USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > A history of Randolph County, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 9
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The Civil War was precipitated in Western Virginia by an effort on the part of Virginia, aided by the other seceding states, to prevent a division of the state. In the counties west
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of the Alleghanies the preponderance of sentiment was in favor of maintaining the Union. However, in some counties, as Randolph, secession sympathizers were in the majority. Robert E. Lee was appointed Commander in Chief of the military and naval forces of Virginia, April 23, 1861. He at once began the organization in the counties west of the Al- leghanies of an army of volunteers.
On May 4, 1861, Colonel A. Porterfield was ordered to Grafton by General Lee to take charge of the volunteer troops of that section. About the middle of May, 1861, General Lee ordered Colonel Heck to transport 1,000 muskets from Staun- ton to Beverly for the use of volunteer companies. General Lee being disappointed in the enlistment of volunteers, sent General Garnett across the mountains with troops from Vir- ginia, Georgia and Tennessee. While the Confederacy was organizing an army in Northwestern Virginia, the general government was not idle. Two thousand stands of arms were shipped to the Northwestern Panhandle on May 7, 1861. Colonel Benjamin F. Kelley organized a force of Federal volunteers at Wheeling, May 26, 1861, and was commanded to obey the orders of General McLellan, who was then at Cincinnati. The next day Colonel Kelley was ordered to Grafton to engage Colonel Porterfield. On reaching Grafton Colonel Kelley learned that Colonel Porterfield had abandon- ed Grafton for Philippi. Colonel Kelley with a much superior force surprised and routed Colonel Porterfield at Philippi on the morning of June 3, 1861. Colonel Porterfield retreated to Huttonsville where he met and was relieved of his command by General Garnett, who with the combined forces of Porter- field and his own men commanded an army of about 6,000 soldiers. Against this force General McLellan was approach- ing with an army of 20,000 men. General Garnett sent Col- onel Pegram to fortify the western base of Rich Mountain with 1,300 men. General Garnett marched with the main body of his army of between 4,500 and 5,000 to the northern base of Laurel Hill near Belington. General Morris was ordered to advance from Philippi and make a demonstration as though the principal attack was to be made on the Con- federate forces at Laurel Hill, while Mclellan, designed to
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route Pegram's forces at Rich Mountain and cut off Garnett's retreat at Beverly.
On June 22, 1861, General Mclellan crossed the Ohio River at Parkersburg. By way of the B. & O. Railroad he reached Grafton next day. He marched to Buckhannon by way of Clarksburg and Weston, leaving fortified posts at Webster, Grafton, Clarksburg and Parkersburg. He reached Buckhannon, July 2, 1861. Under date of July 5, 1861, Buck- hannon, Va., General McLellan informed Colonel E. D. Town- send, Washington, D. C .:
"I expect to find the enemy in position on Rich Moun- tain, just this side of Beverly. I shall, if possible, turn the position to the south, and thus occupy the Beverly road in the rear. Assure the General that no prospects of brilliant victory shall induce me to depart from my intention of gain- ing success by maneuvering rather than by fighting. I will not throw these men of mine in the teeth of artillery and in- trenchments, if possible to avoid it. From all that I can learn the enemy is still uncertain as to where the main at- tack is to be made, and is committing the error of dividing his army in the face of superior forces."
