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The Battle of Rich
Mountain.

McClellan's Report

On the 13th, McClellan was in Beverly, from which Garnett had fled in confusion, early in the day. The Federal commander gave the results of his two days' work, and indicated his succeeding course in his dispatch to the Department, dated from Beverly, July 13th. It read:

"The success of to-day is all that I could desire. We captured six brass cannon, of which one is rifled, and all the enemy's camp equipage and trans

will probably reach two hundred, and more than sixty wagons. Their killed and wounded will amount to fully one hundred and fifty, with at least one hundred prisoners, and more coming in constantly. I know already of ten officers killed and wounded.

McClellan approached the rear of the enemy, whom, however, he found strongly intrenched at Rich Mountain, to the number of eighteen hundred, under Colonel Pegram. Sending (July 11th) General Rosecrans with a part of three regiments to assail them in the rear, while he himself should attack them in front, he hoped to capture the enemy en masse; but, some want of co-operation followed which interfered with the complete-portation, even to his cups. The number of tents ness of the results. Rosecrans reached the rear of the mountain to find it held by some three hundred rebels, but did not succeed in communicating with McClellan that he was ready to attack. The command of McClellan therefore lay inactive for several hours. Hence, though the attack of Rosecrans was entirely successful upon the force before him, Pegram took the alarm, and silently moved off during the night with his main body, to join Garnett at Laurel Hill. He found it impossible, however, to do so; and, after lying in the woods for two days, utterly destitute of provisions, was obliged to surrender, with a large body of his men, who came stragat Rowlesburg, and will cut off Garnett's retreat near West Union, or if possible at St. George. gling into the Union lines for several suc"I may say that we have driven out some ten ceeding days, as our army pushed rapidly on their heels. Pegram wrote to McClellan, the thousand troops, strongly intrenched, with the loss

day previous to his surrender, as follows:

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"SIX MILES FROM BEVERLY, July 12th, 1861.

"Their retreat was complete. I occupied Beverly by a rapid march. Garnett abandoned his camp early this morning, leaving much of his equipage. He came within a few miles of Beverly, but our rapid march turned him back in great confusion, and he is now retreating on the road to St. George.

"General Morris is to follow him up closely. 1 have telegraphed for the two Pennsylvania regiments at Cumberland to join General Hill at Rowles. burg. The General is concentrating all his troopa

of eleven killed and thirty-five wounded. Provi sion returns found here show Garnett's force to have been ten thousand men. They were Eastern Virgin

To the Commanding Officer of the Northern Forces, ians, Georgians, Tennesseeans, and I think Carolini

Beverly, Virginia:

"SIR: I write to state to you that I have, in consequence of the retreat of General Garnett, and the jaded and reduced condition of my command— most of them having been without food for two days -concluded, with the concurrence of a majority of my Captains and Field Officers, to surrender my command to you to-morrow, as prisoners of war. I have only to add, I trust they will only receive at your hands such treatment as has been invariably shown to the Northern prisoners by the South.

"I am, sir, your obedient servant, "JOHN PEGRAM, "Lieutenant-Colonel P. A. C. S., commanding." The Federal commander replied by accepting the surrender, but stated that it was not in his power to relieve either Pegram or his men from the liabilities incurred by them in taking up arms against their country. His troops came in to the number of six hundred with their officers.

ans. To-morrow I can give full details as to prisoners, &c. I trust that General Cox has by this time drawn Wise out of the Kanawha Valley. In that case I shall have accomplished the object of liberating Western Virginia. I hope the General-in-Chief will approve of my operations. "

Garnett's Movements

This dispatch shows how well ordered the movements were each detachment dropping in upon the enemy to secure his destruction. These movements of Garnett will be more clearly apprehended, by recurring to the action of the force under General Morris, which McClellan had ordered to move down from Philippi. This division immediately started, under the skillful pilotage of Captain Benham, of the Topographical Engineers, who well knew the face of the country. Beelington, on the opposite side of the valley from Laurel Hill, was safely reached, and, in spite

BATTLE OF CARRICKSFORD.

Battle of Carricksford.

