USA > West Virginia > Hampshire County > History of Hampshire County, West Virginia : from its earliest settlement to the present > Part 16
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On November 28, 1864, a confederate raid, under Gen- eral Rosser, penetrated to New Creek, captured the place, and tore up the railroad. A number of prisoners were taken, and the force hastily retired to the valley of Vir- ginia. A small raid was made about the same time on Beverly, in Randolph county, but not much damage was done.
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An Unpopular Policy .- On March 23, 1863, the "Fourth Separate Brigade " was created, and the com- mand was given to General Benjamin S. Roberts, who fixed his headquarters at Weston. His jurisdiction embraced the greater part of West Virginia, north of the Kanawha. Perhaps five out of six of the inhabitants of this district Were supporters of the union cause; but many favored the confederacy, and General Roberts soon began a war upon them. He was determined to drive them out of the coun- try. The majority of the men who sympathized with the south were at that time in the confederate armies; but their wives and children remained at home. One of Gen- eral Roberts' orders was. that all those whose natural pro- tectors were engaged in war against the United States should be sent beyond the union lines. In obedience to this order, numbers of women and children from Lewis, Upshur, Harrison and adjoining counties were sent south into the confederate lines. This policy made General Rob- erts very unpopular, not only with the inhabitants, both southern and northern, in their sentiments, but also with his subordinate officers and the soldiers. The latter spoke their sentiments freely, and said they had joined the army for the purpose of fighting armed men, not to make war upon women and children.
When the confederate raid, under Jones, Jackson and Imboden was made into General Roberts' territory, and he abandoned the country to pillage, the authorities over him decided it was time to make a change, and he was sent to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and General W. W. Averell was given command of the Fourth brigade. His orders were dated May 18, 1863, and he was told to proceed to Weston, "or wherever else you may find Brigadier General B. S. Roberts, and relieve him of his command." General Aver- ell was ordered to protect from raids the territory be- tween the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and the Kanawha, and to guard well the passes through the Cheat mountains.
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He was given liberty to pursue the confederates, even into the valley of Virginia, should occasion require. He was ordered to transform his infantry into cavalry. By a sys- tem of persistent drilling he soon had a force of three thousand cavalry, equal, perhaps, to the best the world has ever seen. It was said of him that his cavalry moved like a whirlwind and struck like a thunderbolt. He soon be- came the terror of the confederate outposts from Win- chester to the Tennessee line. The rapidity of his move- ments overcame resistence and baffled pursuit.
At the time General Averell took command in West Vir- ginia be was about thirty years of age. A native of the state of New York, he graduated at West Point at the age of twenty-two, the head of a class in cavalry. He was a man of fine literary taste and culture. He was instructor in the government cavalry school, first at Jefferson, Mis- souri, and subsequently at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. At this school Fitzhugh Lee, W. H. Jackson, D. H. Maury and C. H. Tyler were his pupils; and their subsequent history shows that he instructed them well. General Averell was sent to New Mexico, and there fought Indians until wounded. He was a cripple two years, and was on crutches when the civil war began. He was sent upon a perilous mission to carry dispatches to the few United States posts in Texas and Arkansas, which were still hold- ing out against the attacks of the confederates. His jour- ney, after crossing the Mississippi, was one of dangers, hardships and desperate escapes. The country was in the hands of the confederates. He was pursued and captured; he escaped and swam rivers; he crossed the plains; he made his way through barren deserts and over pathless mountains, and at last reached the farthest United States post in Texas, and found it surrounded and hard pressed by the confederates. He conducted the garrison rorth- ward to Kansas, and then hurried to Washington and was at once sent to the field in charge of cavalry. His success
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attracted notice at once, and when the need of an efficient cavalry officer in West Virginia was seen, he was sent here. It was desirable that such raids as Jones, Jackson and Imboden had made should not be repeated; and they were not repeated within Averell's territory.
