Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

General dissatisfaction is expressed at the distorted account of the late attack upon this point. The facts are these:

Jenkins, with four hundred and eighty-one men, with others in reserve, came down the Kanawha on flatboats from Buffalo, to within a mile of this place, landed his men, and attacked, at ten A. M., the Point from three directions simultaneously, and so suddenly that his advance was within effective range of the court-house, situated in the centre of the town, before the alarm was given. Captain Carter, of company E, Thirteenth Virginia volunteer infantry, commanded the post, and instantly rallied his fifty men from their camp to the court-house, where for more than four hours he successfully thwarted every essay to capture them. When summoned to surrender, he replied: “Go to----! Take me if you can!” They then, by threats of burning the town, induced some secession women to convey a flag of truce, and try to prevail upon Captain C. to surrender, but to no purpose.

Between two and three P. M., the enemy commenced to retreat, and the discharge of some howitzers from the hurricane-deck of the government transport Victor No. Two caused a panic, when many threw away their plunder, swam the creek, and hastened up the Kanawha, pursued for a short distance by the “Cheese-heads” of Gallipolis, Ohio.

Casualties on the Union side--one lieutenant badly wounded, one private killed, one mortally wounded, and thirteen captured and paroled; also, one citizen slightly wounded. The rebels lost twenty killed, twenty-five wounded, and twenty-seven captured, including one lieutenant-colonel, two captains, and two lieutenants.

Two cribs of corn were burned and a quantity of government and private property taken, about one hundred and seventy dollars' worth of which has been recovered. They took about forty horses. They have acknowledged a signal defeat.

In justice to the brave participants in the unequal [496] contest, please give this a place in your valued paper, and oblige the citizens of Point Pleasant.

P. S.--A few convalescent soldiers, in connection with the citizens who could find guns to use, fought the ragamuffins “on their own hook.”