Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Gen. Heath came up with great rapidity and boldness, driving in our pickets, which were three miles distant at Greenbrier Bridge, and took a very strong position on a high ridge which commanded the town of Lewisburgh, and also our camp, which was on a hill just north of the town. On the alarm being given by our pickets, company G, of the Thirty-sixth, and company D, of the Forty-fourth, were sent out to investigate the nature of the alarm, and to check any force that might approach; but they were met a mile out by Gen. Heath's whole force, as they were forming their line of battle on the ridge. They received a heavy fire, and fell back before the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. The rebel guns were promptly put in position, and shells were at once thrown into our camp. We could see a large force deploying on Gen. Heath's right and left; but, nothing intimidated, Col. Crook ordered the Thirty-sixth to march to attack his right, and the Forty-fourth his left. This forming in line of battle, under fire, might well try veteran troops; but none of our brave men flinched. One man in the Forty-fourth was killed by a shell, in the ranks, as they were leaving the camp. That regiment moved gallantly on to meet Gen. Heath's left wing, by this time advanced to a wooded knoll on the outskirts of the town. Col. Gilbert ordered all to reserve their fire until they were within about forty yards of the enemy's line, when they and their foes belched forth their volleys at the same time. The next volley from the Forty-fourth completely broke the enemy's line, and while a few still fought from whatever cover they could find, they could not rally to resist so cool and determined a foe. So rapid was the onward march of the Forty-fourth, that the enemy could not find time to remove their cannon. A well-directed volley from one or two companies, killed and wounded so many of their artillerymen, that there was soon no one to remove the guns, and thus four fine pieces, two of them rifled, and all that Gen. Heath brought upon the field, were gloriously won by the Forty-fourth. After this they had only to fire as they could get a shot, upon the scattered fugitives. The Forty-fourth lost six killed and eleven wounded.

The field-officers of the Forty fourth were Col. S. A. Gilbert, Lieut.-Col. H. Blair Wilson, and Major A. 0. Mitchel, all of whom behaved with great bravery and coolness.

No less gallantly moved the Thirty-sixth to the attack of Gen. Heath's right wing. They had to meet the Twenty-second Virginia regiment, an old regiment, organized a year ago in the Kanawha valley, and containing the elite rebels of that region. They had met Gen. Cox at Scarey, Col. Tyler at Cross Lanes, Gen. Rosecrans at Carnifex and at Cotton Hill, and lately, General Cox at Giles Court-House ; and boasted that they had never yet been defeated. The regiment was large, and very confident. After the Thirty-sixth had formed its line of battle, it marched up a steep pitch, almost a ledge; and arriving at the top, where the slope became more gentle, received the fire from the foe, drawn up in line waiting to receive us. The battle at once became general, and the firing was hot and incessant. The Thirty-sixth never broke its line of battle, but moved firmly, and at times rapidly, forward in the open field. The enemy slowly yielded, yet disputed desperately every inch of ground. They took advantage of every fence, and from behind their fancied cover fired rapidly and bravely. By these fences their killed and wounded lay thick. Neither their bravery nor old Virginia pride could resist the steady onward movement of the Thirty-sixth. After being driven steadily back nearly half a mile, to the summit of the ridge, they at last broke and fled in utter rout. The Thirty-sixth lost in killed, five, and forty-one wounded, two of whom were mortally wounded, and died that night. Col. Crook, of the Thirty-sixth, being in command of the brigade, Lieut.-Col. Clark commanded the regiment during the action. Major Andrews was in his place on the field. Both of these officers exhibited great coolness and courage; and it was greatly owing to them that the Thirty-sixth regiment behaved so nobly.

The loss of the enemy was one hundred and fifty killed and wounded, of whom sixty were killed, or have since died. A considerable number of the wounded were carried away. One hundred prisoners were taken, including Lieut.-Col. Finney, Major Edgar, of Edgar's battalion, several captains and lieutenants. Besides the loss of the field, their guns, their dead and wounded, and captured, and three hundred stand of arms, their army was greatly demoralized by the terrible discomfiture, and we have reliable information that one third of Gen. Heath's whole force has since deserted him. Our victory weakened him in this way at least a thousand men. These men, on their return to their homes here in Western Virginia, will be each a radiating centre of cowardice, and a missionary of submission. These people have a deep horror of personal danger. They are unprincipled enough to be guerrillas, where they can, from a safe covert, attack the unsuspecting; but such square, open fighting as we gave them on the morning of the twenty-third, appalls them fearfully.

Gen. Heath confessed his defeat by at once burning the Greenbrier Bridge as soon as he had passed it with his fugitives. Had the ground been favorable for a cavalry pursuit, we should have taken many more prisoners before they could cross the bridge.

By a misunderstanding of orders, the battery of the brigade, under Lieut. Durbeck, of the Forty-seventh regiment Ohio volunteer infantry, was not brought into the action at all; neither was the battalion of the Second Virginia cavalry, under Col. Bolles, brought into the action.

Col. Crook received a slight wound in the foot. He went bravely into the action, and was where the balls flew the thickest. Ohio has never sent out a truer and better soldier. A graduate of