Colonel Pegram, the Confederate commander, had a picket post at Middle Fork Bridge to keep watch on the Fed- eral advance. A scouting party from Mclellan's army ran into these pickets on July 6th, and were repulsed with one killed and five wounded. This was the first armed conflict between the Federals and Confederates in Randolph County. General Mclellan in his report to the Federal Government says that seven Confederates were killed. This statement was erroneous as the Confederates had three wounded and none killed. On July 7, General R. L. McCook drove the Confed- erates from Middle Fork bridge. General Mclellan occupied the bridge next day. July 8th, and on the evening of July 9th, moved to the Hillery farm on Roaring Creek, within two miles of Pegram's fortifications at the base of Rich Mountain. On July 10, 1861, the Confederates under Colonel Pegram, and the Federals under General McLellan were facing each other at the western base of Rich Mountain. Simultaneously Gen- eral Morris was feigning preparations for an attack on the
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forces of General Garnett at the northern base of Laurel Hill, acting under orders from General MeLellan to withhold his attack until he was in a position to intercept General Garnett's retreat at Beverly. Colonel Scott was encamped at Beverly on the night of July 10th, on his way from Staunton to Laurel Hill to reinforce General Garnett. It was apparent that a battle was impending. General MeLellan, conscious of his superior force and equipment, was confident of victory. In his report to Colonel Townsend from Buckhannon, July 6th, he said : "By the 8th or 9th, at least, I expect to occupy Beverly, fighting a battle in the meanwhile. I propose to drive the enemy over the mountain toward Staunton. Gen- eral Garnett was discouraged by the prospect of meeting a force much larger than his own, as well as disappointed by the meager number of volunteers and the lack of support and co-operation on the part of the people. In his report of June 25th, from Laurel Hill, to the Confederate government at Richmond, Va., among other things he said: "I have been, so far, wholly unable to get anything like accurate informa- tion as to the numbers, movements, or intentions of the enemy and begin to believe it almost an impossible thing. The Union men are greatly in the ascendency here and are much more zealous and active in their cause than the secessionists. The enemy are kept fully advised of our movements, even to the strength of our scouts and pickets, by the country people, while we are compelled to grope in the dark as much as if we were invading a foreign and hostile country." Instead of large additions to his forces as he expected, only eight men had joined his army prior to July 1st, and only fifteen had joined Colonel Heck's camp to that date. That General Garnett realized his inability to cope with the superior forces of the Union army was evidenced by his report from Laurel Hill dated July 6, 1861, in which he said: "I do not sup- pose this force can ever obtain a strength relative to that of the enemy, which would warrant us in giving him battle. The only certain result we can calculate upon is that our presence here will occupy a considerable force of the enemy, and re- lieve other points of the state where they might be employed against us." Colonel Pegram seemed to be the only officer
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on either side who had no adequate idea of the comparative strength of the opposing armies. The day before the Rich Mountain battle he asked permission of General Garnett to attack Mclellan's army, intimating his belief that his forces were adequate for such an engagement. General Garnett very wisely refused him permission.
Colonel Pegram was under the impression that the Fed- eral army would endeavor to attack him from the rear by sending a detachment across the mountain by an abandoned road to the north of the pike and which entered that road one and one-half miles west of Beverly. Colonel Pegram accord-, ingly sent a message to Colonel Scott on the morning of July 11th, stating: "I think it almost certain that the enemy are working their way around my right flank to come into the turnpike one and one-half miles this side of Beverly." This message reached Colonel Scott when his regiment had reached a point four miles north of Beverly. Colonel Scott immediately retraced his march to Beverly and thence to the position where the old road intersects the turnpike at the eastern base of Rich Mountain. While Colonel Pegram was industriously trying to circumvent the opposing forces from reaching his rear from the north, General Rosencranse was without molestation moving approximately 2,000 men to Peg- ram's rear by way of a circuitous route through the woods a mile or more to the south of the Pike, being piloted by David B. Hart, son of Joseph Hart, who resided on the crest of the mountain, where the pike crosses, a mile and a half to the rear of Pegram's camp. Young Hart visited Mclellan's camp about 10 o'clock on July 10th, and volunteered his ser- vices in piloting the Federal troop to his father's farm on the top of the mountain from which point Pegram's forces could be attacked from the rear. Generals Mclellan and Rosencranse discussed the plan and concluded to accept Hart's services. Rosencranse was given a detachment of 1917 men, and on the morning of July 11th, at 5 o'clock with rations for one day, they started to execute the movement. Rosen- cranse says: "The column formed and moved forward in the following order and strength :
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Eighth Indiana, under Benton 242 strong
Tenth Indiana, under Manson 425
..
