The battle of Southwest Mountain.
skirmishing Previous to the fight — the forces engaged on Saturday--rout of the enemy.
The prelude to the battle of Saturday evening ocurred on Friday, in Culpeper county, beyond the Rapidan River, in a skirmish between the advance of our army and a larger force of the enemy. The latter retreated with some loss in killed and wounded, and twenty-one prisoners fell into our hands, including three commissioned officers, who arrived here by way of Lynchburg on Sunday night. The pursuit was continued for some distance, and the Yankee forces made a stand at Southwest Mountain, near Mitchell's station, about six miles beyond the Rapidan. Slight skirmishing was kept up on Saturday morning, and in the afternoon of that day, about 4 o'clock, an attack was made upon the enemy by a portion of the division of Gen. Ewell, and a brigade under Gen. C. S. Winder. Over 300 prisoners were captured in this engagement, including thirty commissioned officers.
One of the latter admits that a Federal division was cut to pieces while endeavoring to surround the Stonewall brigade, and the general belief is that the enemy's loss in killed and wounded is at least four times greater than ours. It was while bravely leading on the men under his command that Gen. Winder was shot through the breast and almost instantly killed. At one moment the fate of his brigade seemed in doubt, when his supports care up, and the enemy was driven back under an impetuous onset. On Saturday night the division of Gen. A. P. Hill was engaged, and the whole Federal force retreated, the pursuit being kept up for a distance of some five miles. Heavy and rapid firing was heard after midnight, and the supposition is that a battle took place immediately on the Rappahannock river, near the line of Fauquier county.
The prisoners were sent back to Gordonsville, whence they were transferred by railroad to Richmond, guarded by a detachment of the 1st Maryland regiment, under Capt. Wm. Goldsborough.
According to the statements of prisoners, the force under Pope amounts to 40,000 men.
Gen. C. S. Winder was a nephew of Gen. John H. Winder, the commander of the Department of Henrico, and was probably the youngest Brigadier in the Confederate army.
The city was full of rumors yesterday of a battle on Sunday, but after the most diligent inquiry we could learn nothing definite concerning it. Certain it is, that heavy firing was heard in the direction of the Rappahannock after midnight, (Saturday,) and again for a brief period on Sunday morning. No train had arrived from Gordonsville up to a late hour last night, and no intelligence had been received at the War Office to confirm the rumors so industriously circulated throughout the day.
The enemy had 6,000 troops engaged in the battle on Saturday afternoon.
