USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 10
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Colonel W. Scott with the 44th Virginia Infantry was stationed at the western base of Rich Mountain, during the battle on Rich Mountain. Scott heard the muskets and ar- tillery, but supposed that the fighting was at the fort six miles distant. Scott obeyed orders and remained guarding the old road at its junction with the pike. However, becom- ing suspicious and impatient, Scott sent Jno. N. Hughes, a lawyer who lived in Beverly, to Pegram's headquarters for information. Hughes never returned. When at the turn of the road, a few hundred yards east of Hart's house, he was fired on by mistake by the Confederates and killed. Hughes was a brilliant lawyer, but was addicted to drink, and it has been charged that he was intoxicated when he undertook to discharge this dangerous service. Colonel Scott denies that Hughes was drinking the day he lost his life.
Lieutenant James Cochrane, of the Churchville Cavalry, in a report to Colonel Scott, of the exciting and interesting events in which he participated on the day of the Rich Moun- tain fight, says:
"I was sent out with a squad of six men by Captain De- Lagnel, who commanded our forces engaged in the fight, to bring up some cavalry that he had fired on through mistake. In going down the turnpike I unexpectedly met with youi regiment drawn up in the road about a mile and a half from Beverly. I told you your regiment was needed at the battle
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which was then going on ; that the enemy to the number of four or five thousand had gotten around Colonel Pegram's left flank, and were engaged with a few hundred of our men about a mile and a half in the rear of Colonel Pegram's camp ; that the enemy were on the left, and our men in and on the right of the turnpike as you would approach the camp; that our men had but one piece of artillery. You asked me if I would go with you and act as guide. I consented. You in- stantly put your regiment in motion in double-quick time. I remonstrated ; told you we had to go between four and five miles up the mountain before we could reach the battlefield, and if the men traveled at that rate they would not be fit to fight when they got there. You then brought them down to quick time.
"In going up the mountain we met with several men on horseback who had been in the battle; one I recollect, of my company, who had been shot through the foot, and another whose coat had been shot across the shoulders. The latter told us that he was aid to Colonel Pegram, and that Colonel Pegram had been killed. Some of these men turned back and went with us part of the way up the mountain, but they all disappeared before your regiment stopped. On our way up I informed you of the death of Hughes, and you requested me not to mention it to your men, as it might dampen their spirit. When we arrived within about a mile of the battle the firing ceased, and in a few moments a loud huzza was heard coming from the position our forces had occupied when I left them. You asked me what that huzza meant. I told you that I was fearful the Yankees had driven our men from the field and captured our artillery, for the shout came from about the place where our artillery and fortifications stood. You contiuned your march to within half a mile of the battle- ground, when I informed you that it was unsafe to go farther, that you could not with one regiment encounter successfully four or five thousand of the enemy, with the advantage of position, fortifications, and a piece of artillery. You halted your regiment, you and I dismouted and in company with some of your officers passed around a turn in the road that we might see, if possible, how things stood at the pass on
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top of the mountain, when we did see more men, as I told you at the time, exulting and shouting, than Colonel Pegram had in his entire command. You were yet unwilling to go back. but requested me either to go myself or to send some of my men to reconnoiter. I told you I would not go, nor should any of my men go, for I was perfectly satisfied as to how things stood. A young man named Lipford, of your regi- ment, stepped forward and proposed to go if he could get a pistol and horse. Thus equipped. he went off up the road. but in a very short time we heard the shout from many voices, "Halt, shoot him," and the firing of several guns, and then another loud huzza. It being now plain that the enemy had either killed or taken Lipford prisoner, you were satisfied that I was right, and that the enemy did have possession of the field. You appearing still unwilling to go back, some of your officers suggested that as the enemy's pickets could plainly be seen around the fields on each side of the road in which we stood, if you went forward the enemy would receive you in ambuscade, whereas if you went back they would probably follow, and then you could take them in ambuscade. This suggestion being approved by all of us who expressed any opinion, you marched your regiment down the mountain. leaving men in the rear to give you information of the an- proach of the enemy. In going down, information was brought you that the enemy were in pursuit, when you put your men in position to receive them. After remaining there some time, and the alarm proving false, and all being quiet on the mountain, you returned to Beverly."