Thirteenth Indiana, under Sullivan 650
Nineteenth Ohio, under Beatty 525
Total infantry 1,842
Burdsal's cavalry
75
Aggregate 1,917
"Colonel Lander, accompanied by the guide, led the way through a pathless forest, over rocks and ravines, keeping far down on the south eastern declivities of the mountain spurs, and using no ax, to avoid discovery by the enemy, whom we supposed would be on the alert, by reason of the appearance of unusual stir in our camp, and the lateness of the hour. A rain set in about 6 A. M. and lasted until about 11 o'clock A. M. with intermissions, during which the column pushed cautiously and steadily forward, and arrived at last and halt- ed in rear of the crest on the top of Rich Mountain. Hungry and weary with an eight hours' march over a most unkindly road, they laid down to rest, while Colonel Lander and the General examined the country. It was found that the guide was too much scared to be with us longer, and we had an- other valley to cross, another hill to climb. another descent beyond that to make, before we could reach the Beverly road at the top of the mountain. On this road we started at 2 o'clock, and reached the top of the mountain after the loss of an hour's time by mistake in the direction.
"Shortly after passing over the crest of the hill, the head of the column ordered to be covered by a company deployed as skirmishers, was fired on by the enemy's pickets, killing Sergeant James A. Taggart and dangerously wounding Cap- tain Christopher Miller, of the Tenth.
"The column then advanced through dense brushwood, emerging into rather more open brushwood and trees. when the rebels opened a fire of both musketry and 6-pounders, firing some case shot and a few shells.
"We formed about three o'clock under cover of our skirmishers, guarding well against a flank attack from the direction of the rebels' position, and after a brisk fire, which threw the rebels into confusion, carried their position by a
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charge. driving them from behind some log breastworks. and pursued them into the thickets on the mountain. We cap- tured twenty-one prisoners, two brass 6-pounders. fifty stand of arms, and some corn and provisions. Our loss was 12 killed and 49 wounded.
"The rebels had some 20 wounded on the field. The number of the killed we could not ascertain. but subsequently the number of burials reported to this date is 135-many found scattered over the mountain. Our troops. informed that there were one or two regiments of rebels toward Bev- erly, and finding the hour late. bivouacked on their arms amid a cold. drenching rain. to await daylight. when they moved forward on the enemy's intrenched position. which was found abandoned by all except 63 men, who were taken prisoners. We took possession of two brass 6-pounders. four caissons, and one hundred rounds ammunition, two kegs and one barrel powder. 19.000 buck and ball catridges, two stands of colors, and a large lot of equipment and clothing. consist- ing of 204 tents. 427 pairs pants. 124 axes. 98 pick>. 134 spades and shovels. all their train, consisting of 29 wagons. 75 horses. 4 mules. and 60 pair- harness.
"The enemy finding their position turned. abandoned in- trenchments, which, taken by the front, would have cost us a thousand lives. and dispersed through the mountains. some attempting to escape by the way of Laurel Hill and others aiming for Huttonsville."
Rosencranse and his army reached the mountain crest. at the lone tree. This point is a little more than a mile from Hart's house. where the battle was fought. The valley to cross and the hills to climb were comparatively small de- pressions and elevations, as the crest of the mountain from the lone tree to Hart's house is a descent of nearly 600 feet. The Confederate pickets were stationed about a half mile south of Hart's house. and upon approach of Federal forces. fired and fell back. joining the Confederate detachment at the Hart farm.
The Confederates were informed of the flank movement about noon by a messenger sent from Rosencranse to Mc- Lellan. This messenger lost his way and was captured by the
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Confederates. Acting upon this information Pegram sent 350 men and one 6-pound cannon to the top of the mountain. The Confederates opened fire on the first approach of the Federals, although the Federals outnumbered the Conted- erates, about six to one. the battle lasted three hours, and was stubbornly contested. Hart's house was occupied by the Con- federates, who fired from the windows and from the chinks between the logs. The Federals finally drove them out, kill- ing one Confederate who was settling himself in a far corner of an upstairs room. Many dead and wounded were carried into the house, and blood stains are still visible on the floors and stairways, having penetrated the wood beyond the effect of the scouring brush.