Expedition to Rocky Gap .- General Averell with- drew his forces from West Virginia to assist in the cam- paign against Lee in Pennsylvania. He did not arrive in time to take part in the battle of Gettysburg, but he fought portions of Lee's army while it was retreating. He hast- cned to Moorefield. which he reached August 6. It became desirable to clear the country of confederates, if possible, along the borders of West Virginia and Virginia, from Pendleton county to Greenbrier. Imboden and Jones were in that country, and it was surmised and was subse- quently ascertained that they were contemplating a de- scent into the valley of the South branch. There were saltpeter works in Pendleton and Alleghany counties, which the confederates were operating in manufacturing gunpowder, and Averell wished to destroy them. His . commind was short of ammunition, having only thirty-five cartridges to the man. It was short of horse shoes and nails. also. He ordered these supplies and waited for them some days, but they did not arrive. He could delav no longer, and set forward on the march to Pendleton county, part of his force ascending the South branch and part the North fork. The saltpeter work's five miles from Franklin were destroye 1. He pashel on to Monterey in Highland county. Virginia. He came near surprising the confederate Generals Jones and Imboden. They had been there the day before. consulting whether they should march into the South branch valley. It was probably there learned that Averell was on the mirch, and Jones, Jackson and Imboden prepared for battle; but they misunderstood Averell's purpose. They supposed he was aiming at Staunton, an l laid their plans accor Ingly. He proceeded
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to Huntersville, routing three hundred confederates on August 21, and on the next day another detachment was driven from a ravine near Huntersville, utterly routed, losing nearly everything in the way of arms and stores. Two days later Jackson was met, defeated, and driven out of Pocahontas county. Averell proceeded to Jackson river. where other saltpeter works were destroyed: also those near Covington.
The battle of Rocky Gap, near White Sulphur Springs. in Greenbrier county, was at hand. General Jones, with two thousand five hundred confederates, accidentally found himself in front of Averell, whose force at that time was thirteen hundred, but other union troops came up later. The battle was a surprise to both sides, but they went at it like veterans. It took place in a defile, and for a time the artillery played the chief part, and the cannonade was ter- rific. Averell's ammunition began to run short before sun- set, but he held his ground all night. The confederates ran short of ammunition also, but during the night they received a fresh supply. and they likewise received rein- forcements from the direction of Lewisburg. Averell ex- pected reinforcements from General Scammon, in the Kanawha valley, and looked in vain for them all night. Although he had more than held his own since ten o'clock in the morning, having pushed the confederates back, he knew that he could not maintain his position without cart- ridges. During the night he brought up all the ammuni- tion in the wagons and distributed it among his troops, and sent every available man to the front. In speaking of his situation, Averell afterwards said: "Two chances re- mained, first, the enemy might retreat; and second. Scam- mon might arrive. The morning showed us that both chances had failed." Every arrangement had been made for retreat; but as soon as it was light, the battle was re- newed and Averell held his ground till after ten o'clock, and t'en withFrew, and after some skirmishing, reached
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Beverly on August 31. His loss in killed and wounded was about one hundred and fifty. The loss of the confederates was a little larger. Among Averell's officers who fell was Captain Paul Von Koenig. It is said he was killed by his own men in revenge for his having struck several of them during the march from Moorefield. It is also said that those who killed him did not know Averell by s'ght, and supposed that Koenig was Averell.
Droop Mountain .- In November, 1913, occurred the Droop Mountain campaign, so named from the place where an important battle was fought, November o, be- tween General Averell and a force of four thousand con- federates under Major Echols. Averell's campaign into Greenbrier county, terminating at Rocky Gap, bal not resulted in clearing that region of confederates. He pre- pared for another advance and set forward fron Beverly November 1. He was promised support from the Kana- wha valley, under General Daffie. He no doubt remem- bered that he had been promised support from the same source on the former campaign into that region, and had been disappointed. On the present occasion he provided himself with plenty of ammunition, so that, in case assis- tance again failed him, he could ight to a finish.
