Peggy's comments:
I cannot find the account in the Cincinnati Gazette, but here is an account from the NY Times, September 12, 1861
Stirring Intelligence.; Another Victory In Western Virginia. Total Rout Of The Thieving Floyd. Brilliant Success Of The Ohio Troops Under General Rosecrans. The Rebels Driven Out Of A Strongly Intrenched Position. Capture Of All Their Camp Equipage, Baggage, Wagons, Horses, Etc. Important From Missouri. The Rebel Forces Under Martin Green Scattered. Another Force Of Five Hundred Routed. Reported Capture Of Six Hundred More . Gen. Mcclellan's Report Of The Skirmish At Lewinsville. The Privateer Sumter Said To Be Wrecked. Great Victory In Western Virginia.
CLARKSBURGH, Va., Thursday, Sept. 12. A battle took place about 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, near Summerville. Gen. ROSECRANS after making a reconnoissance, found FLOYD's army, 5,000 strong, with 16 field pieces, intrenched in a powerful position, on the top of a mountain at Cannix Ferry, on the west side of Gauley River. The rear and extreme of both flanks were inaccessible. The front was masked with heavy forests and a close jungle. Col. LYTLE's Ohio Tenth Regiment, of Gen. BENHAM's Brigade, was in advance, and drove a strong detachment of the enemy out of camp this side of the position, the site of which was unknown. Shortly afterwards his scouts, consisting of four companies, suddenly discovered themselves in the face of a parapet battery, and a long line of palisades for riflemen, when the battle opened fiercely. The remainder of the Tenth, and the Thirteenth Ohio, were brought into action successively by Gen. BENHAM, and the Twelfth afterwards by Capt. HARTSUFF, whose object was an armed reconnoissance. The enemy played upon our forces terrifically, with musketry, rifles, canister and shell, causing some casualties. Col. LYTLE led several companies of Irish to charge the battery, when he was brought down by a shot in the leg. Col. SMITH's Thirteenth Ohio engaged the enemy on the left, and Col. LOWE's Twelfth Ohio directly in front. LOWE fell dead at the head of his regiment early in the hottest fire by a ball in the forehead. MCMULLEN's howitzer battery and SNYDER's two field pieces meantime were got into the best position possible under the circumstances, and soon silenced two of the rebel guns. The fire slackened at intervals, but grew more furious as night approached, when the German Brigade was led gallantly into the action by Col. MCCOOK, under the direction of Adj.-Gen. HARTBUFF, but after a furious fight of three hours ordered the recall of the troops, and the men laid on their arms within a short distance of the enemy, each ready to resume the contest the next morning. The thief, FLOYD, fled during the night, and sunk the boats in the river, and destroyed the temporary bridge which he made when he first occupied the position. The turbulence and depth of the river, and the exhaustion of the troops, made it impossible to follow him. He left his camp equipage, wagons, horses, large quantities of ammunition, and fifty head of tattle. Our loss is fifteen killed and about seventy wounded -- generally flesh wounds. The rebel loss is not ascertained. They carried their dead and wounded with them. Their loss was certainly serious. Capt. MCGROUTY, of Cincinnati; Capt. MCMULLEN and Lieut. SNYDER, of Ohio, are among the wounded, but not dangerously. Twenty-five of Col. TYLER's men, who were taken by FLOYD at Cross Lane, were recaptured, and FLOYD's personal baggage and that of his officers, was taken by Gen. BENHAM's Brigade, which suffered most. It was commanded by him in person, and Col. MCCOOK led his brigade. Gens. Rosecrans and Benham, Col. McCook, Col. Lytle, Col. Lowe, Capt. Hartsuff, Capt. Snyder, Capt. McCullen Burke of the Ohio Tenth, and the other officers, displayed conspicuous personal gallantry. The troops were exclusively from Ohio, and showed great bravery.
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