Gen. Floyd's engagement and retreat.
--The act of recrossing the Ganley during the night by
Gen. Floyd, with his whole force, so large a part of which was sick, excites no little wonder.
It must have been accomplished through a great degree of deliberation and sagacity.
To prevent the enemy from suspecting the movement, it was necessary to avoid lights.
The whole proceeding was under cover of darkness.
But while these shielded the retreat from observation, it also prevented the discovery of many articles, which would have been brought away, and which fell into the enemy's hands.
Gen. Floyd had the skeletons of five regiments in his engagement in which he repulsed
Rosencranz.
They were
Heath's,
Reynold's,
Wharton's,
Tompkins's and
McCausland's. Each of these regiments, or the small remnants of them, were severely charged, and each stood the charge nobly.
There was not a sign of fear or flinching in any face nor in any act of the whole body or in any part of it.
The Georgia and the North Carolina regiments, which left some days since for
Floyd's de had not joined it at the time of the battle.
They met it at
Sewell Mountain.
The militia of the region were also mustering, at last dates, and joining
General Floyd.
the enemy having come down into a country where the people are loyal, he will find it not so easy to make head way. We shall in a few days no doubt receive tidings of sharp work.
If
Gen. Lee is enabled soon to dispose of his adversary on
Cheat Mountain, a very different face will be put upon the campaign and
Gen. Rosencranz will have to make a new move on the chess board to avoid a cheek himself.