There was skirmishing all the way to Huntersville, and small parties of rebels were killed, captured or dispersed. The first considerable force of confederates was encount- ered near Huntersville, under command of Colonel Thomp- son, but it fell back on the main body without a fight. A few miles further a larger confederate force was met, but it also retreated without a fight. The union forces were now within thirty-four miles of Lewisburg. The confed- erates took position on Droop mountain and offered battle. They were advantageously placed, and a direct attack was believed by Averell to be difficult. He prepared a flank movement, and also purposely delayed the attack till the next day in hope that General Duffie's expected reinforce-
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ments would arrive. They did not arrive, and the next morning General Averell began the battle. He sent a force to gain the flank and rear of the confederate position and he moved up in front. In the meantime reinforcements arrived for the enemy, and their coming was announced by Joud yells and by a band of music. Colonel Moor, with more than one thousand men, had been entrusted with the flanking movement. The guides who went with him proved worthless, and he was obliged to proceed the best lie could; and the result was he did not reach his destina- tion till nearly two o'clock in the afternoon, having marched nine miles through woods and over hills.
General Averell's practiced eye detected the confusion in the ranks of the confederates on the mountain when they discovere ! Colonel Moor's advance upon their flank. An attack from the front was at once ordered, and the union troops moved up the mountain. In the meantime the artil- lery po tred a fire upon the confederates. They held their ground an hour and a quarter and then gave way every- where ad fled. The pursuit was vigorous, and the con- federate were scattered. A portion of them passed through Lewisburg the next morning in a deplorable condition. They lost in killed and wounded two hundred and fifty; one gun was abandoned on the field and two more in the retreat. This left Echols only four guns.
Averell proceeded to Lewisburg and found the promised reinforcements there under General Duffie. It was ascer- tained that the confederates had retreate:1 in the direction of Dublin, on the Virginia and Tennessee railroad. It was also learned that General Lee had promised to send ample reinforcements to Major Echols at or near that point. This information induced Averell to march for that place in hope of capturing or scattering the forces there. He set for- ward on November 8 with his entire command, including Duffie's reinforcements. The confederates had blockaded the road and much labor was required to cut it out. Gen-
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eral Duffie reported his troops unfit for service, as they had no rations and were tired. The march to Dublin was therefore given up and Averell returned to Beverly, de- feating Imboden on the road. While in Greenbrier county Averell went to White Sulphur Springs and recaptured his wounded prisoners who had fallen into the hands of the rebels at the battle of Rocky Gap in the preceding August. Averell's loss at Droop mountain is not state:1, except that he had fifty-five wounded. On November 17 his command arrived at New Creek.
The Salem Raid .- The memorable raid to Salem, in Roanoke county, Virginia, sixty miles west of Lynchburg, followed. This was Averell's crowning feat. No general ever performed a greater, taking into account the numbers engaged, the difficulties of the way, and the dangers through which he passed. It can be fittingly compared to Xenophon's "Retreat of the Ten Thousand" through Per- sia, although, of course, on a much smaller scale, both as to numbers engaged and distance traveled. The govern- ment at Washington fully realized the dangers when it sent Averell upon the raid, nor was any effort made to con- ceal from him the fact that he was probably about to march into the jaws of death. He was ordered to cut the Vir- ginia and Tennessee railroad at Salem at all hazzards, even at the cost of the destruction of his whole army. A mo- mentous issue was at stake. General Burnsides was be- sieged at Knoxville, Tennessee, by General Longstreet, and it was feared that no help could reach him in time to save him. The only hope lay in cutting Longstreet's line of supplies and compelling him to raise the siege. This line was the railroad from Richmond to Knoxville, passing through S.ulem. Four confederate armies, any one of them larger than Averell's, lay between him and the railroad marked for destruction. But when the order was given, his veteran cavalry, stationed at New Creek, now Keyser, West Virginia, went forward, moving in a course almost
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as straight as an arrow; rode five days and nights; struck a blow at Salem which was felt throughout the Southern Confederacy; and out-rode, out-ran, outgeneraled and out- fought twelve thousand rebels that tried to hem them in, and they returned in triumph. The story is worth a state- ment more in detail. His force was largely West Vir- ginians, and many of the old veterans still live, and not a few of them attribute their broken constitutions to the terrible hardships endured during the twenty days occu- pied in that raid; now drenched with rain; now climbing mountains and dragging cannon by hand in cold so intense that cattle froze to death in the fields.
