USA > West Virginia > History of the Second regiment West Virginia cavalry volunteers > Part 7
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all that saved the destruction of the railroad, as there were not enough rebel troops at hand to prevent the raid- ers destroying considerable property, as they supposed our objeet was Saltville, and their energies were spent in preparing to defend that place. Oar men became so in- censed from having been fired on so fatally from the shelter of houses, that they set fire to that portion of the town, and quite a number of houses were burned. Most of this shooting from houses was done by armed citizens, and hence the destruction of this part of the town was certainly justifiable according to the rules of war. Many of the Second West Virginia assisted families to places of safety and no wanton acts were committe:l. The fight com- menced obout sun-down, and did not last over twenty min- utes, when we had entire possession. All our wounded, together with the assistant surgeon, Ozias Nellis, of the Second Virginia Cavalry, Sergeant E. A. Thomas, John N. Stewart and a few others who had been detailed to eare for the wounded, fell into the hands of the enemy as pris- oners of war, and were subsequently taken to Richmond. About ten o'clock at night, Lient. Colonel Franklin, of the 34th O. V. I., who now was in command of the brig- ade, reported to Colonel Powell, through his adjutant, Lient. Clark, for instructions. Colonel Powell re- plied, "say to Colonel Franklin to be governed by existing circumstances, and to exercise his best judgment in getting the command back to the Kanawha Valley. And that in his opinion it was imprac- ticable to attempt to continue the raid as originally in- tended, as the force was too small to cope with the enemy, now gathering from all directions. It was near midnight when the force left the place on the eventful return march. About twelve miles from Wytheville all the prisoners were paroled, and the two pieces of artillery destroyed. About twenty miles on the Tazewell road the command left the main road, and took a mountain route to the right, crossing Queen's Knob, Walker's Mountain, Brush Monn- tain and thus through Hunting Camp, leaving Rock Gap
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on our right. (See John McCauseland's report, rebel,) thence northwest over Wolf Creek and East River Moun- tains, crossing the Tazewell and Mechanicsburg, the Taze- well and Parisburg and the Tazewell and East River main roads or pikes, thence across the Stone Ridge into the north of Abb's Valley on the Laurel fork of Bluestone. Here we camped on the night of the 19th, having marched forty-five miles from Wytheville. On Sunday evening the 19th the first attack was made on the rear guard, which was in charge of Lieut. Davidson, but though the little force of rebel cavalry in pursuit made repeated at- tempts to cut the guard off from the main column, yet they did not materially interfere with the march.
Monday morning, July 20th, at 3 o'clock a. m., the march was resumed, and a continued attack was kept up on the rear by an increasing force of the enemy com- manded by Major May. At one time they charged into our rear guard with saber, a rebel officer cutting Lieut. Davidson severely on his wrist, the lieutenant replying with a pistol shot which unhorsed the daring confederate. Soon after this occurrence some of our command dis- mounted and formed an ambuscade into which the pur- suers were drawn, and so badly used up that they did not again attack the rear. The march was by mountain paths across the west of Great Flat Top Mountain, over Indian Ridge, Pinnacle Ridge, and down Pinnacle Creek, and thence across Casey's and Barker's Ridges, and along Pond Mountain, finally crossing Guyandotte and Pond Mountains to to the marshes of Coal river, where we struck Maple Meadow road, at a distance of nine miles from Raleigh C. H., from which point we marched through the town of Raleigh, and rested at Francis' farm on the Raleigh and Fayetteville road at 5 o'clock p. m. of July 22nd. I do not know where we camped the nights of the 20th and 21st. Our rations had long since given out, and the command was nearly in a state of starv- ation, as the country traversed produced nothing but timber and rocks. On the evening of the 21st a portion
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of the command obtaind four small steers,
and a small quantity of corn meal. The paths along which we passed presented obstacles almost impassable, being filled with fallen timber and winding over rocky steeps which are beyond description; and now, at this late day, it seems almost incredible to think of a mounted command pursuing such a route. Owing to the lack of forage and the severe labor undergone, many horses gave out from exhaustion and were left on the road. The number has been roughly estimated at three hundred. Quite a number of horses were captured in Tazewell and Wythe counties, so that probably not more than one hun- dred men were marched into camp dismounted. On the night of the 22nd two messengers on fresh horses were dispatched to Fayetteville for supplies for the famishing horses and men. The next morning a train of supplies and forage reached us from Fayetteville under escort of a company of cavalry and two pieces of artillery. As the train eame rumbling into camp, arousing the men from a sleep of exhaustion, they greeted the deliverers with cheers. As it would take some time to issue the rations in regular form, to appease the hunger of four days, crackers or hard taek were scattered about the camp, which were eagerly seized and eaten. By eight o'clock all had par- taken of a substantial breakfast of genuine "Lincoln" cof- fee, bacon and hard tack. The poor, jaded horses also en- joyed a good feed of oats and hay. The column, in high spirits, headed for Fayetteville about 10 o'clock. Boxes of crackers were placed by the roadside every few miles, and it is safe to say that most of us ate hard tack all day. On the evening of the 23d we were safely within our lines at Fayetteville, where we camped for the night.
