the woods and above the hills, 200 yards in front, just 16 minutes after 3 o’clock. He approached us from this point in double-quick time, evidently intending to force our works at the point of the bayonet. At the first crack of our rifles, the gallant Colonel, who led in front of his men on a splendid black charger, fell dead to the earth, while the head of his column recoiled in utter confusion. The Colonel’s horse, as if unconscious of the fall of his rider, dashed up to our embankments around them into our camp, and, from the inscriptions on the mountings of his pistols, proved to be Col. Wm. H. Lytell’s, of Cincinnati. I saw the daring officer fall from his horse, and he was certainly one of the bravest of the brave, for he sought “the bubble reputation” at the very cannon’s mouth.
The enemy ‘s columns now opened upon us along the whole of our center and right, and for an hour the rattle of musketry and the thunder of artillery was incessant and terrible.
At first, the range of both their small arms and artillery was very bad, shooting over our heads. The range of the cannon was very bad, for while their balls cut off the tops and split open the giant oak in our encampment, their shells, with few exceptions, burst high in the air, and full fifty yards In our rear. But when they come to the last charge they had gotten the range far better, and their balls began to plow up our embankments, while their shells broke directly over us in every direction, and with terrible fury.
We did not lose a single man killed, nor more than ten wounded.
The battle had raged but twenty minutes when our gallant General was very painfully wounded in the right arm, the ball entering near the elbow and passing out near the wrist, without breaking any bone. We retired him a short distance under the hill, and had the wound dressed by Surgeon Gleaves, and in ten minutes he was again moving along our lines, encouraging the men by his presence and his voice. At a later stage of the fight a Minie ball tore through the lappel of his coat, and another through the mantle of his saddle. Indeed, it is the wonder of all of us how he escaped death. None but his staff and surgeon knew he was wounded until the close of the fight. He is now suffering much pain. Gen. Floyd’s tent, from which floated our glorious flag, was completely riddled with the balls of the enemy.
At the close of the fight, a council of war was held and upon our knowledge of the enemy’s strength, together with the information we received from our prisoners, it was determined to retire all our forces to the south side of Gauley, and not hazard an attack the next morning.
Our force was only 1,700 men. and while we had strong reason to believe that we could maintain our position even against such terrible odds, we did not deem it prudent to hazard so much.
We had dispatched Gen. Wise, in the morning, for reinforcements, and he had declined to send them for fear of an attack upon him by Gen. Cox. We had also sent couriers for the North Carolina and Georgia regiments to come up, but it was impossible for them to reach us in time to support us.
We are now pitching our tents at this place, on the main Charleston road, about 15 miles from Gauley Bridge, and 55 miles west of Lewisburg.
Gen. Wise is encamped at Dogwood Gap, a few miles above us, while a portion of his force holds the Hawk’s Nest below us.
The Evening Star, Washington, DC