USA > West Virginia > Randolph County > The history of Randolph County, West Virginia. From its earliest settlement to the present, embracing records of all the leading families, reminiscences and traditions > Part 30
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
"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 precip- itious mountains into Pendleton County. Along this road there were rep- resented to me to be but a few miserable habitations, where it would be utterly 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 allow- ing them to get a mouthful where they were. I 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 our part to escape would sacrifice by starvation a large number of the lives of the command."}
Colonel Pegram accordingly sent a messenger to Beverly, proposing to surrender and stating that his men were starving. General Mcclellan sent wagons loaded with bread for the prisoners, and they were conducted to
glass. Left alone for awhile, he crawled to a shady spot among the rocks and leaves. Soon a Federal straggler came up and robbed him of his watch, pocket-book, hat, gold ring and pocket-knife. Next, an Irishman in the Federal army came along, inquired about his injuries, and went nearly a mile to procure water for him. Finally, several of Averell's cavalry gathered near him, and while they stood there a moccasin snake glided across his forehead and stopped near his face. He called to the soldiers and they killed the reptile. His arm was amputated at the shoulder by a Federal surgeon, and liis wounded thigh was properly treated. The stolen watch was recovered through the agency of a Federal eolonel .- "Annals of Augusta County," page 334.
tThe following note is from a diary kept at Staunton during the war, by Joseph A. Waddell, whose book is the most interesting account of the war, from a local standpoint, that has appeared. He wrote from day to day of what he saw and heard. Under date of September 20, 1861, he wrote: "A train of wagons has just arrived from Greenbrier River, bringing the remnants of Captain Bruce's company, Twentieth Regiment. Thirty odd men are left of about ninety who went out a few months ago. The regiment was at Rich Mountain when the disaster occurred there, and is completly broken up. Many of the men were captured by the enemy; some disabled by wounds; and some, I presume, killed."
243
RANDOLPH'S SHARE IN THE CIVIL WAR.
Beverly and placed in comfortable quarters. They numbered 555 officers and men. During the night before the surrender, one officer and forty men went off, preferring to take the chances of escaping to the South. Colonel Pegram had been deceived at Rich Mountain, both as to the num- ber of the Federals and their facilities for getting in his rear. The people of the surrounding country had told him that it was impossible to work round his flank on the south. He afterwards said that had he known his danger, he would have retreated on the night of July 10, blocking the road across Rich Mountain, thus giving Garnett time to retreat by way of Beverly. Pegram's whole force before the battle was 1300, and only 350 took part in the battle on the summit of the mountain. Three days before the fight he had sent an urgent appeal for provisions, which were not sent, and his men fought and retreated on empty stomachs.
At the time the battle at Rich Mountain was fought, Colonel W. Scott, with the 44th Virginia Infantry, was stationed near Beverly, and remained there till the battle was over, and then retreated toward Staunton by way of Huttonsville. He was blamed by the Confederates at the time for not marching to the assistance of Colonel Pegram when attacked. Had he gone up the mountain and attacked the Federals in front and rear, he might have changed the result, at least temporarily. In April, 1862, he felt so keenly the criticism of his actions, that he prepared a carefully written account of all he did and why he did it, showing conclusively that he had obeyed orders as well as he could under the circumstances .* He had been ordered from Staunton to join Garnett at Laurel Hill, and marching with haste with his regiment, he reached Beverly on the night of July 10, 1861, which was the day before the battle. The next morning he moved on toward Laurel Hill, and when he had gone three or four miles, a mes- senger overtook him, bearing a letter from Colonel Pegram, as follows:
"I think it almost certain that the enemy are working their way around my right flank, to come into this turnpike one and one half miles this side of Beverly. I would suggest you place your regiment in position on that road, and will reinforce you as soon as I get information of the approach of the enemy. I shall at once write a letter to General Garnett, inform- ing him of my opinion as to the movements of the enemy, and of the request I have made to you. I need not tell you how fatal it would be to have the enemy in our rear, as it would entirely cut off our supplies."