A very amusing incident took place soon after our ar- rival at Fayetteville. The personal appearance of troopers after a long march such as this had been, is generally not very prepossessing. The use of soap and water had been shamefully neglected, our hair was unkempt, our clothes dirty and ragged, and altogether xe were a very hard look-
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ing set of boys. A lieutenant of Company I, who was no ex- ception to the rule as regarded personal appearance, went at once to a sutler of the post at this place, bought a paper collar, put it on, and came over to the camp. The marked contrast between the clean white band about his neck and the other parts of his apparel was so ludierous that he was greeted on all sides with laughter and with shouts of the then familiar salutation, "here, ring," "here, ring."
On the 24th we marehed only as far as Loup Creek, and about noon on the 25th reached Camp Piatt, our old quarters. The whole march occupied twelve days, and covered about four hundred miles.
About the 21st Captain West, of the 34th O. V. I., left the eolumn for the purpose of finding a house in the hopes of being able to procure something to cat. When he came in sight of a little farm house, some distance from the road, he met one of his own regiment coming away. He inquired of the man if there was anything there that would appease hunger? The man replied : "Nothing but some buttermilk." The officer was very fond of that delicacy, and went on his way. On arriving at the house the gallant captain was met by the lady, who, at sight of him, threw up her hands in holy horror, and, in a despairing tone of voice, exelaimed : "Take anything I have in the world, but save my honor." When the officer had somewhat re- covered from the shock this gave him, he replied : "Hang your honor, madame,-I want some buttermilk."
Report of Major T. M. Boyer, C. S. Artillery, Chief of Ordinance, ete.
Dublin, July 26, 1863.
GENERAL :- In obedience to your orders of July 18th, directing me to take command of the two companies at this post, and such of the employes and citizens as could be hastily collected together, and to proceed to Wytheville for the purpose of meeting a raiding party of the chemy reported approaching that place, I have the honor to re- port : The mail train was stopped, the passengers notified to leaves the cars, and my command, numbering about 130 men and two pieces of artillery, placed upon them. Not-
LT. COL. J. J. HOFFMAN.
