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Report of Col. Beuhring H. Jones, Sixtieth Virginia Infantry, of engagement at Cloyd's Mountain.

HDQRS. SIXTIETH  REGIMENT VIRGINIA INFANTRY,
Camp near Christiansburg, Va., May 19, 1864.

   MAJOR: In obedience to the order of the colonel commanding, I respectfully submit the following report of the operations of the Sixtieth Regiment Virginia Infantry in the battle of Cloyd's farm, May 9:

    About 8 o'clock on the morning of the 9th instant the regiment, by order of Brig. Gen. A. G. Jenkins, was moved about 309 yards in advance of the position in which it had been placed the day previous by Colonel McCausland, commanding the brigade, and placed in the dense wood on the bluff overlooking the meadow through which runs Back Creek. The left of the regiment now rested on the right of a 12-pounder Napoleon gun belonging to Stamps' battery.  Shortly afterward the regiment was ordered by the commanding general to move by the flank, so that its left should rest on the main turnpike road and its right on the battery.  A company of Montgomery home guards, Capt. White G. Ryan, being displaced by this movement, was put in position (by whose order I know not) on the right of the Sixtieth Regiment and to the left of the Forty-fifth Virginia Regiment, commanded by Colonel Browne.  The ground now occupied by the regiment was highly favorable, it being a bluff with an unobstructed front for at least 400 yards.  Here the regiment, by my order, soon constructed of fence rails a safe protection from musketry. The action began on the right, in front of the Forty-fifth Regiment, Colonel Browne, and Forty-fifth Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Beckley.  I had been ordered by the commanding general to support these troops if necessary.

    The fight had progressed about twenty-five minutes, the musketry being very heavy, when I received a dispatch from Colonel Browne stating that he was pressed heavily.  I immediately ordered Companies K (Capt. W. A. Gilliam) and G (Capt. A. G. Ingraham), both commanded by Lieut. Col. George W. Hammond, to his support.  I should have re-enforced Colonel Browne more heavily, but the enemy had begun to make some demonstration in my immediate front.  The remainder of the regiment was now moved by the right flank and filled the gap in the line occasioned by detaching the above named companies.  The regiment had hardly taken this position when two or three regiments of the enemy emerged from the woods in front and advanced in line of battle directly upon us, one of their objects most probably being to capture the 12-pounder Napoleon, which had annoyed them greatly in the earlier part of the engagement.  No sooner had they advanced within fair range than the command "fire" was given, and some four or five rapid and deadly volleys were poured into their line, breaking and scattering it in every direction; nor could it be reformed, notwithstanding the most strenuous and persevering efforts of their officers.  Some fled directly back to the hills, some down the creek, and others in the direction of the residence of Mr. James Cloyd.  The meadow in front of my line was thickly strewn with their killed and wounded, and two stand of colors were left lying on the ground; a third stand was precipitately carried back to the mountains.  I am satisfied that no less than six color bearers were shot down by my men.  The space in front of the regiment had been completely cleared of the enemy; not one could be seen, except such as were fleeing from the field, and the men, regarding the day as our own, were cheering enthusiastically, when suddenly the dense column of the enemy that had crept up under cover of the hill - driving back the skirmishers to within twenty yards of the ground occupied by the home guards, and, perhaps, a portion of my right company - made a sudden onset in overwhelming force. Our brave men after delivering one fire had not time to reload before they were upon them.  The extreme right of our line of battle had just given way under a like pressure.  The enemy poured over the breast-works, flanking the Sixtieth on the right, necessitating a backward movement.

    At this critical juncture I recollected having seen a few moments before some of our troops in line of battle in the open field somewhat to my right, and I ordered the regiment to fall back through the woods and rally on the ridge, thus continuing the line of battle to the left.  In getting back to this position the men were exposed to a very heavy fire, and of course considerable disorder ensued.  However, about 200 men were rallied on the line indicated and the enemy checked - in fact, driven entirely out of sight, beyond the original line of battle; but it was too late to retrieve the fortunes of the day, and seeing the other troops leaving the field, and being exposed to a raking fire from a detachment of the enemy that had gained a position on a high point on the left of the road, I gave the order to retire.

    I am satisfied that the men of the Sixtieth who rallied on the ridge were the last Confederate troops that left the battle-field.

    In making this statement I would not be understood as reflecting on the conduct of any other portion of the army, for, so far as I know, all behaved gallantly and yielded at last only to overwhelming odds.

    It affords me much pleasure to bear testimony to the good conduct of the regiment, both officers and men, during the engagement.  I did not witness a single instance of cowardice.  Until flanked every one acted with the utmost coolness and deliberation, and all appeared confident of victory.  The chief loss sustained by the regiment was on the open-field ridge, where a part of the command rallied.

    The regiment mourns the loss of Lieut. Col. George W. Hammond, Maj. Jacob N. Taylor, and Capt. Moses McClintic; also a number of brave non-commissioned officers and privates.  They all fell at the post of duty.

    The following commissioned officers were wounded: Capt. R. A. Hale, Company H, severely; Capt. S. S. Dews, Company C, slightly; First Lieut. Isaac H. Larew, Company E, severely; Second Lieut. J. D. Bell, supposed mortally; Lieutenants Austin an and Bailey, Company H, slightly; Lieutenant Stevenson, Company I, slightly; Lieut. J. C. Cabell, Company F, slightly.  Capt. WA. Gilliam, Company K, is missing and is thought to be a prisoner in the hands of the enemy. Maj. Thomas L. Brown, post quartermaster at Dublin, acting as my volunteer aide, was severely wounded about the close of the action.  It is thought he will recover. He is a gallant man, and his conduct is worthy of emulation.  Mr. Coleman Yellott, clerk to the military court for this department, came to the field with his musket, entered my regiment, and fought gallantly. He escaped unhurt.

    The regiment fell back that evening with the main army to New River bridge, where the whole encamped.

    On the morning of the 10th the Sixtieth was ordered to English's Bridge. My instructions were to fire the same on the approach of the enemy and defend the crossing.  About 10 a. m. I received an order from Colonel McCausland, commanding our forces (General Jenkins having been wounded), to fire the bridge.  I did so, and it was destroyed.  About 3 p.m. I received an order to fall back in the direction of Christiansburg and effect a junction with the main body of our forces.  I did so, and the regiment has been with the main body ever since.

    The following is a list of the killed, wounded, and missing; it approximates closely to correctness: Killed, 20; wounded, 68; missing, 64; total, 152.  The missing are coming m daily.  Many of the wounded are slightly hurt and will soon be ready for duty in the field.

    I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

                                                                       B. H. JONES,
                                                                              Colonel, Commanding Sixtieth Virginia Infantry.

 Maj. C. S. STRINGFELLOW,
Assistant Adjutant-General.