General Averell's force reached New Creek November 13, from the Droop mountain campaign. On December 6, 1863, he was notified that hard service was ahead of him, and to prepare for it. That night he went to Cumberland to consult with the department commander concerning the proposed raid. Averell asked that movements be made from several quarters against the confederates near his line of march, to confuse them as to the real object of the raid, and also to assist him in making his escape after leaving Salem. He knew that confederate troops would be rushing from all siles to intercept him. His line of march was from New Creek, through Petersburg, Frank- lin, Monterey, Back Creek, Gatewood's Callaghan's, Sweet Sulphur Springs, New Castle to Salem; much of the way following the general line of the summit of the Alleghanies. In order to distract attention from him he asked that General Scammon advance from the Kanawha to Green- brier and Monroe counties; Colonel Moor to march into Pocahontas county; Colonel Sullivan to threaten Staunton from the direction of Woodstock in the Shenandoah valley; Colonel Thoburn was to threaten Staunton from the direc- tion of Monterey.
The march began December 3. Sufficient time was not given to shoe all the horses before starting, and the
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soldiers had to finish it on the road whenever an oppor- tunity was presented; and these opportunities did not come often. The command of about thirty-three hundred men reached Monterey December 11. Colonel Thoburn with seven hundred men was sent to threaten Staunton, and Averell moved on in a terrible rain which swelled the mountain streams to torrents. In the eastern part of Pocahontas county he had a fight with confederates under Jackson, dispersed them, destroyed their wagons, and hurried on, following an obscure road through incessant rains. On December 14 he wis opposite Greenbrier county, but east of the Alle ghanies, and here learned that forces of confederates under Echols were in Monroe county, almost ahead of him, having been driven there by General Scammon who had advanced from the Kanawha valley. In order to deceive these confederates, Averell made a false movement in the direction of Covington; then, at two o'clock on the morning of December 15, pushed forward up Dunlap creek, in a night as dark as dungeon.
A ride of eight hours brought the squadron to Sweet Sulphur valley where a halt was made of two hours to feed the horses and make coffee, preparing for the dash into Salem which they hoped to reach by daylight the next morning. At one o'clock in the afternoon of December 15, the advance was made. From the top of Sweet Springs mountain a splendid view was opened before them. Av- erell, in his official report speaks of it thus: "Seventy miles to the eastward the Peaks of Otter reared their summits above the Blue Ridge, and all the space between was filled with a billowing ocean of hills and mountains; while behind us the great Alleghanies, coming from the north with the grandeur of innumerable tints, swept past, and faded in the southern horizon." Newcastle was passed during the night. Averell's advance guard were mounte1 on fleet horses, and carried repeating rifles. They allowed no one to go ahead of them. They cap-
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tured a squad of confederates now and then, and learned from these that Averell's advance was as yet unknown in that quarter. It was, however, known at that time at Salem, but it was not known at what point he was striking. Valuable military stores were at Salem, and at that very time a trainload of soldiers was hurrying up from Lynch- burg to guard the place. When within four miles of Salem a troop of confederates were captured. They had come out to see if they could learn anything of Averell, and from them it was ascertained that the soldiers from Lynchburg were hourly expected at Salem. Averell saw that no time was to be lost. From this point it became a race between Averell's cavalry and the Lynchburg train loaded with confederate ;, each trying to reach Salem first. The whistling of the engine in the distance was heard, and Averell saw that he would be too late if he advanced with his whole force. So, he set forward with three hun- dred and fifty horsemen, and two rified cannon, and went into Salem on a dead run; people on the road and streets parting right and left to let the squadron pass. The train loaded with confederates was approaching the depot. Averell wheeled a cannon into position and fired three times in rapid succession, the first ball missing, but the next passing through the train almost from end to end, and the third following close after. The locomotive was uninjured, and it reversed, and backed up the road in a hurry, disappearing in the direction whence it had come. Averell cut the telegraph wires. The work of destroying the railroad was begun. When the remainder of the force came up, detachments were sent four miles east and twelve miles west to destroy the railroad and bridges.