Lipford, referred to above, was not killed but was cap- tuerd by the Federals. Colonel Scott correctly conjecturing the true state of affairs on the mountain top, retreated, setting an ambuscade on the way for the Federals, who were be- lieved to be in pursuit. This proved to be a mistake and Scott returned to Beverly, reaching that place about dark. Colonel Scott held a conference with Confederate sympa- thizers in Beverly, and concluded to march that night to Laurel Hill, but on going into the street, where he had ieft his regiment, he found that his Lieutenant Colonel, acting on erroneous information, had gone in the direction of Huttons-
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ville. Colonel Scott mounted his horse and dashed up the pike, overtaking his troop about two miles above Beverly. He turned his regiment in the direction of Laurel Hill, and on his return to Beverly, was informed that General Garnett was retreating. Accordingly, about 10 o'clock on the night of the 11th, Colonel Scott started from Beverly on his retreat by way of Huttonsville, across Cheat Mountain. On the night of July 11th, General Garnett sent a message to Colonel Scott to hold the Federals in check on the pike west of Bev- erly, until daylight next morning. The message was not re- ceived by Colonel Scott until the morning of the 12th, when he had reached a point seven miles south of Beverly. The victorious Federals did not seem eager to follow the retreating Confederates, as the forces under Rosencranse camped on the field of battle on the night of the 11th, and did not occupy the abandoned Confederate fortifications at the western base of the mountains until July 12th. The Federal forces entered Bev- erly July 12th, about one o'clock. General Garnett had ample time to retreat south by way of Beverly and Huttonsville, but a messenger, whom he sent to Beverly on the evening of the 12th, mistaking Colonel Scott's regiment for Federals, reported to him that McLellan's army was occupying Beverly.
While the Federal troops were entering the town and crossing the wooden bridge over the Tygarts Valley River, Captain Richards, a Conferedate, rode up Main Street, and when opposite the bridge, fired into the approaching Fed- erals. The Federal cavalry pursued him for about a mile south of Beverly, when Captain Richards entered a by-road and escaped. The day following the Rich Mountain fight, many of the sympathizers in Beverly left their homes and refugeed to Eastern Virginia.
Garnett's Retreat.
General Garnett heard the artillery on Rich Mountain cn the afternoon of July 11th, and interpreted its meaning. He received intelligence that evening that McLellan had reached Pegram's rear : however, he incorrectly believed that the Fed- eral troops had gained Pegram's rear by a road north of the turnpike. It was then he sent a message to Colonel Scott to
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hold the Federals in check west of Beverly until he could re- treat up the valley, but as stated elsewhere, this order did not reach Colonel Scott until he was some miles south of Beverly on his retreat across Cheat Mountain. Garnett left Laurel Hill and retreated up the valley within about 31/2 miles of Beverly, when he was falsely informed that Mclellan's army occupied Beverly. He then turned back and retreated to Cheat River, by way of Leading Creek and Pleasant Run. General Morris, who had been feigning preparations for an attack on General Garnett's army at Laurel Hill, moved for- ward and took possession of the deserted camp on the 12th, but on account of shortage of supplies, was not in position to make effective pursuit. The Federal forces advanced to Leadsville on the evening of the 12th, and encamped there until next morning, when with a detachment of 3,000 men, General Morris pursued the retreating Confederates into Tucker County. At 6:10 A. M. Captain Benham, sent a message to Major Williams that the Federals had reached a point 11/2 miles east of New Interest (now Kerens) and that the Confederates were supposed to be about six miles ahead. The Federal army was compelled to subsist largely on beef, procured in the vicinity, without bread or salt. Cap- tain H. W. Benham, in his report of the pursuit of Garnett, and action at Carrick Ford, says :
"At about noon we reached Kaler's, or the first ford of the Shaver Branch or Main Cheat River, having within the previous two or three miles, fired at and driven in several pickets of the enemy protecting those who were forming the barricades, and at one place we broke up a camp where the meals were being cooked. At the ford near Kaler's and about one-half of the distance to another ford, which we afterwards met with about one mile farther on, we saw the baggage train of the enemy, apparently at rest. This I proposed to attack as soon as strengthened by the arrival of Steedman's second battalion, with Dumont's regiment, when the thoughtless fir- ing of a musket at our ford set the train rapidly in motion, and long lines of infantry were formed in order of battle to protect it. In a few minutes, however, the arrival of Barnett's artillery, with Dumont close upon it, enabled the command
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to push forward in its original order, but the train and its guard had retired, leaving only a few skirmishers to meet us at the second ford, where, however, quite a rapid firing was kept up by the advance regiment, and the artillery opened for some minutes to clear the adjacent woods the more com- pletely of the enemy.