207

In crossing the stream at Carricksford, the enemy again was overtaken. Garnett there determined upon an obstinate defense-assisted greatly by the nature of the ground. Cheat River wound around a bluff fifty feet in height, whose base was covered with an almost impenetrable laurel jungle. On this bluff Garnett planted two guns so as to command the Federal approach. Two thousand infantry supported the battery, with the reserve of three thousand one mile in the rear. The infantry was ensconced behind a rail fence and trees felled on the brow of the hill, with flank lines also under cover down to the road.

of the enemy's sharp attacks by skirmishers | Federal scouts discovered Garnett's provision and artillery, was fortified so as to hold it train at a halt (at noon of the 13th.) A muspending the approach of McClellan's column ket, recklessly discharged by an overjoyed from the south. When Pegram was so un- trooper, set the train in motion, and & further expectedly pressed out of his burrow at Rich pursuit of three miles followed-the train beMountain, Garnett, apprehending his great ing covered by two strong regiments. danger of being caught between the two columns, sought to extricate himself from the threatening grasp of the Federal commander. Leaving his works on Laurel Hill, he pushed out for Beverly. This, his advance had scarcely occupied when the fugitives from Pegram's camp, flying before Rosecrans' hot pursuit, informed him that further delay there was impossible without capture. The only avenue of escape was to retrace his path to Leedsville, where another turnpike road branched off to the north-east, on the other side of Laurel Mountain. Pursuing this route with all speed, he passed Leedsville during the afternoon of the 13th, and pressed on along the base of the mountains down the Cheat River, hoping to find some practicable path across the mountains into the valley of Virginia. Throwing away all superfluous baggage, he fled rapidly, and soon turned off from the main road into a narrow path along the mountains, in which pursuit might be more easily obstructed. Here he closed the narrow path after him, filling every defile through which he moved by felling the largest trees into and across it.

The flight from Laurel Pursuit of Garnett. Hill was discovered by General Morris early on the morning of June 12th. Pursuit was at once made-Captain Benham on the advance. Leedsville was reached. There the advance awaited the coming up of the whole division. At two, A. M., (13th,) the pursuit was resumed. Benham again led, with eighteen hundred men. Up and down the mountains, through defiles, and over rugged ridges, everywhere impeded by the obstructions thrown in the way by the flying enemy-the pursuit was pressed with unflagging ardor. Many men fell behind, exhausted with hunger and exertion. But on the regiments rushed, forgetful of hunger, weariness, pain, in the eager desire to put their foe at bay.

At length their quarry was reached. On one of the branches of Cheat River, the

The Fourteenth Ohio, Colonel Steedman, came up first and received the galling fire of the hill. The Seventh Indiana, Colonel Dumont, flung themselves into the river, preparatory to an attempt to scale the bluff. They were only restrained by the emphatic orders of Benham, who soon found a suitable point for the ascent which would flank the enemy. The Seventh was ordered to cross the stream under fire; then having gained the foot of the bluff, to pass down the river to the point of ascent, some distance below. The gallant fellows executed the movement with alacrity, and, ere long, their shout, as they marched up the declivity upon the enemy's left, told the troops still assailing in the front, that their comrades had won the position. The struggle was short. The enemy fell back slowly from the brow of the hill towards his reserves, leaving one gun in the hands of the Indianians. Our forces then prepared to pass the stream to follow up the attack. Garnett, with great bravery, rode along his ranks and in vain sought to bring his men up to the stream to contest the crossing. He appoached the bank only to be shot by the advancing Federalists. His men fled in utter confusion. The reserves catching the panic, the retreat soon became a disordered rout The officers sought to reach Romney. Only

Garnett's Defeat and Death.

one (Georgia) regiment | his part of Scott's well-conceived programme pursued its way unbroken. for forcing the enemy out of Virginia. PatFor several days the terson executed his allotted task with less Federal scouts brought in the rebels in success-indeed, so illy as to cause McDowgreat numbers. They proved to be a ell's defeat at the very moment of victory. forlorn set of vagabonds at best. But, all General Scott's injunctions to engage and were treated humanely; and, obeying the hold the rebels at Winchester, at all hazards, injunctions of orders, those were released who were not acted upon, and Johnston's entire chose to take the oath of allegiance. Many army of about fifteen thousand men pushed of them took the oath, were clothed, were down upon McDowell's advancing divisions fed for several days, and then were allowed to snatch from them the victory just within to depart. It was ere long ascertained that their grasp. The flush of success was changed, the large majority of those thus released in an hour, to the panic of a rout; and the were again in the ranks of the enemy.* country witnessed the humiliating spectacle of its finest army flying before a non-pursuing enemy, leaving behind it the wounded and sick and millions of dollars in stores, arms and transportation. In such an hour all eyes sought for an acting commander, capable of bringing order out of that chaos. The list of commanders was large, but all, comparatively, were untried men. None had dore so much and wrought so well as McClellan. He was young, strong, loyal and eager for duty. He had shown fine capacity for command. His experience, for one so young, had been such as to qualify him for directing and leading in the field. He was the people's choice, Scott's choice, Government's choice. He was relieved immediately of the command in Western Virginia to enter upon the herculean task of restoring order, of giving efficiency to the army covering the Capital. Transferring his command to Brigadier-General Rosecrans, (July 22d,) McClellan departed from Beverly for Grafton and Wheeling. Thence he proceeded to Pittsburg and journeyed rapidly to Washington. Rosecrans had proven himself to be an able man. To him Government was willing to confide the responsible trust of saving Western Virginia from the Confederates and the blind fury of Governor Letcher. The loyal efforts for reorganizing the State called for the exercise, by the enemy, of all available resources to save the dismember