Colonel Pegram's report is much more complete than Rosencranse's, and is here appended. It was written while he was a prisoner at the residence of Johathan Arnold in Beverly. He says :
"Not knowing where a communication will find General Garnett. I submit the following report of the fight at Rich Mountain. The battlefield was immediately around the house of one Hart, situated at the highest point of the turnpike over the mountain, and two miles in the rear of my main line of trenches, the latter being at the foot of the western slope of the mountain. The intricacies of the surrounding country seemed scarcely to demand the placing of any force at Hart's, vet I had that morning placed Captain DeLagnel there with 310 men and one piece of artillery, with instructions to de- fend it to the last extremity against whatever force might be brought to the attack by the enemy, but also to give me timely notice of his need for reinforcements. These orders had not been given two hours before General Rosencranse, who had been conducted up a distant ridge on my left flank and then along the top of the mountain by a man. attacked the small handful of troops under Captain DeLagnel. with 3.000 men. When, from my camp. I heard the firing becoming very rapid, without waiting to hear from Captain DeLagnel, I ordered up reinforcements, and hurried on myself to the scene of action. When I arrived the piece of artillery was entirely unmanned. Captain DeLagnel having been severely
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wounded, after which his men had left their piece. The lim- ber and caisson were no longer visible the horse having run away with them down the mountain, in doing which they met and upset the second piece of artillery, which had been ordered up to their assistance. Seeing the infantry deserting the slight breatsworks hastily thrown up that morning by Captain DeLagnel, I used all personal exertion to make them stand to their work until I saw that the place was hopelessly lost. On my way back to ny camp I found the reinforcing force under command of Captain Anderson, of the artiliery. in great confusion, they having fired upon their retreating comrades. I hurried on to camp and ordered the remaining companies of my own regiment in camp to join them. This left my right front and right flank entirely unmanned. I then went back up the mountain where I found the whole force drawn up in line in ambuscade near the road, under Major Nat Tyler. I called their attention and said a few en- couraging words to the men, asking them if they would fol- low their officers to the attack, to which they responded by a cheer. I was here interrupted by Captain Anderson, who said to me, 'Colonel Pegram, these men are completely demoraliz- ed. and will need you to lead them.'
"I took my place at the head of the column, which I march- ed in single file through laurel thickets and other almost im- passable brushwood up a ridge to the top of the mountain. This placed me about one-fourth of a mile to the right flank of the enemy, and which was exactly the point I had been mak- ing for. I had just gotten all the men up together and was about making my dispositions for the attack when Major Tyler came up and reported that during the march up the ridge one of the men in his fright had turned around and shot the first sergeant of one of the rear companies, which had caused nearly the whole of the company to run to the rear. He then said that the men were so intensely demoralized that he considered it madness to attempt to do anything with them by leading them on to the attack. A mere glance at the frightened countenances around me convinced me that this distressing news was but too true, and it was confirmed by the opinion of three or four company commanders around me.
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They all agreed with me that there was nothing left to do but to send the command under Major Tyler to effect a junction with either General Garnett at Laurel Hill, or Colonel Wil- liam C. Scott, who was supposed to be with his regiment near Beverly. It was now half past six in the evening, when I re- traced my steps with much difficulty back to the camp, losing myself frequently on the way, and arriving there after 11 o'clock at night. I immediately assembled a council of war, composed of the field officers and company commanders re- maining, when it was unanimously agreed that, after spiking the two remaining pieces of artillery, we should attempt to join General Garnett by a march through the mountains to our right. This act was imperative, not only from our re- duced numbers, now being about 600, and our being placed between two large attacking armies, but also because at least three-fourths of my command had no rations left: the other one-fourth not having flour enough for one meal. Hav- ing left directions for Sergeant Walker, and giving directions to Assistant Surgeon Taylor to take charge of the sick and wounded in camp, and to show a white flag at daylight, I called the companies together and started at one o'clock A. M .. without a guide, to make my way, if possible, over the moun- tains, where there was not the sign of a path, toward General Garnett's camp. As I remained in camp to see the last com- pany in column, by the time I reached the head of the column. which was nearly a mile long, Captain Lilly's company had disappeared and has not since been heard from.