"We then continued our march rapidly to the ford, and as we approached it we came upon their train, the last half of it just crossing the river. The enemy was found to have taken a strong position, with his infantry and artillery upon a precipitous bank of some fifty to eighty feet in height upon the opposite side of the river, while our own ground was upon the low land, nearly level with the river. Steedman's regi- ment, in the advance, opened its fire most gallantly upon them, which was immediatly returned by their strong force of in- fantry and by their cannon, upon which Barnett's artillery was ordered up and opened upon them with excellent effect.
"As I soon perceived a position by which their left could be turned, six companies of Colonel Dumont's regiment were ordered to cross the river about three hundred yards above them, to pass up the hill obliquely from our right to their left, and take them in rear. By some mistake, possibly in the transmission of the order, this command crossed at about double this distance and turned at first to their right, which delayed the effect of the movement. After some fifteen minu- tes, however, this error was rectified, and, the hill being re- ported as impracticable, this command, now increased to the whole regiment, were ordered down to the ford, under close cover of this hill on their side, and there to take them directly in front at the road.
"The firing of Steedman's regiment and of Milroy's, now well up and in action, with repeated and rapid discharge of the artillery during this movement, decided the action at once. As Dumont reached the road, having passed along and under their whole front, the firing ceased, and the enemy fled in great confusion, Dumont's regiment pursuing them for about one mile farther, having a brisk skirmishing with their rear for the first half of that distance, during which Gen- eral Garnett was killed. The enemy would still have been
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followed up most closely, and probably to the capture of a large portion of their scattered army, but this was absolutely impossible with our fatigued and exhausted troops, who had already marched some eighteen miles or more, in an almost incessant, violent rain, and the greater part of them without food since the evening, and a portion of them even from the noon of the yesterday, so warm had been the pursuit on their hasty retreat from Laurel Mountain, twenty-six miles dis- tant. The troops were, therefore, halted for food and rest at about 2 P. M.
"The result of the action proves to be the capture of about forty loaded wagons and teams, being nearly all their baggage train, as we learn, and including a large portion of new clothing, camp equipage, and other stores : their head- quarter papers and military chest: also two stands of colors and one fine rifled piece of artillery : while the commanding general, Robert S. Garnett, is killed, his body being now cared for by us, and fifteen or twenty more of the enemy are killed and nearly fifty prisoners are taken. Our loss is two killed and six or seven wounded : one dangerously."
We have fuller details of Garnett's retreat and battle of Carrick's Ford in the report of Colonel W. B. Taliaferro of the Confederate 23rd, Virginia Infantry. He says:
"On the evening of the 12th of July. General Garnett bivouacked at Kaler's Ford, on Cheat River, the rear of his command being about two miles back on Pleasant Run. On the morning.of the 13th July the command was put in mo- tion about 8 o'clock. the Thirty-seventh Virginia and Colonel Jackson's regiment and Lieutenant-Colonel Hansborough's battalion, with a section of artillery. under Captain Shumaker. and a squadron of cavalry under Captain Smith, forming the advance : then the baggage train, and then Colonel Ramsey's First Georgia and the Twenty-third Virginia Regiment, con- stituting, with Lieutenant Lanier's section of artillery and a cavalry force under Captain Jackson, the rear of the command. Before the wagon train (which was very much impeded by the condition of the county road over which it had to pass. rendered very bad by the heavy rains of the preceding night) had crossed the first ford half a mile above Kaler's, the cav-
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alry scouts reported that the enemy were close upon our rear with a very large force of infantry, well supported by cavalry and artillery. The First Georgia Regiment was im- mediately ordered to take position across the meadow on the river side and hold the enemy in check until the train had passed the river, and then retreat behind the Twenty-third Virginia Regiment, which was ordered to take position and defend the train until the Georgia troops had formed again in some defensible position.
