the fight at Rockcastle — the
Confederates Fall back to
Cumberland Gap --a skirmish near
Brownsville — a Sharp Rebuke,&c.
From our exchanges we compile the following in relation to the progress of the war in
Kentucky.
The telegraph having kept us pretty well posted in regard to skirmishes &c., in that State, it is a hard matter to find anything which has not been before noticed:
The Rockcastle fight — reports as to the movements of the enemy.
A correspondence appears in the Nashville
Union and American, from Camp Buckner, Ky., October 28, from which we extract the following:
We are back at our old camp, after a hard march of about ten days. We went down to whip the
Federals at
Rockcastle, but the rascals were in an old wild-cat den, and we could neither get to them, nor get them to come out and fight us. In the skirmish we had with them, about 11 of our men were killed, and about 60 of theirs.
It is also said that they killed about 400 of their own men.
The enemy is reported to be in pursuit of us, and we will go to
Cumberland Gap in a day or two, and there we will take our stand and not allow even the devil to whip us. It is reported that the enemy were at Laurel Bridge night before last, ten thousand strong, but this is uncertain, as we have no way of getting news except from parties passing through.
When we attacked them at Wild Cat Camp, our boys wanted to go right through their midst, but our officers knew that would not do, so they ordered us to stand and fire.
The most of the enemy are well armed with the
Minnie and Sharp rifle, but they are far from being good marksmen, as they always shoot too high.
All we want now is a few good blankets and some winter clothing, and we will risk the balance.
A few of our men are sick, but none of them serious.
There are some few cases of fever and mumps, and that is about all the sickness we have.
The
Bowling Green correspondent of the Nashville
Union, writing under date of Nov. 4. says:
‘
A skirmish occurred Saturday morning, near
Brownsville between a portion of cavalry, belonging to
Gen. Hindman's command, and a number of Federals, resulting in the capture of three of the latter, together with two horses and a
United States flag.
The prisoners were brought to
Rocky Hill yesterday afternoon, and will be sent here for safe keeping; the flag being the first captured by this division of the army, will be retained as a trophy.
Full particulars of the engagement have not been received, although it is stated that six of the
Federals were killed, while several of our men were severely wounded.
It is currently reported here that
Gen. Tilghman, with his entire command, has evacuated
Hopkinsville and withdrawn his force in the direction of
Clarksville, which latter place is being threatened with a land and water attack.
’
A Sharp rebuke,
A correspondent writing from
Bowling Green states the following:
‘
An amusing incident, and one calculated to waken the Northerners to a keen sense of the hospitable reception with which they meet in their invasion of
Kentucky, occurred at
Louisville a few days since.
A regiment from the
Northern part of
Indiana was being transferred from
Jeffersonville to
Louisville on board the ferryboat, when, having reached the
Kentucky shore, the
Colonel of the regiment rode up the wharf, which was alive with young and able-bodied Kentuckians, who had assembled to witness their debarking, and not yet enlisted in the
Federal army.
The
Colonel, who was surprised to witness such a gathering of men capable of bearing arms, remarked that it was ‘"d — d hard for Indianians to fight the battles of
Kentucky,"’ and asked, in an insulting tone, ‘"why Kentuckians were not engaged in this war?"’--An honest Irishman, who was standing by and heard the remark of the abolition
Colonel, replied that ‘"if ye wait till ye meet
Buckner, then yell see the Kentuckians"’The reply, which contained a severe rebuke to the impertinence of the interrogator and much truth, elicited not a little merriment from the crowd, and imparted to the
Colonel information of a character the truth of which will be verified, should he ever come in contact with
Gen. Buckner's forces.
’
Kentucky Horsemen.
The Memphis
Appeal says:
‘
Amongst the Kentuckians who have sold themselves for Yankee gold, we observe the names of
Saunders Bruce and
Capt. Worley, of
Lexington — both well known to the ranchmen of the
South,
Bruce is to command a regiment of Lincolnites — a position for which he is eminently qualified by his thorough knowledge of all matters connected with the
running stock of the country.
Worley's position has not been assigned him, but we hear he has applied for permission to sell pools on the next
Bull Run Races.
‘ "How much for the favorite?
Go it,
Worley; percentage is bound to tell."’
’
Concentration of Federal forces in Kentucky.
The
Bowling Green correspondent of the New Orleans
Picayune says:
The evacuation of the
Kanawha Valley by the
Federals doubtless looks to a large increase of their forces in this State.
Rosencranz,
Cox,
Reynolds, and the balance of the ‘"veterans,"’ as they delight to call them, of
Western Virginia, will in all probability be in this State, with their respective commands; and a bold and vigorous blow at
East Tennessee will probably be the policy upon which they will act. Last Monday and Tuesday five regiments, three from
Pennsylvania, one from
Minnesota, and one from
Indiana, arrived at
Louisville for
Sherman's command; and as fast as they can be organized, or spared from other employments, their troops will be poured into ‘"loyal"’
Kentucky.
They have now eleven regiments and three batteries from
Ohio, three regiments from
Pennsylvania, six regiments from
Indiana, one from
Minnesota, and two from
Illinois, altogether twenty-three regiments and three batteries, with probably six thousand Kentuckians and Tennessean, in the
State east of
Cumberland river — say a total of 30,000 men. It is possible they have other forces of which I am not informed, but I feel confident the estimate is very nearly correct, I would not be surprised if these were doubled in a fortnight.
