Mobile Register
June 23, 1861
Page 1
A
correspondent, under date of Yorktown, Sunday, June 9th, says:
P.
S. I open my letter to announce a skirmish that took place yesterday (Saturday)
between a detachment of howitzers belonging to Standard’s company, supported by
a detachment from Company E, of the North Carolina regiment, and a party of
seventy-five Yankees. About 11 o’clock
yesterday, Major Randolph was informed at his camp, two miles below the Halfway
House, that a party of Yankees were plundering the house of a gentleman named
Whiting, about three miles below. He
immediately started in pursuit, with one howitzer and a detachment of North
Carolina infantry. They soon came upon
the rascals, who abandoned their plunder and fled. A shell was fired at them, which did not
explode. Major R. started in pursuit,
but had not proceeded far before he met a scout who informed him that a party
of seventy-five were about three miles below, plundering at large.
Upon
receiving this information, he sent back for another howitzer, and a further
reinforcement of infantry. When it
arrived, he divided this force into two armies, he (Major R.) commanding one
and the Lieutenant of infantry the other, each party taking along a gun. They then took two different routes. Major R. missed the rascals, but the other
party came up with them.
They
stood to their arms and both parties fired.
But Yankee pluck could go no further, and the whole body took to their
heels, with the exception of one—an Irishman—who was taken prisoner while in
the act of ramming down a cartridge, the North Carolina lieutenant in command
actually riding up to him, and placing his pistol at his head, before he
surrendered. The curses of this man upon
his Yankee comrades, for their cowardice, were loud and deep.
The
skirmish happened at the bridge over Black River. It had been broken down, and the fugitives
had to cross upon planks. In the act of
crossing they were subjected to a full volley, which must have done
considerable damage, as a preacher who came into Major R’s camp, from Hampton,
reports that they have brought in a wagon load of wounded and dead.
[Transcribed by Sharon Strout]