"By the time the Georgians had crossed the river, and be- fore some of the companies of that regiment were thrown out to ambuscade the enemy could be brought over, the enemy appeared in sight of our troops, and immediately commenced firing upon them. This was briskly returned by the Georgia regiment, who after some rounds retired, in obedience to the orders received. The Twenty-third Virginia and the artillery were halted about three-quarters of a mile below the cross- ing, and were ordered to occupy a hill commanding the valley through which the enemy would have to approach and a wood which commanded the road. This position they held until the Georgia regiment was formed some distance in advance of the Virginians, then the former command retired and again reformed in advance of the Georgians. This system of re- tiring upon eligible positions for defense admirably selected by Captain Corley, adjutant-general to General Garnet, was pursued without loss on either side, a few random shots only reaching us, until we reached Carrick's Ford, three and a half miles from Kaler's. This is a deep ford, rendered deeper than usual by the rains, and here some of the wagons be- came stalled in the river and had to be abandoned.
"The enemy were now close upon the rear, which con- sisted of the Twenty-third Regiment and the artillery ; and as soon as this command had crossed Captain Corley ordered me to occupy the high bank on the right of the ford with my regiment and the artillery. On the right this position was protected by a fence, on the left only by low bushes. but the hill commanded the ford and the approach to it by the road, and was admirably selected for defense. In a few minutes the skirmishers of the enemy were seen running along the
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opposite bank, which was low and skirted by a few trees, and were at first taken for the Georgians, who were known to have been cut off : but we were soon undeceived, and a hearty cheer for President Davis having been given by Lieutenant Washington, C. S. Army, reiterated with a simultaneous shout by the whole command, we opened upon the enemy. The enemy replied to us with a heavy fire from their infantry and artillery. We could discover that a large force was brought up to attack us, but our continued and well-directed firing kept them from crossing the river, and twice we succeeded in driving them back some distance from the ford. They again, however, came up with a heavy force and renewed the fight. The fire of their artillery was entirely ineffective, al- though their shot and shell were thrown very rapidly, but they flew over our heads without any damage, except bring- ing the limbs of trees down upon us. The working of our three guns under Lieutenants Lanier, Washington, and Brown was admirable, and the effect upon the enemy very destruc- tive. We could witness the telling effect of almost every shot.
"After continuing the fight until nearly every cartridge had been expended, and until the artillery had been with- drawn by General Garnett's orders, and as no part of his command was within sight or supporting distance, as far as I could discover, nor, as I afterwards ascertained, within four miles of me. I ordered the regiment to retire. I was induced. moreover, to do this, as I believed the enemy were making an effort to turn our flank, and without support it would have been impossible to have held the position, and as already nearly thirty of my men had been killed and wounded. The dead and severely wounded we had to leave upon the field, but retired in perfect order, the officers and men manifesting decided reluctance as being withdrawn. After marching half a mile I was met by Colonel Starke, General Garnett's aide, who directed me to move on with my regiment to the next ford, a short distance in advance, where I would overtake General Garnett.
"On the farther side of this ford I met General Garnett, who directed me to halt my regiment around the turn of the road, some hundred and fifty yards off, and to detail for him
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ten good riflemen, remarking to me, "This is a good place be- hind this driftwood to post skirmishers." I halted the regi- ment as ordered, but from the difficulty on determining who were the best shots, I ordered Captain Tompkins to report to the general with his whole company. The general, how- ever, would not permit them to remain, but after selecting ten men, under Lieutenant Depriest, ordered the company back to the regiment.
