The follwoing article appeared in the Winston [now Winston-Salem, N.C.] Western Sentinel, 6 June 1862, p. 2, c. 4:

"We have been kindly permitted to publish the following extracts from a private letter, written to his relatives, by a soldier in the Texas Brigade. He is a native of Salem, N. C., and his gallant conduct so modestly related, cannot we think, prove uninteresting to our readers:

CAMP TEXAS REGIMENT

Near Richmond, Va.

May 25th, 1862.

Our division of the army assisted in covering the retreat from Yorktown, and our Texas Brigade had quite a considerable little fight with the Yankees near a little town called Barhamsville, in New Kent County. The enemy landed in force at West Point on the York river, and endeavored to cut us off from the main body of the army. We were ordered to engage them, and for this purpose left the main road and marched in towards the river. When within about 2 miles of the river we were fired upon by the pickets of the Yankees and one of our men slightly wounded. Our Regiment the 4th Texas, immediately ran forward into line of battle, our first Company firing upon the pickets as they ran off, killing four and taking one prisoner. This occurred in an old field, to our right and in our fornt were thick woods. In a few minutes our Company and another were ordered by our General to march into the woods and deploy as skirmishers. This we did and went to fighting in true earnest. We took trees, stumps, &c., on them, and soon set them to running. We were thus employed skirmishing for about three hours. In the meantime three Regiments of Yankees had by a flank movement got in our rear and we were about to be cut off, but our General was equal to the emergency. The First Texas Regt. met them and after firing three vollies [sic] charged them at the point of the bayonet and completely routed them, driving them back to their gunboats. This ended the fight. During the engagement they shelled us from their boats, but did not succeed in doing any damage. We got all of our dead and wounded off the field before night and then before day continued our march. Yankee reports of the engagement say it was the hottest fight on the Peninsula. They say that 20,000 of their troops were engaged and they acknowledge a loss of 200 in killed and wounded. Our loss was but little. Our three Texas Regiments were the only three engaged, the 1st lost in killed and wounded 16, the 5th had 2 killed, and our Regiment had but 2 wounded.

Our Company behaved most gallantly, we killed about 30 and took 22 prisoners. I, my self, killed 1 dead, broke anothers leg and took 2 prisoners. I felt sorry for the poor fellow whose leg I broke, so much so, that I tied it up for him, gave him a drink of water and put him in as comfortable a position as I conveniently could. This was my first fight and if it were possible, I would like for it to be the last. But enough of that.

I can assure you that we saw rather hard times in our recent marches. We have been nearly starved to death. We would get for our days rations about one third of a pound of fat bacon, and two crackers and a half to the man. Sometimes we would get a little flour, and as we had no cooking utensils, we had to take the bark of a tree to make up our dough in, and then wrap it around a stick and hold it over the fire to bake. We made some very good bread this way. But we are doing well now. We are getting plenty to eat and occasionally draw such vegetables as collards, potatoes, onions, &c. We have a wagon detailed to go to Richmond to the market every morning and we can purchase almost anything there."

The Federals were not trying to cut off Smith's corps, but were threatening to cut the road over which Johnston's wagon train was moving from Williamsburg to New Kent Court House. In Hood's brigade, the 18th Georgia was on the field, but not engaged. Hampton's brigade was present, and the Hampton Legion Infantry was engaged on the right of the road leading from Barhamsville to Eltham's Landing. It suffered only three or four wounded, and one man mortally wounded. Bachman's German [S.C.] Artillery battery was engaged and exchanged with the gunboats, but without casualties. The 14th GA and the 16 N. C. of Hampton's Brigade were present but not engaged.

This was the first engagement for the Texans as a brigade. Not a bad little account.