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withstanding the delay consequent upon getting citizens hastily together, organizing, arming and equipping them, we were enabled to leave this place for Wytheville at 3 D. m., one hour and a half from the time your order was first placed iu my hands, The train was subject to further de- lay, owing to the fact that we were running out of time, and a freight was upon the track meeting us. The train arrived at Wytheville depot (three fourths of a mile from the town) at 5:10 p. m. My artillery was disembarked at once, but as there was neither horses nor harness ready at hand, it became necessary to procure them, which in the great state of alarm and confusion in which everything in the place was found, rendered a considerable delay umavoid- able. As no reliable information could be obtained either of the force or whereabouts of the enemy, Lieut. C. L. C. Minor was ordered to procure horses enough to mount him- self and half a dozen men, move as rapidly as possible in the direction in which they were reported to be approach- ing, and furnish me with reliable information, if possible. After about half an hour's delay in making arrangements for organizing the citizens of Wytheville, and distributing the small arms to them, which I had carried with me for that purpose, (in which I was promptly and efficiently aided by Lieut. Colonel Umbarger, of the militia and Maj. Joseph F. Kent, a resident of the place.) I received information from Lieutenant Minor that the advance guard of the enemy, numbering about forty men, was within one mile of the town. I could then wait no longer for my artillery, but put my small command in motion in the direction of the town, and ordered Captain Oliver to follow me as rap- idly as possible when he should have procured the means for moving his guns. Before reaching the town I again received information from my scouts that the main body of the enemy, numbering about 1,000 men, was within half a mile of the town, moving steadily and rapidly forward. I pressed on as rapidly as was practicable with an undisci- plined command, and succeeded in reaching the town just as the enemy made their appearance in sight of Main street, some 1,200 yards distant. Not being familiar with the streets or topography of the town, I was forced to be guided by circumstances, and first moved my command in the direction in which the enemy were approaching, but, after advancing a short distance in that direction, I found it impossible to procure a position which would be tenable for so small a force against so large a one. I therefore
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ordered Lieutenants Bozang and Alexander to move their company forward to check the advance, while the remainder of the command could be brought back to Main street where resistance might be more successfully made. This order was obeyed promptly, and the officers and men behaved most gallantly. Lieutenant Bozang's con- duet on the occasion was conspicuously brave, and his ser- viens most valuable. Although a deadly volley of buck and ball was fired into the head of the advaneing column at a distance of not more than thirty yards, yet the im- petuosity of the charge was so determined as to be irre- sistible, and Bozang and his gallant little command were forced from their position in a narrow street, and com- palled to surrender to overpowering numbers. By this time the remainder of my force had been removed from Tazewell street (the one by which the enemy were ap- proaching) and posted in such of the houses on Main street as could be entered, many of the doors being closed and securely fastened. This position was held for about three-quarters of an hour, when we were forced to aban- don it by overpowering numbers of the enemy, deployed as skirmishers on foot through the town. I ordered a re- treat, and the town was left to the mercy of the foe. Had I remained longer the result could not have been differ- ent, excepting that all the brave men under my command must certainly have been killed or captured. Owing to the severity of the enemy's fire and the unorganized con- dition of my command, they could not be withdrawn in order, and were therefore directed by me to quit the town as best they could, and to rally at the water tank, a point on the railroad a mile below the depot, whither I had or- dered the train to he removed for greater safety. This they did, but before that point could be reached, the conductor, for some reason which has never been ex- plained to me, moved off with his train, thereby compell- ing the command to make their way back to Dublin on foot. About twenty-five of the men who accompanied me were captured; Captain Oliver and two men were killed; Lient. Bozang and three or four wounded; and I have been informed that two of the citizens of Wytheville were also killed, and some fifty or sixty captured. They, however, with the other prisoners, were subsequently released upon their parole. Owing to the great advantage we secured in fighting from houses and other shelter against mounted men in the streets, we were enabled to inflict far greater
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loss upon the enemy than we sustained, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers. The colonel commanding (Toland) was killed, the second in command [Colonel Powell] was wounded and afterwards left in our hands. Captain Delaney was killed; Lieutenants Livingston, Guse- . man and- -were wounded and also left in our hands. Nine others were left dead in the streets, and a number, which I have not been able to ascertain, were left wounded in and around the town. It was owing to thesc losses, doubtless,-especially the loss of the two colonels, that after burning eight or ten houses and inflicting an in- injury upon the railroad which was repaired in an hour's time, they abandoned their undertaking, and retreated at ten o'clock that night toward Taze- well C. H., carrying off one of our six pounders, which had not been brought into action, and which they aban- doned before they had gone twenty miles. I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
T. M. BOWYER, Maj. Com'dg Expedition.
To Major Genl. Saml. Jones, Commanding Department of Western Virginia.
Dublin, Va., July 18.
Mayor of Lynchburg, Va .- Thirteen hundred of the enemy's cavalry were reported this morning between Taze- well C. H and Wytheville. They are on a large raid on this road. I have sent all the troops I had on the road to General Lee. If there are any available volunteer coni- panies in Lynchburg, please send them at once. By so doing we may not only save this line of road but intercept and capture the raiders. The citizens about here are turn- ing ont well. If any of your people can come here, Mr. Thomas Dodamead will soon be sending a train. They can come on that. If Captain, or Major, or Doctor II. Grey Latham is abont Lynchburg, present my regards to him, and ask if he has any men at his disposal, to bring them on here at once. SAM JONES.