Among the stores destroyed were one hundred thousand bushels of shelled corn; ten thousand busbels of wheat; two thousand barrels of flour; fifty thousand bushels of oats; one thousand sacks of salt; one hundred wagons, and large quartities of clothing, leather, cotton, harness, shoes,
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saddles, tools, and many other things. The depot, water station, turntables, a large pile of bridge timber, and other .stores were burned. Five bridges were destroyed and the track torn up as much as possible for sixteen miles, and the rails twisted to render them useless. Private property was untouched. Six hours were spent in the work of destruction.
It was now 4 p. m,, December 16, and Averell set out upon his return. Word had been given out that he would take the road to Buchanan; but this was a ruse, and it sub- sequently proved that the confederates had been deceived by it and had marched toward that point, expecting to head Averell off. But he was many miles away. He had started back over the way by which he came. Seven miles from Salem a halt was made for the night. The troops were ex- hausted, and a rest was absolutely necessary. That night it rained heavily, and for the following twenty-four hours. It looked as if Averell's force was doomed. He had per- formed the work which he was sent to do, and all that re- mained for him was to save himself if he could. The con- federates were closing in on all sides. Fitzhugh Lee, Jackson, Early, Echols, each had an army, and smaller forces were on all sides. Averell was hemmed in, and practically surrounded by more than twelve thousand reb- els; and that, too, while rain fell in torrents; creeks over- flowed their banks; rivers deluged the country; bridges were broken down or destroyed; nearly every avenue of escape was held by the enemy in overwhelming numbers. Averell's troops dared everything, endured everything, rain, cold, hunger, fatigue, assaults of enemies seen and unseen. In crossing the raging torrents, heavy caissons were swept away and men and horses were drowned. But there was no rest. The only escape from destruction was to push on; and on Averell went. He captured con- federate scouts and learned something of the positions of their forces. There was little comfort in this. Fitzhugh
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Lee was ahead of him and Jones was ready to fall on his flank, while Echols, Jackson and Early were uncomforta- bly near. Averell was trying to cross into West Virginia in Monroe, Greenbrier or Pocahontas county. Echols was in Monroe, shutting off escape in that quarter.
Drenched with rain, muddy and hungry, the force reached Newcastle about sunset December 18. The am- munition was wet, and Averell did not know whether it could be used in battle. At nine o'clock that night the col- umn again took the road to Sweet Springs. About two o'clock in the morning of December 19, confederate pickets were encountered. These fled. As soon as the confed- erate pickets were driven away, Averell halted and built fires to deceive the enemy whom he knew to be near. He left the fires burning and set forward toward the Coving- ton and Fincastle pike. The night was exceedingly dark and cold. He marched thirty miles through the forest, and about noon reached the Fincastle pike, fifteen miles from the bridge below Covington, across the James. The river was reported unfordable, on account of high water and floating ice. Averell carefully calculated his chances of reaching this bridge in advance of the confederates. He had his doubts; but there was no other avenue of es- cape, and lie set forward toward the bridge. After pro- ceeding seven miles a confederate force appeared in the road ahead between him and the bridge. An attack on the confederates was immediately made. They broke and fled, and Averell's cavalry after them. For eight miles it. was a desperate race. Averell knew that the rebels were trying to reach the bridge to set it on fire before he could cross; and he was determined they should have no time to strike a match. 'Down the pike went the rebels in a head- long run for the bridge, and Averell at their heels. At nine o'clock at night the bridge was reached. The con- federates had kindling wood piled ready for firing, but they were not given time to apply the match, Averell
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captured the bridge. Five miles beyond was another, across the same river, and the rebels proceeded to that, and the union cavalry followved. Fagots had been piled on it also for firing, but the union cavalry was in time to save i !.
Before Averell could get his forces across the bridges the confederates under Jackson were upon him. They took position upon the bluff above the river and cut his army in two. Part was on one side of the river and part on the other. The confederates made desperate efforts to cap- ture the bridge, but failed. The battle continued all night, and Averell lost one hundred and twenty-four men, besides some drowned while trying to cross the river. Finding that Jackson could not be dislodged while the bridges re- mained, Averell, who had tried unsuccessfully all night to bring the remainder of his forces across, ordered the bridges to be set on fire. He sent word to his men still on the other side to swim the river. This they did, but some of the ambulances and wagons were lost.
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