well intrenched and determined to resist us | firing, that the attack was upon our right. near Carnifex Ferry. Upon the receipt of my order, however, ColoAfter a halt of nearly two hours, about one nel Smith moved rapidly across the main mile short of the Cross Lanes, we moved rapid-road, down the ravine valley on our left, where ly forward toward the position of the enemy, until our arrival at the site of this camp, about one mile from their intrenchments, a little past two o'clock, when, after a reconnoissance by you, myself accompanying you, I was authorized to move forward with my brigade, "using my best discretion in the case." Upon receiving this order, and with the mass of my brigade well closed up, which had been accomplished during our reconnoissance, I moved carefully forward, with the Tenth Ohio regiment lead-cability of a successful attack upon the rebel ing, having our skirmishers well ahead, and at the flanks for nearly three-fourths of a mile, when we discovered through the opening of the woods on our left, their intrenchments in an open space on our left, beyond a deep and steep valley, and crowning the crest of the opposite hill. he fortunately struck upon the, most advantageous route, and thence he moved up the opposite hill, entirely past the right flank of the enemy. But as I had been unable to find the Twelfth regiment to send forward to his support, though I have since learned that three companies, under Lt.-Col. White, were near him, his movement became principally a reconnoissance, from which he soon after returned, reporting to me his opinion of the entire practiintrenchments at that point, he having entirely passed by the breast work on the right, approaching within one hundred yards of their line, pouring a fire into them, which, it is since satisfactorily ascertained, cleared that part of that breast work of the enemy. As I was still unable to find the position of the Twelfth regiment, which it has been reported to me had been ordered into the woods by the commanding General, I sent one of my staff to Colonel McCook, commading the Second brigade, to ask him to aid the Thirteenth in request a reply was returned to me that there were other orders from the commanding General, as stated to my aid by acting AdjutantGeneral, Captain Hartsuff. Having no engineer officer with my brigade, and no others, that I knew of, to replace one, I kept with the head of the regiment to avoid ambuscades, and to judge myself of their position and arrangements. After advancing about one-fourth of a mile to the end of the woods I│this attack with his Ninth regiment, to which halted the command, and could perceive that a heavy cross fire had been prepared for us at the open space at the debouch from the roads. Within some five minutes after this time, (nearly half-past three o'clock,) while carefully examining their earth-works on the road in front, and their intrenchments on our left, a tremendous fire of musketry was opened on us, which in a few minutes was followed by a discharge of grape and spelter canister from a battery of some six pieces of artillery. This caused a break in the line for a few minutes, though for a few minutes only, for the men immediately returned to their ranks, under the lead of their officers, to their former position, where I retained them, as I was certain that the fire at us through the close woods was without direct aim, and because they were needed for the protection of our artillery, which I immediately ordered up; the two rifled guns of Captain Schneider, and Captain McMullen with his four mountain howitzers immediately followed, throwing their shells well into their intrenchments on our left. A further examination of their position convinced me that their weak part, and our true part of attack, was on their right flank, across the deep valley from our position, upon which orders were immediately sent to Colonel Smith, of the Thirteenth regiment, and to Colonel Lowe, of the Twelfth regiment, to advance and pass the valley on our left, under cover of the woods, to that attack. Neither of these regiments were to be found in their proper position on the road in my rear, as I expected. After a short time, Colonel Smith was met with on our right, where he had been drawn into the woods by the belief, from the sound of the In this state of affairs, I could only hold my position in front, with the Tenth regiment protecting the artillery, which was endeavoring to silence the cannon of the enemy, which was to a considerable extent accomplished after the first fifteen or twenty minutes-their guns being at once removed to other positions, as was then also done with one-half of Schneider's and McMullen's pieces, to enfilade the crest of the hill from the edge of the woods on our right, which gave a fair view of their battery at some three hundred and eighty yards' dis tance. At this time, or about one hour after the commencement of the action, Colonel Lytle, of the Tenth, though not ordered by me, and while I was still endeavoring to obtain troops for the attack from our left, made a very gallant attempt to approach their battery through the cleared space in front of it, which of course failed, from the smallness of his force in that exposed situation-he being severely wounded and compelled to retire with the loss of many men killed and wounded. Colonel Lowe, of the Twelfth, also, at a subsequent period, made a similar attempt, and, as far as I can learn, without orders; in which, I regret to say, he fell, being instantly killed by a discharge of canister