The Nevada Democrat

Rebel Account of the Leesburg Fight.

Brig. General Evans, in his official report of the engagement near Leesburg, published in the Richmond papers of October 24th, gives 300 as the number of killed and wounded on the side of the Confederates. Their loss was estimated by the Federals at a much higher figure, but the number given by Gen. Evans is probably correct. Even the admitted loss is sufficient to indicate the bravery with which the Federal troops contested the field against a largely superior force. By the following extract from a Richmond paper, embodying a portion of Gen. Evans' report, the reader will be able to judge of its gross exaggerations:

"The victory of Colonel (General) Evans, at Leesburg, on Monday, [21st Oct.,] was even more complete and glorious than we yesterday reported it. In addition to the dispatches we then published, one was received by the President, on Tuesday night, from the chief of Gen. Beauregard's staff, Col. Jordan, in which he says: I have to report the capture 600 prisoners and 1,200 stand of arms. Their killed and wounded amount to between 1,000 or 1,200. The route was total. The fight was an infantry engagement exclusively. The forces engaged were the 8th Virginia and 17th and 18th Mississippi regiments-the 13th Mississippi being held in reserve. No artillery was fired by us."

These great results, be it remembered, were achieved by 2,500 men, fighting against 10,000, with five batteries of artillery on their side, and none, in use, on ours. One man to four, with strong artillery force helping the four! History shows few feats of arms so splendid. Henceforth, the name of Gen. Evans will take its place on the roll of heroes, and his unconquerable troops have achieved a deed that will make their memories glorious for generations to come. To have been with Evans at Leesburg will be for each one of them, hereafter, an indisputable proof of dauntless valor, and will constitute for each a title and a passport to the gratitude of his countrymen. With forces cruelly disproportioned, they have stricken the presumptuous invader a blow that has sent them staggering and shrieking back from the soil their footsteps polluted, and that must make the giant usurpation at Washington shudder through its frame.

A few plain statements will show how grossly the rebels have exaggerated their victory. The Federals had less than 1,800 men in the battle, and instead of five batteries of artillery, they had but one rifled cannon and two small howitzers, the latter being of little use. The howitzers were left on the field and of course captured, but the rifled cannon was brought back to the ferry and rolled in the river. On the calling of the roll the next day after the battle, 900 of the Federals engaged in the fight were missing, but many of the missing subsequently came in, showing that the total loss of killed, wounded and prisoners was less than that number. If 600 were taken prisoners, as stated, the Federal killed and wounded must have been less than 300.