Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 2.
Frank Moore, Ed.

In the early part of the night, about 11 o'clock, a skirmish took place at the bridge, between a small detachment of our forces, composed of Capts. Young and Leftridge's companies, and a German regiment on the other side. The firing continued for about half an hour, the night being as dark as pitch, and only illumined by the flashes of the musketry. Our men were instructed to fire below the flashes of the enemy's guns, and the screams of his wounded told of the execution of our shots. Our men were uninjured, one receiving a bullet through his blanket, and another being grazed on the cheek by a musket ball.

A member of the expedition that fired the town relates evidences of some of the foulest desecrations of these houses and homes of our Virginia people by their former Yankee occupants. In many cases, the parlors of the houses were allotted to the filthiest uses of nature, while the walls of the rooms were garnished by the obscenest expressions and the vilest caricatures. We have been shown a number of caricatured letter envelopes of the Yankee soldiers, which were gathered as trophies. One is of an American eagle bearing aloft “Jeff. Davis” by the most available portion of his pantaloons. Another is of “Uncle Sam's Bantam,” threatening to “crow while he lives,” to which there is an addendum in pencil, “crows where no one can hear him, and very hard to find.”

The fortifications of Hampton, erected by Butler's troops, and left standing, are described as of the most complete kind, and as extending entirely across the town. A ditch 18 feet deep, with rampart and embrasures for the heaviest cannon, with other works of defence, had been constructed.

Newport News has not been evacuated. It continues in the possession of the enemy, who is about 4,000 strong. The defences are said to be complete, the only approach to the place being commanded by nine columbiads. The present force of the enemy at Old Point is estimated at 6,000.

Gen. Magruder was erecting strong fortifications at Bethel, 250 men being daily employed on the works.

It was supposed that a man of the name of Paschal Latimer had perished in one of the burnt houses of Hampton. There was no other casualty known to have occurred.--Richmond Examiner, Aug. 12.