from the enemy. The above comprises the sum of the action of the portion of my brigade that was with me, until you arrived on the field and assumed the direction of affairs, some time after which arrival you also arranged for and directed the attack upon their right, with Colonel Smith's the acting commissary and quarter-master of the regiment, and a part of the Twelfth and Forty- | brigade, rendered, during the early part of the Seventh, Colonel Mohr-this attack, as having day, most valuable service in arranging the been first directed by myself, you will recollect I advance of the column, and in accompanying offered to lead upon the enemy, recommending the skirmishers-a duty fully as exposed and at the same time a simultaneous demonstration dangerous as that upon this battle-field. In or attack by the Ninth and Twelfth regiments, coming upon the first deserted camp of the enunder cover of the woods, from our right. The emy, I regretted to have to leave him in charge command moved forward, however, under the of the property captured there, by which, durdirection of Colonel Smith, but from the late- ing the action, I lost his services, which, from ness of the hour it was compelled to return my knowledge of him, would have been most without attempting any thing, and the lateness efficient to me. of the hour seemed to forbid further operations for the day. There remains now but the grateful duty of acknowledging the valuable services of the different commanders and other officers, as far as known to me, in the brigade, previously assigned to me within the past week only. The personal gallantry and chivalrous daring of Colonel Lytle are attested by his wound, and the exposed position in which he received it, and the soldierly conduct and bravery of his Lieutenant-Colonel, Korff, and his Major, Burke, I myself personally witnessed many times during the action. In Colonel W. S. Smith, of the Thirteenth Ohio regiment, I have found one of the most valuable and efficient officers I have ever known. His great intelligence, knowledge of his profession, skill and caution, coolness and excellent judgment on all occasions, both previous to and during the action, met my highest praise. His Lieutenant-Colonel, Mason, wounded during the attack upon their right flank, I saw bravely ready to guide the way to the second attack; and his Major, Hawkins, both in the action and on all other occasions since my connection with this regiment, has shown himself a most courageous and valuable officer; and Lieutenant-Colonel White, of the Twelfth, I found during the action earnestly seeking the opportunity of an advance against the lines of the enemy, which he soon found in joining Colonel Smith, with his three companies of the Thirteenth, where he rendered most efficient service. Of Captain Schneider, commanding the two rifled pieces of the Thirteenth Ohio regiment, and of Captain McMullen, commanding the howitzer battery, I can speak in the highest terms, for their soldierly skill in the conduct of their batteries, which repeatedly silenced the artillery fire of the enemy, and forced it to change positions. And of my staff-officers, but recently connected with me on such duty, I have a most satisfactory report to make. Lieut. J. O. Stanage, Thirteenth Ohio, as acting assistant adjutant-general, has rendered constantly most valuable services in the performance of his proper duties, and, together with my aid, Lieut. S. B. Warner, Twenty-third Ohio, was constantly by my side through the hottest of the fire, while not bearing orders to the different parts of the field; and Mr. W. S. Mallory, The cavalry companies of Capts. West and Gilmore, being held in reserve for emergencies, were thus prevented from having their share in the action. I have the honor to enclose herewith the reports of Col. Smith, Thirteenth Ohio, Lieut.Col. Korff, now commanding Tenth Ohio, Lieut.-Col. White, now commanding Twelfth Ohio regiments, and of Capt. McMullen, of the howitzer battery. Very respectfully, your obdt. servant, COLONEL LYTLE'S REPORT. HEAD-QUARTERS MONTGOMERY REGIMENT, 10th O. V. I. CARNIFEX FERRY, Sept. 11, 1861. Brigadier-General Benham, Commanding First Brigade, U. S. A. : SIR: I have the honor to report that, agreeably to your orders, I proceeded with my command on yesterday, Sept. 10th, at three o'clock, yourself accompanying and directing the advance with me, to reconnoitre the position of the enemy, supposed to be in force in the neighborhood of Gauley River; our road led up hill through a densely timbered forest, and as I advanced I threw out flanking parties to the right and left, and skirmishers in advance of my column. After passing through the woods for half a mile, our skirmishers were suddenly engaged in front, and I pushed on to their relief until I reached a cleared space on the summit of the hill, where, for the first time, the enemy came in view, posted in force behind an extensive earthwork with twelve guns in position sweeping the road for over a mile. A ravine separated the hill, by which we approached from the right of the breastworks of the enemy, which were composed of logs and fence rails, and extended for over a mile to the right and left of their intrenchments, affording secure protection to their infantry and riflemen. When the head of my coluinn reached a point opposite the right centre of their earthwork, their entire battery opened on us with grape and canister, with almost paralyzing ef fect, my men falling around me in great numbers. I ordered the colors to the front for the pur. pose