"The difficulties attending my march it would be im- possible to exaggerate. We arrived at Tygart's Valley River at 7 P. M., having made the distance of twelve miles in about eighteen hours. Here we were met by several country people, who appeared to be our friends, and who informed us that at Leadsville Church, distant three miles, there was a small camp, composed of a portion of Garnett's command. Leaving Colonel Heck with instructions to bring the command for- ward rapidly. I hired a horse and proceeded forward until in sight of Leadsville Church, when I stopped at a farmhouse where were assembled a dozen men and women. They in- formed me that General Garnett had retreated that afternoon
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up the Leading Creek road, into Tucker County, and that he was being pursued by three thousand of the enemy, who had come from the direction of Laurel Hill as far as Leadsville Churc' when they turned up the Leading Creek road in pur- suit. This, of course, rendered all chance of joining General Garnett, or escaping in that direction, utterly impossible. Hurrying back to my command. I found them in much con- fusion, firing random shots in the dark, under the impression that the enemy were surrounding them. Reforming them, 1 hurried back to the point where we first struck the river, and persuaded a few of the country people to cook all the pro- visions they had, hoping that it might go a little way toward satisfying the hunger of my almost famishing men.
"I now found, on examining the men of the house, that there was, if any, only one possible means of escape, and that by a road which, passing within three miles of the enemy's camp at Beverly, led over precipitous mountains into Pendle- ton County. Along this road there were represented to me to be but a few miserable habitations, where it would be vt- terly impossible for even a company of men to get food ; and as it was now 11 o'clock P. M., it would be necessary to leave at once, without allowing them to get a mouthful where they were. 1 called a council of war, when it was agreed almost unanimously (only two members voting in the negative) that there was left to us nothing but the sad determination of surrendering ourselves prisoners of war to the enemy at Beverly. I was perfectly convinced that an attempt on call part to escape would sacrifice by starvation a large number of the lives of the command."
Colonel Pegram sent a note to the commanding officer of the United States forces at Beverly, and dispatched it about 12 o'clock on the night of July 12th. The messenger returned next morning with Colonel Key, one of General Mc- Lellan's staff officers. After a conference between Colonels Pegram and Key, the former's officers and men, numbering 555 marched to Beverly and stacked their arms. They were kept at Beverly until July 17th, when all but Colonel Pegram were released on parole, Pegram being refused his parole be-
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cause he had not resigned as an officer in the United States Army.
Lieutenant Charles W. Statham, in his report, gives in- teresting additional details of the battle of Rich Mountain. He says :
"I have to report that on the 11th instant, by your order. I moved with one gun and a detachment of twenty-one men to occupy this pass in Rich Mountain. We took our position about 1 o'clock P. M. In less than two hours the enemy made their appearance in large column, six regiments strong, im- mediately on the hill south of the pass. We reversed our gun, which was pointed down the pass, and prepared to re- ceive the enemy in the direction in which he was approaching. In a few minutes the sharpshooters of the enemy commenced a fire upon us from behind trees and rocks at a distance rang- ing from two to three hundred yards. the body of the enemy being still farther. We opened upon the main body with spherical shot, which I cut at first one second and a quarter, and could distinctly see them burst in their midst. I knew we did good execution, as I could distinctly hear their officers give vehement commands to close up ranks. After firing this way some little time at the rate of near four shots per minute we forced the enemy to retire.
In about twenty minutes the enemy reappeared in a column of three regiments, advanced briskly upon us, when we moved our gun a little higher up the opposite hill and again opened upon them, and with our spherical shot cut as low as one second down to three-quarters. After firing rapidly for some time the enemy again beat a hasty retreat. when my men, including the infantry not yet in action, rent the air with their shouts, confidently believing that we had gained the day. But in a short time the enemy again formed and renewed the attack with more swiftness than before, and soon played havoc with our horses. These, with the caisson. ran down the mountain with drivers and all, leaving us with only the small amount of ammunition in our limber-box. We then limbered and moved our gun near a small log stable, be- hind which we placed our horses for protection. By this time our men were falling fast. Sergeant Turner, of the gun, had
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both legs broken and shot through the body: Mays had his left arm splintered with a musket ball; Isaiah Ryder shot through the head, and died instantly ; John A. Taylor had his thigh broken ; E. H. Kersey, shot in the ankle; Lewis Going, wounded in the arm ; William W. Stewart, badly wounded in the head and breast. This left me but few to man the gun. Captain DeLagnel, who was the commander of the post, having his horse shot under him and seeing our crippled con- dition, gallantly came and volunteered his valuable aid, and helped load and fire three or four times, when he was shot in the side, and I think, in the hand. He then ordered us to make our escape, if we could, but the enemy was too close, and his fire too severe, to admit of safe retreat to many of us. I was shot through the right hand and am now a prisoner."
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