General Hill failed to perform his allotted task by catching the remnant of the routed forces. He pushed for Oakland to find that the rebels had passed through that place a few hours previous to his arrival. Hastening on toward Romney, he approached to within a few miles of that stronghold, but only to gather up a few stragglers and abandoned arms. About two thousand of Garnett's men finally reached Romney to be added to Johnston's army, then watching Patterson's advance from Harper's Ferry, and Williamsport. The rebel loss in these several engagements was two hundred and fifty killed, over one thousand prisoners, five guns, twelve colors, fifteen hundred stand of arms, and great quantities of camp equipage, stores, horses, &c. The Union loss was twenty killed and sixty wounded.

McClellan's Transfer to the Commandin-Chief.

In the midst of operations, when his campaign had but fairly opened, McClellan was suddenly called to Washington, to assume the active Command-in-Chief of the Army of the Potomac. The operations of McDowell in the direct march upon Richmond had resulted in a reverse which threatened a general demoralization of the army, while it opened the way for an enterprising enemy to walk up to the very vicinity of the National Capital. McClellan had acted well

*This infamous disregard of oaths and honor was happily satirized in the sarcasm of a Captain in one of the Ohio regiments. A rattlesnake was caught alive on the mountains and brought into camp. After tiring of its presence, its captor asked the Captain what he should do with the reptile. "Oh, swear him and let him go!" was the curt reply.

Rosecrans in Command.

ment of Virginia, and Rosecrans soon found that the second campaign on the line of the Kanawha would claim vigilance, activity, sagacity and bravery which had not yet been demanded of that command.

CHAPTER XX.

THE WHEELING CONVENTION. REORGANIZATION OF THE STATE

Movements of the
Loyalists.

(VIRGINIA) BY THE

AN uprising of the loyal element in Western Virginia followed the reign of tyranny inaugurated at Richmond. As already stated, [pages 149-151,] steps were

LOYALISTS

Movements of the
Loyalists.

control and direction of the
President of the Confederate
States, upon the same princi-
ples, basis and footing as if the Commonwealth were
now a member of said Confederacy, and all the acts
of the executive officers of our State in pursuance

of said agreement and Ordinance, are plain and pal-
pable violations of the Constitution of the United
States, and are utterly subversive of the rights and
liberties of the people of Virginia.

"4. Resolved, That we earnestly urge and entreat the citizens of the State everywhere, but more especially in the western section, to be prompt at the polls on the 23d instant; and to impress upon every voter the duty of voting in condemnation of the Ordi nance of Secession, in the hope that we may not be involved in the ruin to be occasioned by its adoption, and with the view to demonstrate the position of the West on the question of Secession.

taken by the inhabitants of the counties lying
west of the Blue Ridge mountains, early in
May (1861), to assert their legal rights. The
various town meetings sent delegates to a
preliminary Convention, which convened at
Wheeling May 13th. A session of three days
resulted in the appointment of a Central
Committee of nine-who were instructed to
issue an Address to the people setting forth
the views of the Convention and preparing
them for the independent movement deter
mined upon. The resolutions adopted were
strongly loyal to the Union in tone, and de-
claratory of a purpose to resist the revolution
attempted, by demanding a separation from
the Eastern section of the State. We may of Virginia.
give place to the following, as illustrative of
the spirit which animated the people:

"1. Resolved, That, in our deliberate judgment, the ordinance passed by the Convention of Virginia, on the 17th day of April, 1861, known as the Ordinance of Secession, by which said Convention undertook, in the name of the State of Virginia, to repeal the ratification of the Constitution of the United States by this State, and to resume all the rights and powers granted under said Constitution, is unconstitutional, null, and void.

"2. Resolved, That the schedule attached to the Ordinance of Secession, suspending and prohibiting the election of members of Congress for this State, is a manifest usurpation of power, to which we ought not to submit.

