The Daily Dispatch

Richmond Dispatch.
FRIDAY MORNING........JAN. 24, 1862.
Battle at Fishing Creek, Ky.—Defeat of Gen. Crittenden's Command—Death of Gen. Zollicoffer.
We regret to say that the report of a Federal victory in Kentucky, conveyed to us on Wednesday night from Northern sources by our special correspondent at Norfolk, and published in yesterday morning's Dispatch, is confirmed by intelligence received at the War Department.
It appears that our defeat was more decisive than even the Northern accounts had led us to believe.
The information received here is to the effect that on Sunday last General Crittenden, with eight regiments of infantry and six pieces of artillery, attacked the enemy at a place called Fishing Creek, near Somerset, in Southeast Kentucky, under the command of Generals Schoeff and Thomas.
The Federals were strongly posted and entrenched behind Fishing Creek.
The result of the action was disastrous to our arms. General Zollicoffer was killed, and immediately on his fall, our army was seized with a panic and was utterly routed, losing all its artillery, baggage, and camp equipage, and leaving 100 in killed and wounded on the field.
At last accounts, Gen. Crittenden was in full retreat on Knoxville.
It is not stated whether or not his enemy was in pursuit.
Somerset is situated in Pulaski county, Ky., and is, by an air line, about eighty miles Northwest of Knoxville.
We are probably over a hundred by the road.
The intervening country is mountainous, and might offer serious impediments to a pursuing force.
The scene of the battle-field was North of the Cumberland river, which would interpose another obstacle to the advance of the enemy in case Gen. Crittenden has destroyed the bridges over that stream. Of course it is to be supposed that he has done so.
The route from Somerset to Knoxville, Tenn., does not run through Cumberland Gap, nor do any of the avenues leading into Virginia.
The disaster in Kentucky, we think it wholesome not to underrate—nor to diminish a loss or depreciate disadvantage. But we suspect that the news yesterday received from our own ties in East Tennessee is somewhat frightened in its narrative. The enemy's account, via Norfolk, is not so bad for us as that we have received from East Tennessee.
We trust that the true and reliable report will cut down a little the extent of our defeat. Nevertheless, there is certainly a defeat of our forces and a victory for the enemy, which will elate them wonderfully.
Victories are few and far between, and all the more grateful when they do come for their scarcity. To us, however, this reverse should only be a motive for increased energy and vigilance. The locality where it happened has no bad effects, and should all the more nerve our arms for a powerful effort to retrieve our loss and revenge our martyred who perished in the ill-fated conflict. The brave Gen. Zollicoffer will not be forgotten, and many an arm will strike the more powerful and deadly in remembrance of his death.