Latest News from Western Virginia.
reported victory by Gen.Lee.--Rosencranz mortally wounded — defeat of the Federal army.
Our energetic Norfolk correspondent sends us the following from the Norfolk Day Book, extra, of yesterday:
We are informed by Mr. Henry D. Crockett, one of the prisoners taken at the battle of Rich Mountain, who came up from Old Point yesterday afternoon in the flag of trace steamer, that a severe battle has been fought in the Western part of the State, at the Big Sewell Mountain, between Gen. Lee's and Gen. Rosencranz's forces, and that the latter had been defeated, and was at Wheeling, Va., on Saturday last, mortally wounded; and that the whole Federal army was then on its retreat from the soil of Western Virginia.
Mr. Crockett was formerly from Washington, D. C., where he held a position in one of the Departments as a clerk. On the breaking out of the war, he left the Federal service and made his way into Virginia, where he joined the 20th Virginia Regiment, and was made a prisoner at the battle of Rich Mountain.
He informs us that on his way from Columbus, Ohio, and while at Wellsville, in that State, on Saturday last, he had the news from the editor of a paper in that place, that the Federal army was then retreating from Western Virginia. That Rosencranz had attacked Gen. Lee in his entrenchments on the Big Sewell Mountain, on Thursday last, and after a severe fight, was repulsed, and that he (Rosencranz) renewed the attack again on Friday, and fought all day long.
The loss on the Federal side was reported to him as very heavy indeed, whilst the Confederate loss was but trilling, owing to their being behind their entrenchments. The Federal army was reported as retreating on to Wheeling at that time, on their way out of Virginia.
On passing through Belair, about four miles from Wheeling, on the opposite side of the Ohio river, on Sunday night, Mr. Crockett and the returning Southerners heard a confirmation of this news, together with the additional particulars that Gen. Rosencranz was then at Wheeling, mortally wounded. This was told him by a gentleman in Belair, in whom he thinks he can place perfect confidence, and whom he thinks was with our side.
Mr. Crockett also states that he saw an account of the fight in the Pittsburg Dispatch, of Monday morning, in which it was stated that the light had commenced by Rosencranz attacking Lee; that Rosencranz had been repulsed, and that they were fighting again the next day, and that reinforcements were then coming up for Lee, and would reach him before the fight was over.
He was not at liberty to bring a paper through.
[Extract from a letter to a gentleman in this city, from one of the officers of Wise's Legion, at Big Sewell, dated.
"Camp Defiance, "Thursday morning, Sept. 26, 1861.
‘"I have just arrived at camp with 13 Union men as prisoners, and find Gen. Lee's forces 7,000 strong.
We anticipate a fight.
Some think it will be a hard fight, but I think not, owing to the strength of Gen. Lee.
The enemy's forces reported from ten to twelve thousand."’
Mr. Crockett, on his way, passed through Phillippi, where he tells us the Federals have burnt and destroyed all the property in the place. They have broke the windows and doors out of all the houses in the town, broke and burnt all the furniture, valuable cabinets, books, &c., of the citizens. The church, about a mile out of town, has been completely destroyed, and the minister's house has been served in the same way. Nothing being left of either except the bare walls.
In Beverly, they have been equally as destructive, and in both places they have robbed and stolen everything they could lay their hands upon. The Federals have large stores of provisions. &c., at Beverly, and they have notified the citizens of their intention to destroy the place entirely, when they get ready to leave it.
At Clarksburg, the headquarters of General Rosencranz, Mr. Crockett was informed by someone, in whom he has confidence, that Gen. Rosencranz had given orders, and had men detailed for the special service of firing the whole place. Every night, at Clarksburg, the wagons are backed up, and the mules picketed around them, and on the outside is piled up bales of hay, making a combustible pile, where the men stand ready to fire the whole concern in the event of Rosencranz being defeated.
So great is the alarm and certainty of their defeat all through Western Virginia, that it amounts to a perfect panic among the Unionists in that section.
So great is the demonstration of some of the Indiana regiments in Virginia, particularly the 13th and 14th, that they were daily threatening revolt unless they were paid off. They have been in service some three or four months, and have never received a cent of money, or seen anything of a paymaster. Mr. Crockett, who was acting in the capacity of hospital steward to our wounded men, mingled in freely with the Federal soldiers, and had ample opportunities of learning of their disaffection in that quarter; and from the accounts he brings, we are satisfied our people have no adequate idea of the disaffection in the Federal ranks. He also represents that there is a great deal of sickness among them, and that some regiments that were entered as full, have not now more than half their complement. Some of the regiments have buried three or four of their Captains and six or eight of their Lieutenants, from sickness alone, since the battle of Rich Mountain. Besides what are in the hospitals there, from 50 to 100 leave in the trains, on the sick list, for their homes, every week.
