after caused his death, and several of his men fell on the spot,—­in fact the Augusta division was forced to give way to the heavy fire of the enemy.  In about the second of a minute after the attack on Col.  Lewis’ division, the enemy engaged of Col.  Fleming’s division on the ohio and in a short time Col.  Fleming received two balls thro’ his left arm and one thro’ his breast; and after animating the Captains & soldiers in a calm manner to the pursuit of victory returned to the camp.  The loss of the brave Col’s was severely felt by the officers in particular.  But the Augusta troops being shortly reinforced from camp by Col.  Field with his company, together with Capt.  M’Dowers, Capt.  Matthew’s and Capt.  Stewart’s from Augusta; Capt.  John Lewis, Capt.  Paulins, Capt.  Arbuckle’s, and Capt.  M’Clannahan’s from Battertout.  The enemy no longer able to maintain their ground was forced to give way till they were in a line with the troops left in action on branches of ohio by Col.  Fleming.  In this precipitate retreat Col.  Field was killed; after which Capt.  Shelby was ordered to take the command.  During this time which was till after twelve of the clock, the action continued extremely hot, the close underwood, many steep banks and logs greatly favored their retreat, and the bravest of their men made the best use of themselves, while others were throwing their dead into the ohio, and carrying off the wounded.  After twelve the action in a small degree abated, but continued sharp enough till after one o’clock.  Their long retreat gave them a most advantageous spot of ground; from which it appeared to the officers so difficult to dislodge them, that it was thought most advisable, to stand as the line was then formed, which was about a mile and a quarter in length, and had till then sustained a constant and equal weight of fire from wing to wing.  It was till half an hour of sunset they continued firing on us, which we returned to their disadvantage, at length night coming on they found a safe retreat.  They had not the satisfaction of scalping any of our men save one or two straglers, whom they killed before the engagement.  Many of their dead they scalped rather than we should have them, but our troops scalped upwards of twenty of those who were first killed.  Its beyond a doubt, their loss in numbers far exceeds ours which is considerable.

Field officers killed—­Col.  Charles Lewis, & Col.  John Fields.  Field officers wounded—­Col.  William Fleming;—­Capts. killed, John Murray, Capt.  Samuel Wilson, Capt.  Robert M’Clannahan, Capt.  James Ward.  Capts. wounded—­Thomas Buford, John Dickison & John Scidmore.  Subalterns killed, Lieutenant Hugh Allen, Ensign Matthew Brackin & Ensign Cundiff; Subalterns wounded, Lieut.  Lane, Lieut.  Vance, Lieut.  Goldman, Lieut.  James Robertson; and about 46 killed and 60 wounded.  From this sir you may judge that we had a very hard day; its really impossible for me to express or you to conceive