| Dublin |
| July 26, 1863 |
| |
| Maj. Gen. Samuel Jones |
| Commanding Department of Western Virginia |
| |
| General, |
| In obedience to your
orders of July 18, directing me to take command of the two organized
companies at this post and such of the employés and citizens as
could be hastily collected together, and to proceed to Wytheville,
for the purpose of meeting a raiding party of the enemy reported
approaching that place, I have the honor to report: |
| The mail train {of
the Virginia & Tennessee RR} was stopped, the passengers
notified to leave the cars, and my command (numbering about 130 men)
with two pieces of artillery placed upon them. Notwithstanding the
delay consequent upon getting citizens hastily together, organizing,
arming, and equipping them, we were enabled to leave this point for
Wytheville at 3 p.m., one hour and a half from the time when your
order was first placed in my hands. The train was subject to further
delay, owing to the fact that we were running out of time, and a
freight was upon the track meeting us. |
| The train arrived at
Wytheville depot (three-fourths of a mile from the town) at 5.10
p.m. My artillery was disembarked at once; but as there were neither
horses nor harness ready at hand, it became necessary to procure
them, which, in the great state of alarm and confusion in which
everything at the place was found, rendered a considerable delay
unavoidable. As no reliable information could be obtained either of
the force or whereabouts of the enemy, Lieut. C. L. C. Minor was
ordered to procure horses enough to mount himself and half a dozen
men, move as rapidly as possible in the direction in which they were
reported to be approaching, and furnish me with reliable
information, if possible. |
| After about half an hour's
delay in making arrangements for organizing the citizens of
Wytheville, and distributing the small-arms to them, which I had
carried with me for that purpose (in which I was promptly and
efficiently aided by Lieutenant-Colonel [Abraham] Umbarger, of the
militia, and Maj. Joseph F. Kent, a resident of the place), and
before horses or harness were yet procured for the artillery, I
received information from Lieutenant Minor that the advance guard of
the enemy, numbering about 40 men, were within a mile of the town. I
could then wait no longer for my artillery, but put my small command
in motion in the direction of the town, and ordered Captain Oliver
to follow me as rapidly as possible when he should have procured the
means for moving his guns. |
| Before reaching the town, I
again received information from my scouts that the main body of the
enemy, numbering about 1,000 men, was within half a mile of the
town, moving steadily and rapidly forward. I pressed on as rapidly
as was practicable with an undisciplined command, and succeeded in
reaching town just as the enemy made their appearance in sight of
Main street
, some 1,200 yards distant. Not being familiar with the streets or
the topography of the town, I was forced to be guided by
circumstances, and first moved my command in the direction in which
the enemy were approaching; but, after advancing a short distance in
that direction, I found it impossible to procure a position which
would be tenable for so small a force against so large a one. I
therefore ordered Lieutenants Bozang and [H. H.] Alexander to move
their company forward to check the advance, while the remainder of
the command could be brought back to Main street, where resistance
might be more successfully made. This order was obeyed promptly, and
the officers and men behaved most gallantly. Lieutenant Bozang's
conduct on the occasion was conspicuously brave and his services
most valuable. Although a deadly volley of buck and ball was fired
into the head of the advancing column at a distance of not more than
30 yards, yet the impetuosity of the charge was so determined as to
be irresistible, and Bozang and his gallant little command were
forced from their position in a narrow street, and compelled to
surrender to overpowering numbers. |
| By this time the remainder
of my force had been removed from
Tazewell street
(the one by which the enemy were approaching), and posted in such of
the houses upon
Main street
as could be entered, many of the doors being closed and securely
fastened. This position was held for about three-quarters of an
hour, when we were forced to abandon it by overpowering numbers of
the enemy, deployed as skirmishers on foot through the town. I
ordered a retreat, and the town was left to the mercy of the foe.
Had I remained longer, the result could not have been different,
excepting that all of the brave men under my command must inevitably
have been killed or captured. Owing to the severity of the enemy's
fire, and the unorganized condition of my command, they could not be
withdrawn in order, and were, therefore, directed by me to quit the
town as best they could, and to rally at the water-tank, a point
upon the railroad a mile below the depot, whither I had ordered the
train to be moved for greater safety. This they did, but before that
point could be reached, the conductor, for some reason which has
never been explained to me, moved off with his train, thereby
compelling the command to make their way back to
Dublin
on foot. |
| About 25 of the men who
accompanied me were captured; Captain Oliver and 2 men were killed;
Lieutenant Bozang and 3 or 4 wounded; and I have been informed that
2 of the citizens of Wytheville were also killed and some 50 or 60
captured. They, however, with the other prisoners, were subsequently
released upon their parole. |
| Owing to the great advantage
we secured in fighting from houses and other shelter against mounted
men in the streets, we were enabled to inflict far greater loss upon
the enemy than we sustained, notwithstanding the disparity of
numbers. The colonel commanding (Toland) was killed; the second in
command (Colonel Powell) was wounded, and afterward left in our
hands. Captain Delaney was killed; Lieutenants [Charles H.]
Livingston, [William E.] Guseman, and were wounded and also left in
our hands. Nine others were left dead in the streets, and a number,
which I have not been able to ascertain, were left wounded in and
around the town. |
| It was owing to these
losses, doubtless--specially the loss of the two colonels--that,
after burning eight or ten houses, and inflicting an injury upon the
railroad, which was repaired in an hour's time, they abandoned their
undertaking, and retreated at 10 o'clock that night toward Tazewell
Court-House, carrying off one of our 6-pounders, which had not been
brought into action, and which they abandoned before they had gone
20 miles. |
| I am, general, very respectfully, your
obedient servant |
| T. M. Bowyer |
| Major, Commanding Expedition |
|