W. Nelson to Brigadier- General, November 10, 1861

November 10, 1861.

; Piketon, Ky., November 10, 1861.

SIR: I have the honor to report, for the information of the commanding general of the department, that on the 7th November I dispatched – Colonel Sill, with his own regiment, the Thirty-third Ohio, and light battalion under Major Hurt, Kentucky volunteers, composed of a flank company from each of the regiments—the Second, Thirty-third, and Fifty-ninth O. V., U. S. A.—and two Kentucky companies, together with 142 mounted men, under command of Colonel Metcalf, Kentucky volunteers (made up of men mounted from the wagon teams), and 36 gentlemen, volunteers, under Colonel Apperson, and a section of artillery, to march by the way of John’s Creek, and pass to the left of Piketon, where the rebels had taken post—a distance of 40 miles—and turn or eut them off. Colonel Sill marched at 11 a. m. on the 7th. At 9 a. m. of the Sth I marched, with the Second Regiment O. V., U.S. A., Colonel Harris; Twenty-first Regiment O. V., U. S. A., Colonel Norton ; Fifty-ninth Regiment O. V., U. S. A., Colonel Fyffe; the battalion of Kentucky volunteers under Col. Chas. A. Marshall, and two sections of artillery, Captain Konkle, and took the State road direct to Piketon— 28 miles. Some 8 miles from Prestonburg we met a picket of about 40 cavalry and fired on them, but having no cavalry, they escaped easily.

At 1 p. m. the column had advanced along the narrow defile of the mountain that ends at Ivy Creek. The mountain is highest along the

river and very precipitous and thickly covered with timber and undergrowth, and the road, which is but 7 feet wide, is cut along the side of it about 25 feet above the river, which is close under the road. The ridge descends in a rapid curve and- very sharp to the creek, or rather gorge, where it makes a complete elbow. Behind this ridge, and all along the mountain side, the enemy, 700 strong, lay in ambush, and did not fire until the head of Colonel Marshall’s battalion, himself leading, was up to the elbow. The skirmish was very sharp. The mountainside was blue with puffs of smoke, and not an enemy to be seen. The first discharge killed 4 and wounded 13 of Marshall’s men. I ordered the Kentuckians to charge. Colonel Harris, whose regiment was immediately behind me, led his men up the mountain-side most gallantly,

and deployed them along the face of it. Colonel Norton, whose regiment had just reached the defile, anticipating an order from me, led his men up the northern ridge of the mountain and deployed them along the face of it and along the erest, and went at them. Two pieces of artillery were got in position in the road and opened upon them. Owing to the steepness of the mountain all this required time. On the opposite side of the river, which is here narrow, deep, and swift, there were also rebels, who annoyed us. Inan hour and twenty minutes the rebels were and fled, leaving a number of killed and wounded on the ground and 6 prisoners unhurt. As I marched immediately in pursuit, I do

not report what their loss was. I am told to-day that 32 dead were:

found. Among the wounded in our hands is H. M. Rust, late State senator from Greenup County, Kentucky. Our loss is-6 killed and 24 wounded. If I had here any cavalry I would have. taken or slain the whole of them; as it was, the enemy retreated, cutting down trees across the narrow road and burning or cutting all the bridges, which are numerous. I bivouacked 4 miles beyond the Ivy Creek. It rained, and

the men waded through mud and iu a heavy rain all the day of the 9th, –

the march being heavy and slow on account of the trees across the roads and the necessity of repairing the bridges. Last night we again bivouacked in the November rain and entered this place this morning at 9 a. m., where I found Colonel Sill, who had arrived the night, previously and fired on the enemy as they were retreating. I inelose Colonel Sill’s report. o!

Very respectfully,

Brigadier- General.
Captain GREENE, Asst. Adjt. Gen., Louisville, Ky.:
I inclose also copy of a letter from Benjamin, Secretary of War at
Richmond, to Ool. J. S. Williams. I have to mention that Captain
Berryhill, Second Ohio, was wounded severely whilst leading the column up the mountain-side.
[Inclosure.]
WAR DEPARTMENT, October 28, 1861. –