of making an assault on their battery, perceiving which, the entire fire of the enemy was directed upon us. The men rallied gallantly on the hill-side, under withering volleys of grape and smallarms, and a part of three companies, A, E, and D, actually moved up to within pistol-shot of the intrenchments, and for some time maintained an unequal contest. Both my color bearers were struck down; the bearer of the State color-Sergt. Fitzgibbons-had the staff shot away and his hand shattered, and in a few moments afterward was shattered in both thighs while waving his color on the broken staff. The bearer of the National color-Sergt. O'Connor-was, at the same time, struck down by some missile, but recovered himself in a short time, and kept waving his colors in front of the enemy's fire; about this time I received a wound in the leg, the ball passing through and killing my horse. batteries and returned with water to the wounded. Of the portion of the regiment under the command of Major Burke, that officer makes honorable mention of the names of Capt. H. M. Hard, Co. J; Capt. Robinson, Co. K; Capt. Hudson and Lieut. Hickly, Co. C; Capt. Moore, Co. D; Sergeant-Major Knox; and Chaplain W. T. O'Higgins. I beg leave to enclose a list of the killed and wounded of the command, all of which is respectfully submitted. W. H. LYTLE, Col. Tenth Ohio Regiment U. S. A. COL. SMITH'S REPORT. HEAD-QUARTERS THIRTEENTH REGIMENT O. V. I. Lieut. J. O. Stanage, A. A. A.-Gen.: At about eleven o'clock A. M. on the 10th inst., a general halt of the whole column having been ordered at a point about two miles distant from the enemy's intrenchments, my regiment was ordered by General Benham to form in line of battle behind the crest of a hill on the right flank of the position, then being occupied by the Second and Third brigades, it having appeared that they were about to be attacked. Perceiving the fearful odds against us, I directed the men to place themselves under a cover; a portion rallied behind two log houses in front of the battery and kept up a spirited fire for at least an hour before any other regiment came into action, and the remaining portion of the right wing, under command of Lieut.-Col. Korff, returned in good order to its position under cover of a cornfield in front of | the right of the battery; a steady fire was maintained against the enemy until night, after which, four companies, G, II, I, and K, and a My line was just deployed, when I received great portion of companies D and E, by order an order from General Rosecrans to move forof Gen. Rosecrans, remained on the ground ward, which I did, taking my place in line acduring the night and held their position, throw-cording to our previous order of march, the ing out their pickets under command of Lieut.Colonel Korff. While the right wing of the regiment under my command engaged the enemy on their right centre, a portion of the left wing, consisting of companies C, J, F, and K, under command of Major Burke, pushed through the woods on the left of the road, and assailed the palisades of the enemy's infantry across a deep ravine. This portion of the command held its position in face of a terrific fire, until every round of ammunition was expended, and the companies relieved by artillery, when it rejoined the right wing, already in position in front of the battery. For men for the first time under fire, the conduct of the regiment was highly creditable. Having been wounded in the early portion of the action, I was necessarily separated from the greater portion of the command, and among those whose gallant conduct came under my own eyes, I would especially mention Capt. Stephen J. McGroarty, commanding the color company; Lieut. John Mallory, Co. D; and Lieut. Fanning, of Co. A. Both Lieut. Fanning and Capt. McGroarty were severely wounded, the latter while rallying his men around their colors, and the former while leading his men to the attack; Capts. Steele and Tiernon are also worthy of especial mention for their gallantry. I would also mention the name of Corporal Sullivan, of Co. E, who, in the midst of a galling fire, went across the front of the enemy's Tenth Ohio, McMullen's battery, my own section of two rifled cannon, and yourself with Gilmore's and West's cavalry companies leading in their order. We closed upon the head of the column, and marched thus until we had reached a point within two-thirds of a mile of the enemy's position, when I was again halted by an order from the rear. We remained halted in this position for about ten minutes, and until the enemy opened fire upon the head of our column. I was then ordered to move forward, which I did, until I was induced by the heavy firing, apparently on our right, to move in that direction with my regiment until my line was fairly deployed, when I received an order from Gen. Benham to move forward to the left. My regiment was then moved forward by the left flank down the ravine to our left, running nearly parallel with the enemy's front; then up the right hand slope until I saw the works of the enemy from my position at the head of my regiment. I then moved to the left along the skirt of the woods in front of the enemy's line, about two hundred yards from it, until I reached his extreme right flank, moving all the while behind the summit of the bill, which sheltered it from his fire. The enemy's line from the battery at the centre to the right flank, was completely revealed to us during this flank movement under cover. When we reached the enemy's extreme right, we received his fire from behind the breast work of logs and rails, distant now about one hundred yards, The order was immediately given to my regiment to fall down and creep up to the crest of the hill, when we opened fire and maintained it briskly, driving the enemy in upon his centre. Having been ordered to make a reconnoissance, not an attack, we ceased firing, and lay in our position to await further orders, sending Lieut.