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]
