The Fight at Lewinsville

The Fight at Lewinsville

A newspaper report on the "Battle of Lewinsville"

The military engagement at Lewinsville was the result of the Union Army sending out a topographical reconnaissance into Virginia due to the outdated maps the Union Army had. There is a detailed description of the units involved, especially the New York 79th.

The Washington correspondent

The Cincinnati Daily Press

September 16, 1861

The Fight at Lewinsville.

The Washington correspondent of day before yesterday's Herald, gives the following account of the battle at Lewinsville, near the Chain Bridge, above Washington: "In accordance with orders from General McClellan, this morning General Smith, commanding the advance brigade on the South side of the Potomac, near the Chain Bridge, directed a topographical reconnaissance in force to be made in the direction of Lewinsville.

The reconnoitering party consisted of the Seventy ninth New York Volunteers, Third Vermont Volunteers, a battalion of the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteers; a battalion of the First United States Chasseurs, under Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander P. Sbaler; two sections (four pieces) of the West Point battery, CHiitain Griffin ; fifty men of Company H, Firth United States Cavalry, Lieutenant Mr-Lane commanding, and one company of Young's Cavalry the whole under the command of Colonel Isaac J. Stevens, acting Brigadier General. The scientific corps was in charge of Lieutenant Orlando M. roe, United States Topographical Engineers, assisted by Lieutenant West, of the United States Coast Survey, who were to conduct the reconnaissance.

The reconnoitering party, thus organized, left Camp Advance about seven A. M., and proceeded, without molestation, to Lewinsville, a distance of four or five miles, reaching that point at half-past ten A. M., just in time to get a sight of the heels of a rebel cavalry picket, about fifty strong, which evacuated the village, and retreated in the direction of Fall's Church, without firing a shot upon the approach of our advance guard. After the arrival of our troops in Lewinsville. cavalry and infantry pickets were thrown out on all the diverging roads and prominent places for a distance of half a mile. Scouting parties were also sent out to observe the movements of the rebels, should any ue attempted.

At about eleven o'clock A.M.. a large body of rebel cavalry were seen in toe distance, watcuiDir tbe movements or our troops. They did not come within cannon or musket range, and therefore their appearance did not interfere with the operation of the reconnoitering party. Lieutenant Poe, or the engineers, wita a corps of assistants, commenced his surveys, and proceeded over an area of four miles square, obtaining valuable topographical information.

At half-past two o"clock the reconnaissance was completed, and orders given to recall the pickets, preparatory to returning to Camp Advance. All the pickets responded to the recall except a picket of the Third Vermont and one from the Nineteenth Indiana Regiment. Colonel Stevens sent a detachment out to learn the reason of their detention, and subsequently learned that they were watching the advance of a column of the enemy, consisting of seven hundred cavalry, two regiments of infantry, and tour pieces of artillery, who were coming from the direction of Fall's Church.

Little or no attention was paid to the rebel advance, as the objects of the expedition had been accomplished, and our troops had proceeded but a few rods on their return home when the enemy's battery, which by this time had attained a position within three-fourths of a mile cf our troops, opened a rapid cannonade on our forces with shot and shelL The firing was kept up for ten minutes, when a section of Captain Griffin's battery, consisting of two ten-pounder rifled cannons, was immediately placed in position, returning briskly the fire of the enemy.

Simultaneously with the rebel cannonade they opened a fire of musketry, from behind trees and other places of concealment, while our troops were formed in line of battle, with orders not to fire unless the enemy came out of their hiding places.

The cannonading now became general, and continued for fifteen or twenty minutes, when Brigadier-General Smith arrived on the ground, having come from his camp post baste, unattended by an escort. He ordered some important changes in the position of our forces, expecting a general engagement.

While the cannonade was in full progress. Captain Thadeus Mott, who, when the firing was first heard, was drilling his company at Langley, four miles from the battle ground, arrived on the ground with a section of
artillery, consisting of one large bronze thirty-two pounder howitzer and one ten pounder Parrot gun. he took a prominent, position, commanding the enemy's battery, opened fire from his howitzers, and fired but three shells, each one striking in the midst of the rebels and completely silencing their battery. First. Lieutenant, George A. Kensel, of Griffin's battery, who was in reserve at camp, arrived with another section of artillery simultaneously with Mott's battery, and he also opened on the enemy.

The rebels, thus seeing themselves overmatched, retreated from the field to the music of the Union batteries, which continued for ten minutes after the rebel battery had ceased.

The objects or the reconnaissance were completed. It is a subject of congratulation that the reconnaissance was made within the lines of the enemy with so little loss and with such triumphant success.

The attack was made upon the flank. The Third Vermont Regiment was first subjected to the hre,but the principal part of it tell to the Nineteenth Indiana, which formed a part of the rear guard. When the attack was made the rear guard was composed of two Napoleon guns of Griffin's battery, the Nineteenth Indiana Regiment, and Lieutenant McLane's Cavalry, in the order named. The infantry were marching loosely, filling the road.

Lieutenant Poe, who was in command of the rear guard, directed the infantry to close up, and move by fours in the center of the road, so as to leave the sides free for the passage of the artillery when necessary The order was promptly obeyed. A few minutes afterward it was reported from the rear that a body of about three hundred rebel cavalry were preparing to make a charge. One the Napoleon guns was halted until the infantry bad passed. It was then placed in front of the cavalry, masked by them, with orders to the cavalry, whenever the charge should be attempted, to open right and left, unmask the gun, and repel the charge with canister. In this order the retiring march was made without the slightest confusion.

General Smith, when be heard the cannonade, and before he left his quarters to go to the scene of conflict, ordered a a re enforcement, consisting of the Thirty-third New York Volunteers, the Wisconsin Fifth, the Maine Second, the California Regiment and a Battery of the First Pennsylvania Volunteer Artillery, to follow him. As soon as the General found the enemy had retreated, and before his re-enforcements had arrived, he sent back orders to halt at intervals along the road for three or four miles to prevent the enemy from flanking our troops.

It should be stated that General McClellan took particular occasion to-night to compliment tbe commander of the reconnoissance to-day for having accomplished a splendid result.

When the firing at Lewinsville was heard in the city, Lieutenant-Colonel Mix received an order to proceed to the scene of action, with whatever companies of his regiment were in readiness. In a few minutes he had a snundron upon the road, eager for the conflict, and proceeding with the precision regulars, but finding the skirmish at an end, and no occasion for their services, the squadron returned to-night to their camp.

Dr. George C. Blackman, Professor of Surgery in the Medical College at Cincinnati, hannened to be with the reconnoitering party. and rendered valuable aid in attendance the wounded, whom he accompanied from the field to the hospital.