-Col. Mason to report the result of our reconnoissance to Generals Benham and Rosecrans. I have since learned through a prisoner taken by us, that our fire cleared the enemy from his works on the right, and drove him in on his centre. After waiting, as I supposed, a sufficient length of time, and finding that Col. Mason had lost his way in the thick underbrush, I drew down my eight companies into the ravine and back into the main road, and then went in person to report to Generals Benham and Rosecrans; this I did, and requested that a Brigadier might lead us to an attack upon the enemy's extreme right. A brigade, consisting of the Twenty-eighth Ohio, eight companies of the Thirteenth Ohio, three of the Twenty-third Ohio, and two of the Twelfth Ohio regiments, was extemporized by General Rosecrans, and I was placed in command, and ordered to carry the works on the right by assault. I formed the command as above constituted in the ravine, and was then ordered by General Rosecrans to halt and await further orders. We remained in this position for about one hour, when General Rosecrans ordered us to move forward to the attack. I reached the head of my column and started just at dusk. Before we could march down the ravine, through which we had passed before, and countermarch up the right hand slope, so as to draw out my line on the flank, and in front of a portion of the enemy's line, it became so dark, and the men so weary, having marched from three o'clock in the morning, that it was found impossible to ascend to their line; the ground was covered with rocks and a dense underbrush of laurel, and Col. Moore reported that it would take until two o'clock in the morning to get two companies of his regiment up. I then ordered the whole column to "face about!" and march out just as it had marched in, and crossed the ravine to the rear of the column to lead it out, when a shot or two from the enemy's skirmishers, or an accidental shot from one of our own pieces, caused the whole column, doubled as it was into a "U" shape, to open fire, killing two, and wounding about thirty of our own men. The melancholy mistake was at once discovered, and the column extricated and marched back by left into the main road, and so on back to the grounds selected for our encampment. At the beginning of the action, my section of two rifled cannon, under command of Capt. Schneider, and supported by his company, (E, Thirteenth regiment,) was ordered by General Benham to take position in the road by which our column approached, and at a point about four hundred yards distant from the enemy's works; several shots were fired from this position with good effect; Capt. Schneider then found a better position for his guns, about one hundred paces to the right, and cut a road to it with his sword and one hatchet, and from this new position, in full view of the enemy's battery, he fired seventy-five rounds of solid shot, and fifteen of shells; his shot ploughed through the parapet of the enemy's battery, spreading consternation among those who served the pieces. Capt. Schneider and his men behaved with great gallantry, delivering their fire with coolness and accuracy, although exposed to a brisk fire from the enemy's battery and from his musketry. The same may be said of my whole regiment, which was kept in perfect order throughout the day. Respectfully submitted, W. S. SMITH, Com. Thirteenth Regiment O. V. U. S. A. LIEUT. COL. WHITE'S REPORT. Brig.-Gen. Benham : SIR: On the 10th inst., two miles from the enemy's intrenchments at Carnifex Ferry, Va., the Twelfth regiment Ohio Volunteers were detached from the column of advance by order of General Rosecrans, to skirmish the wood to the left of the road, and after completing the work and returning to the road, the regiment had not advanced more than half a mile, when the firing from the advance on the enemy's line commenced. The regiment moved in a double quick to the enemy's encampment in a field on the left, where General Rosecrans' staff was stationed, when it was diverted to the left from the main road, through the field and wood in the direction of the enemy's fire; after advancing some two hundred yards, it was deployed as skirmishers, facing by the rear rank, with the order from the A. A. A.-Gen., George L. Hartsuff, to draw on the fire, close up, and charge the enemy's line. The underbrush was so thick it was impossible to maintain a line, and it being impossible to communicate with Col. J. W. Lowe, the left wing was pushed forward to the enemy's right, and the attack there made. The Thirteenth regiment Ohio Volunteers, under Col. W. S. Smith, to our left, and the artillery to our right; finding but little effect could be made on the enemy from this position, Adjutant Pauly was sent to you to notify you of our position, and receive your order. Afterward I reported to you in person for orders, in the mean time keeping up a fire on the enemy, when he discovered himself above the breastworks. Still later, Adjutant Pauly reported to you for orders, when we were attached to the Thirteenth and Twenty-eighth regiments, under Cols. Smith and Moore, to attack the enemy |