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"3. Resolved, That the agreement of the 24th of April, 1861, between the Commissioners of the Confederate States and this State, and the Ordinance of the 25th of April, 1861, approving and ratifying said agreement, by which the whole military force and military operations, offensive and defensive, of this Commonwealth are placed under the chief

"5. Resolved, That we earnestly recommend to the citizens of Western Virginia to vote for members of the Congress of the United States and the State

"6. Resolved, That we also recommend to the citizens of the several counties to vote at said elec tion for such persons as entertain the opinions expressed in the foregoing resolutions for members of the Senate and House of Delegates of our State.

"7. Resolved, That in view of the geographical, social, commercial and industrial interests of Northwestern Virginia, this Convention are constrained in giving expression to the opinion of their constitutents to declare that the Virginia Convention in assuming to change the relation of the State of Virginia to the Federal Government have not only acted unwisely and unconstitutionally, but have adopted a policy utterly ruinous to all the material interests of our section, severing all our social ties, and drying up all the channels of our trade and prosperity.

"8. Resolved, That in the event of the Ordinance of Secession being ratified by a vote, we recommend to the people of the counties here represented, and all others disposed to co-operate with us, to appoint on the 4th day of June, 1861, delegates to a General Convention, to meet on the 11th of that month, at

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Address to the
People.

such place as may be designated by the Committee | knowing, dare maintain hereinafter provided, to devise such measures and them? If we are, we will take such action as the safety and welfare of the resist the usurpers, and people they represent may demand-each county drive from our midst the rebellion sought to to appoint a number of Representatives to said Conbe forced upon us. We will, in the strength vention equal to double the number to which it of our cause, resolutely and determinedly will be entitled in the next House of Delegates; and stand by our rights and our liberties, secured the Senators and Delegates to be elected on the 23d to us by the struggles of our Revolutionary Fathers, and the authors of the Constitution under which we have grown and prospered beyond all precedent in the world's history. We will maintain, protect, and defend that Constitution and the Union with all our strength, and with all our powers, ever remembering that Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."

inst., by the counties referred to, to the next Gen eral Assembly of Virginia, and who concur in the views of this Convention, to be entitled to seats in

the said Convention as members thereof."

Several others were adopted expressive of their wishes and purposes, and calculated to forward the movement inaugurated.

Address to the
People.

The Address proposed by the Committee was a paper for the crisis. It adjured the people to enter at once upon the great work to be done, to prepare for the struggle at hand with treason. "Why should the people of Northwestern Virginia," they said, "allow themselves to be dragged into the rebellion inaugurated by ambitious and heartless men, who have banded themselves together to destroy a Government formed for you by your patriot fathers, and which has secured to you all the liberties consistent with the nature of man, and has, for near three-fourths of a century, sheltered you in sunshine and in storm, made you the admiration of the civilized world, and conferred upon you a title more honored, respected and revered, than that of king or potentate -the title of an American citizen. Will you passively surrender it, and submit to be used by the conspirators engaged in this effort to enslave you as their instruments by which your enslavement is to be effected?"

The question of secession was considered. Local feeling against the domineering Eastern section of the State added keenness to their invective against the conspirators who aimed to render Virginia the battle-ground. "Why should we thus permit ourselves to be tyrannized over and made slaves of by the haughty arrogance and wicked machinations of would-be Eastern despots? Are we submissionists, craven cowards, who will yield to daring ambition the rich legacy of Freedom which we have inherited from our fathers, or are we men who know our rights, and

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The Convention arranged for by the primary Convention, to be held on the 11th of June, was referred to as demanding for its members the most resolute, temperate and wise of the people for its delegates; and the voters were besought to give their hearts, hands, souls to the work of representation. The document closed:

"Fellow-citizens of Northwestern Virginia: The issue is with you. Your destiny is in your own hands. If you are worthy descendants of worthy sires, you will rally to the defense of your liberties, and the Constitution, which has protected and

blessed you, will still extend over you its protecting ægis. If you hesitate or falter, all is lost, and you and your children, to the latest posterity, are destined to perpetual slayery."

Judge Thompson's

This was signed by the entire Committee. Its wide circulation produced an exciting canvass of the whole question of National and State relations. Day by day the feeling of loyalty gained in strength and solidity, aided by the presence of Federal arms, which had driven the emissaries of despotism from much of the northern section of the State. Judge Thompson--whose charge to the Grand Jury Proclamation. defining treason we havealready referred to (page 151)-followed this address by a proclamation ordering the dis persion of armed rebels and disloyal combinations. The Judge spoke as a justice on the bench, fully resolved upon preserving the peace, order and course of justice, in the circuit over which he presided. His words were those of a wise and resolute man

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