National Republican (Washington City

A FIGHT IN VIRGINIA.
GENERAL BUTLER'S MEN ATTACKED.
Entering a Stronghold of Illicit Distillers and
Bands of Daring Men—Glad of a Chance
to Make a Fight Against
Butler's Men.
Covington, Va., March 5.—The residents of the
upper part of Bath County, in this State, are excited
over a pitched battle which has been fought
in that county between armed bodies of countrymen
and a surveying party headed by Captains
Campbell, Strong, and Barrett. About a year ago
General Benjamin F. Butler, of Massachusetts
gained possession of an immense tract of land
known as the Wilson Survey. The land includes
several hundred thousand acres, stretching across
Bath County, in Virginia, to Llllie's Mill, beyond
the border of West Virginia. Much of it embraces
mountain fastnesses which have been the stronghold
of illicit distillers and bands of those daring
men who, after the war, boasted that they
WOULD NEVER SURRENDER.
and retired to these mountains, where they led a
wild and independent life, and enjoyed the occasional
exciting skirmishes which were forced
upon them by the revenue officers. In the latter
part of last month General Butler began to pay
some attention to the property, and sent a corps of
about twenty men to survey it. They began their
task early last week, and were not molested until
they reached the neighborhood of Llllie's Mill
when their presence began to attract the attention
of some of the deer hunters in that section.
WHEN THE OBJECT OF THE SURVEY
became known, and when it leaked out that General
Butler was perfecting arrangements to get
possession of the land, the excitement became intense.
The news spread from cabin to cabin, and
the hardy mountaineers and farmers began to
gather together very rapidly, all armed and ready
to resist what they considered an innovation of
their rightful domain by a general against whom
many of them once fought, and for whom few of
them had any love. Law or no law, they determined
to resist the surveying party. Messages were
sent to Captain Campbell, to the effect that he and
his party must clear out, or the place would be
made
TOO HOT FOR THEM
The surveyors, who were well armed, took no notice
of what they regarded as idle threats, and
continued their work, but at the same time sent
word to the hostile parties that it would be best
for them to attend to their own business. The
mountaineers and others then began to get ready
for a fight. On Wednesday a company of about
fifteen of them, well armed with double-barreled
shotguns, attacked the surveying party. Campbell
and his companions, however, were prepared
for them, and as soon as they came in sight,
warned them to come no nearer. As the surveying
party occupied a commanding position
ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDE
and numbered more men than the attacking
party, the latter withdrew for reinforcements.
Their force was recruited rapidly, and yesterday
they again moved on the surveyors with a force of
seventy-five men, their cry being, "Down with
Ben Butler's land sharks!" The surveyors were
warned of their approach, but did not retreat at
that time, as they believed that the strength of
the attacking party had been exaggerated. They,
however, took the precaution to entrench themselves.
Friday at noon the two parties met and a
sharp engagement ensued, over a hundred shots
being fired in a few minutes. It was a kind of
Indian warfare.
THE BESIEGERS BEING SCATTERED
and keeping behind the trees. The surveyors
were behind a natural fort of boulders, and for a
time prevented their assailants from gaining on
them. Three of the mountaineers were wounded
in the engagement. A party of ten managed to
creep through the undergrowth until they obtained
a position higher up the mountain side behind
the surveyors, and then they had an unobstructed
range at them. The surveyors were surrounded,
and when the skirmishers behind them
began to pour shot down on them they had to
throw themselves on their faces, thus giving their
assailants ample time to charge up to their fortress.
This was done, amid triumphant yelling
"Charge 'em, boys." Campbell had time to raise
his white handkerchief on the end of his ramrod as
A SIGNAL OF SURRENDER,
and so saved the lives of many of his party. The
camp was at once taken possession of, and, although
the party of Virginians and West Virginians
which composed the victorious force was
excited, they offered no violence to their prisoners.
They simply warned them to leave the
country and not to come back unless they wanted
tar and feathers and brimstone.
News was received
here last night to the effect that seven of
the combatants were wounded in the skirmish,
but it is believed that none were mortally hurt.
The surveyors beat a hasty retreat, and are now
on their way to this place, having given up all
idea, it is now understood, of attempting to continue
the survey. The people in that section are
much excited, and insist that they will not submit
to what they term "General Butler's long
grab." General Butler, it is said, has a clear title to the vast tract, but he will have trouble in getting possession. The civil authorities may be appealed to, and possibly the Virginia and West Virginia Volunteers may be called out, if necessary, to aid the surveyors in completing their survey.