"By General Garnett's orders, conveyed by Colonel Starke, I posted with that officer three of my companies on a high bluff overlooking the river, but, finding the under- growth so thick that the approach of the enemy could not be well observed, they were withdrawn. A few minutes after these companies rejoined the regiment, Colonel Starke rode up and said that General Garnett directed me to march as rapidly as I could and overtake the main body. In a few minutes afterwards Lieutenant Depriest reported to me that General Garnett had been killed. He fell just as he gave the order to the skirmishers to retire, and one of them was killed by his side.
"It gives me pleasure to bear testimony to the coolness and spirit displayed by officers and men in this affair. Lieu- tenant-Colonel Crenshaw and Major Pendleton set an example of courage and gallantry to the command, and the company officers behaved admirably, doing their whole duty. It would be invidious, when all behaved so well, to distinguish between them. The gallantry of Lieutenant Washington was con- spicuous. After the 6-pounder rifled piece had been disabled and it was discovered it had to be abandoned, he spiked it under a heavy fire.
"It is not my province, perhaps, in this report to speak of officers outside of my own command, but I trust I shall be pardoned for bearing testimony to the coolness and judg ment that characterized the couduct of Colonel Starke and Captain Corley during the whole of this day and afterwards on the march. These officers, but more particularly the lat- ter, selected every position at which our troops made a stand, and we were never driven from one of them.
"The loss to the enemy in this section must have been
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very great, as they had from their own account three regi- ments engaged, and the people in the neighborhood whom I have seen since report a heavy loss, which they state the enemy endeavored to conceal by transporting the dead and wounded back to Belington in covered wagons, permitting no one to approach them.
"After receiving the order of General Garnett I marched my regiment four miles farther on to Parson's Ford, a half mile beyond which I overtook the main body of our troops, who had been halted there by General Garnett, and which had been drawn up to receive the enemy.
"The enemy did not advance to this ford, and after halt- ing for some time our whole command moved forward, and marching all night on the road leading up to the line of Horse- shoe Run, reached about daylight the Red House, in Mary- land, a point on the Northwestern turnpike near West Union. At this last place a large force of the enemy under General Hill was concentrated. This body did not attack us, and we moved the same day into Virginia as far as Greenland, in Hardy County."
General Morris did not pursue the Confederates further after the battle of Carrick's Ford, but returned by way of St. George and Clover Run, reaching Belington July 15th. His army was practically without rations, and had been marching and fighting without food for twenty hours. General Garnett's army had a narrow escape from capture at the Red House on the Northwestern pike. Federal troops to the number of 6.000 concentrated at that point to intercept the Confederate retreat, but they arrived there about one hour after Garnett's army had passed. The Confederate army retreated to Mont- erey, Va. without further molestation. At the battle of Car- rick's Ford the Confederates lost 13 killed and 15 wounded. The Federals lost 2 killed and 7 wounded. At Laurel Hill the Confederates lost 2 killed and 2 wounded. The Federals lost 4 killed and 6 wounded. At Rich Mountain the Con- federates lost 45 killed and 20 wounded. The Federals had 12 killed and 49 wounded.
It is an undisputed fact that both Federals and Confed- erates made serious blunders in the campaign in western
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Virginia. However, the result could not have been different with the great disproportion in the size of the two armies. General MeLellan, though regarded by many as the greatest General on the Union side in the Civil War, betrayed in the West Virginia campaign a weakness in not vigorously pur- suing an advantage, that was later manifested at Malvern Hill and Antietam. That General Mclellan was a man of great civic and military attainments is universally conceded, vet it is interesting to know how he underestimated the mili- tary resources of the Confederacy. On July 7th, 1861, he wrote to General Scott that with 10,000 troops in eastern Tennessee, in addition to his West Virginia army, he could "crush the backbone of secession." However, in January, 1862, when made Chief Commander of the army, he estimated that 273,000 men would be necessary for the main army operations, aside from those needed for the defense of Washington.
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