Report of Colonel John MeCausland, Thirty-Sixth Virginia Infantry, commanding Fourth Brigade.
Headquarters Fourth Brigade, }
Mereer Court House, Va., July 30, 1863. 6
SIR :- In accordance with your letter of the 29th call- ing for a report of the movements of may troops and the
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part taken by them in connection with the recent raid on Wytheville, I will submit the following brief report :
Having been forced from my position at Piney, near Raleigh C. H., Va., by a'superior force of the enemy under General A. P. Scammon, I retired to the top of Flat Mountain, and, finding that the enemy did not follow me. with his main body, and was endeavoring to pass in my rear with a large cavalry force, I continued the retreat to this place, where I learned that the enemy had passed through Abb's Valley in Tazewell county. I at once sent some cavalry to intercept them and some infantry to ob- struct the roads. When they arrived in Tazewell the enemy had gone in the direction of Wytheville. The cavalry pursued them until they met with Colonel (A. J.) May, of Brigadier General William's com- mand, who presumed to give them orders, etc., so that they accomplished but little, owing to the inter- ference of those named above. On the morning of the 19th I moved with a part of my infantry and cavalry and artillery through Rock Gap, in the direction of Wytheville. I halted the infantry and artillery at the Gap, and went on with the cavalry, but on reaching Bland C. H., I found that the enemy had retired, and had gone back toward Tazewell county, coming at no time in my direction, or passing the mountains at any of the crossings guarded by my forces. They passed beyond me, and as soon as I found I could not come up with them, I stopped at Rock Gap and remained there. On the morning of the 19th I also sent a sufficient garrison to the narrows. I am sure that some one is to blame for the escape of the enemy. I am also of the opinion that the cavalry force that was in Tazewell, under General Williams and Colonel May, was sufficient to have captured the enemy if it had been prop- erly managed. Your attention is called to the report of Captain Bowen, of the Eighth Virginia cavalry, herewith submitted, from which it appears that if the Gap at Crab- tree's had been occupied by Col. May, or had he permitted Captain Bowen to have occupied it (which he would have done) the enemy would have been driven upon me at Rock Gap. and they could not have escaped. Again, if General Williams had moved with the celerity that the occasion required, and attacked the enemy in force, instead of skirmishing with his rear, he would have de- feated them, and taken or scattered the most of them. I never could come up with them with
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my infantry, and those commanding the cavalry failed because they did not charge the enemy with their whole force when they did overtake them. I have the honor to remain, your obedient servant,
JOHN MCCAUSLAND, Col. etc.
MAJ. C. S. STRINGFELLOW, A. A. G., To MAJOR GENL. SAM JONES, Dublin, Va.
CHAPTER IX.
COLONEL POWELL IN PRISON.
In connection with the Wytheville raid I will here relate some of the prison experience of Colonel Powell, which he has furnished me at my request. It was well known in the regiment that the confederate authorities had placed Colonel Powell in a dungeon for some imagi- nary wrong which he was accused of committing. I read an article in the Richmond Dispatch, in July, 1863, which contained the most virulent abuse of that officer. In Jan- uary, Colonel Powell had, under orders, burned the Aus- tin Handley house and the James A. Feamster barn, near Lewisburg. This was the principal cause of the abuse. Colonel Powell says:
"I find in my Prison Dungeon Diary, the following record: Saturday, August 29th, 1863. I wrote a letter this morn- ing by permission of the rebel department at Richmond, Va., to the rebel general, Sam Jones, Dublin, Virginia, in reference to the charges made against my conduct as an officer, and asked him to arrange for an early examination of my case, and advised him of my condition of health, and of my close confinement in a dungeon, subsisting on bread and water. Also, under date of September 9, 1863, the following record : Lieutenant and Adjutant Latouch, of Libby prison, visited me and placed in my hands to read an answer to my letter of August 29th, as follows: General Sanı Jones states that Colone! W. H. Powell, 2nd Regiment West Virginia Cavalry, had not been placed in close confinement by his order, and that there had been no charges preferred against Colonel Powell that he knew of,
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and that he should be released from close confinement and returned to the officers' general prison. "At ten o'clock, September 9th," adds General Powell, "I was taken from the dungeon to Colonel Straight's room in Libby prison, where I remained in company with my fellow officers until January 29th, 1864, at which time I was paroled for thirty days, to go to Washington to effect the exchange of Rich- ard H. Lec."
