The campaign in Western Virginia.
The battle of Princeton.
[Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.] Princeton, Mercer county, Va., May 18th, 1862.
It will be remembered that Col. Jennifer burnt and evacuated this place about a month having been hard.
pressed by a superior force of the enemy who surprised his cavalry stationed there.
Since that time Col. Wharton has been organizing the 50th and 61st regiments and Hennshall's battalion, preparatory to advancing by way of Rocky Gap, and in conjunction with Marshall and Heth marching from different directions, in order to surround the enemy, supposed to be composed of two brigades.
One brigade was kept at Princeton, while the other went to the Narrows and took possession of Pearisburg, which Heth so recently drove them from in great confusion.
My account of yesterday's proceedings commences with Heth marching from Giles C. H., driving the enemy; Marshall marching from Tazewell C. H.; while Col. Wharton, with 869 men, and the 1st detachment of the Otey battery, having provided his men with three days rations, takes up his line of march from Rocky Gap, Bland county.
Your correspondent was one of the latter's command, hence I can only state what came under my observation.
The distance (10 miles) was travelled by 12M. the morning of the 17th, having driven in foraging parties and pickets all along the route.
Arriving in front of the town, about a mile from it, the battery was ordered to the front and wheeled to the right into a field surrounded by woods, and just in front by a small field separating it by a rail fence.
Before the gun could be put in position, a regiment of Pratts Zouaves opened brisk fire on the battery at a distance of 36 yards; but old Richmond was in the field, and soon shelled them from the position and drove them back to Princeton.
A momentary suspense ensued, when, to our surprise, we heard heavy firing in our rear, which the infantry quite as hotly returned.
We soon learned that the enemy, who had escaped Heth, had been following us up all day, and were attacking us with a much superior force; but, all praise to the gallant heroes of Donelson, under Wharton and Hennshall, they were driven in a perfect run from the field.
During this engagement the men were exposed to the hottest fire, and I will say that I never saw men, both of the infantry and artillery, bear themselves more gallantly.
Col. Wharton, Major Hennshall, and Capt. Peter Otey commanded the infantry, while Lieut. Edward Norvell and O. Serg't John B. Langhorne commanded the rifled gun, which did such execution.
Where all bore themselves so well, it would be doing injustice to particularize.
The loss of the enemy was 211 killed and wounded, while we lost but one man killed and twelve wounded. They left us to bury their dead, which enables us to speak with accuracy as to their loss.
Soldier Boy. 