This concludes the statement furnished me by General Powell. In the records of the War Department I find the following :
Headquarters Department of Western Virginia. l Dublin, July 23, 1863. S
Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War.
SIR :- Colonel W. H. Powell, who was wounded and taken prisoner at Wytheville on the 18th inst., is be- lieved to be the same officer who, on the evening of the 10th of January last, caused the houses and barns of Mr. Austin Handley and Mr. James A. Feamster, near Lewis- burg, Greenbriar county, to be burned, under circumstan- ces set forth in the accompanying affidavits. I entered into a correspondence with Brigadier General Scammon, U. S. army, commanding in my front, on the subject. He disclaimed any knowledge of the outrage, and condemned it in the strongest terms, and assured me that it should be investigated. It seems, however, that Lieut. Colonel Powell was retained in the service, and I have been in- formed that he has since been promoted. Colonel Powell is not so severely wounded as was supposed, and I bring his case to your notice, and forward the accompanying affidavits, and ask that he be not exchanged until it is as- certained from the government of the United States if he burned the property I have mentioned under orders from superior authority. His conduct as I understand it, was in violation alike of the laws of this state and the rules and usages of civilized warfare. If his government avows the act, and declares that he acted under orders, or if he can show that it was done under the pressure of military ne- cessity, he may be excused. Otherwise, I submit that he should be held to answer for his crime. He is a bold, daring man, and one of the most dangerous officers we have had to contend with in the northwest of this state, and I
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am particularly anxious that he should not be allowed to return to the Kanawha Valley if it can be avoided.
SAM JONES, Major General.
P. S .- The prisoners captured at Wytheville declare, as I am informed, that this Lieut. Colonel Powell had given orders to burn Wytheville, and he himself admitted to an officer that he had given the same order in regard to Lewisburg.
Following the Wytheville raid, the regiment was not actively engaged in campaigning for some time. About the middle of August Brigadier General Alfred N. Duffie was assigned to the command of the cavalry in the Ka- nawha Valley. General Duffie was a Frenchman, had been engaged in wars in Europe, and was one of the best drill masters we had during the war. As soon as he was fully installed in his new command, he detailed Company H as a body guard. The company reported at once at Charleston, and took up quarters in the Clarkson House. Some time after this the general and his staff occupied this house as headquarters, and the body guard built comfort- able quarters near by. The brigade was also moved to Charleston, and comfortable quarters were built for all.
General Duffie at once began drilling the cavalry and fitting them for active service. A large number of blank cartridges were used in skirmish drill, and the regiment was instructed thoroughly in this and all movements per- taining to cavalry in action. How well this efficient school of preparation served the command will be seen when some of the engagements in which they subsequently par- ticipated shall be described. Especial care was taken to put the 2d West Virginia Cavalry in good condition for more active service than they had yer experienced. Fre- quent scouts were made through adjoining counties, some of them occupying several days. The body guard was not allowed to remain idle, but did its share of scouting, pick- eting, ete. On one occasion they were sent on a little forced march of about three-quarters of a day, all equipped for light marching. Their objeet being accomplished, the company arrived in camp late in the even-
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ing, drenched to the skin, having been caught in a shower of rain. To overcome any ill af- feets that might follow the drenching, the general who was ever mindful of the comfort of his boys, ordered a large ration of commissary whiskey to be issued to them. In order that the commodity might be more easily and equitably distributed, the company was formed in line at the head of the company street, each man with tin cup in hand, ready to take his ration from the bucket as Sergeant Kramer passed down the line. It was nearly dark, and the Sergeant being in a hurry, did not notice that the line did not diminish, for as soon as the men at the head of the line were served, they immediately fell in at the foot, in order to get another ration. The general came ont to the company quarters several times during the evening and was forced to go back smiling; and though he was greeted in a very warm and familiar manner, he seemed to take peculiar pleasure in being introduced to one of the privates represnting General Grant. Although more than twenty-seven years have passed, and many changes have occurred with the passing of time, I am yet forced to smile at the recollection of that evening in camp on the banks of the Kanawha.
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