It will be observed that Colonel Pegram feared a flank movement across the mountain north of his position, but did not suspect such a movement south of his camp. Yet, at that very moment nearly two thousand Fed- erals were working their way through the woods south of his camp. There was a path across the mountain north of the pike, and it was by this route that Pegram feared a flank movement. When his letter was read by Colonel Scott, that officer turned back and took up his position on the path ready to attack the Union forces should they advance that way. He sent to Leadsville for the two cannon, and for a troop of Greenbrier cavalry stationed there. The cannon had already been removed to Laurel Hill, and the cavalry refused to obey the order to move, because the order was not in writing. Scarcely had Colonel Scott reached his position when an order came from Garnett for him to stay there, and he did so. By that time the battle had commenced on the mountain, about four miles from Scott's posi-
* The document is published in full in the "Records of the Rebellion."
244
RANDOLPH'S SHARE IN THE CIVIL WAR.
tion. He could hear the musketry, and presently the artillery opened. He supposed the fighting was at the fort, at the western base of the mountain, six miles distant, and that McClellan had attacked. He remained guarding the path and waiting for news from the battle. Finally John N. Hughes, who lived in Beverly, volunteered to go to Colonel Pegram and bring any message that officer might want to send. He galloped up the road, and never returned. He was killed by Confederates who fired on him by mis- take* Late in the afternoon Lieutenant James Cochrane was sent from the top of Rich Mountain toward Beverly, by Captain De Lagnel to bring up some Confederate cavelry which had been seen in that direction. Cochrane with six men reached Scott's regiment, numbering 570 men, and conducted it up the pike toward the top of Rich Mountain. While ascending the mountain the Confederates met several Rebels on horseback who had been in the battle, and one had been wounded. They were trying to escape, and considered the battle already lost. However, they joined Scott's men in the march to the top of the mountain, but one by one they fell behind and took to flight. The noise of battle was still heard on the summit, which convinced Scott that the battle was not over, and he pushed forward as fast as possible up the pike. But when he reached a point within a mile of the summit, the firing ceased, and there came the prolonged yells and cheers of the victorious Union troops as they swept the Confederates from the field. Colonel Scott had little doubt of what it meant, but he advanced nearly half a mile further till almost in sight of the battlefield.
Halting the troops, Colonel Scott, Lieutenant Cochrane and a few other officers dismounted and walked round a bend of the road from which the top of the mountain was visible, They saw the Federals in possession of the field: Thinking it possible to renew the battle successfully, a recon- noiter was made by a man named Lipford, who volunteered for the service. He passed round the bend of the road and almost immediately they heard the order, "Halt! Shoot him," followed by a volley. Lipford did not return, and Colonel Scott, judging that he had been killed, ordered a retreat down the mountain toward Beverly, setting an ambuscade on the way for the Federals, who were supposed to be following. They were not follow- ing, however, and Scott's regiment returned to Beverly. It was his pur- pose to march to Laurel Hill to join Garnett, but before a start was made in that direction two messengers arrived from Laurel Hill with intelligence that Garnett was retreating. It was now after dark on July 11. It was plain that Beverly would soon be in possession of the Federals. The quar- termaster stores there were loaded in wagons, making a train a mile long, and Colonel Scott began his retreat toward Huttonsville. The three divi- sions of the Confederate army during this night were endeavoring to save themselves. Colonel Pegram was trying to reach Garnett's camp on Laurel Hill; Garnett was trying to reach Beverly before Mcclellan could throw troops across Rich Mountain and cut him off; and Scott, thinking that all was lost, was retreating south from Beverly with such of the military stores
* John N. Hughes was a delegate to the Richmond Convention which passed the Ordinanee of Seeession, and he signed that document. When he returned to Beverly from Richmond he announced that he had "signed a sceond Declaration of Independ- ence." Ile took an active interest in the stirring events about Beverly, and was propos- ing to enlist in the Confederate army. Unfortunately for him he was drinking hard on the day of the battle and was not in condition to execute the dangerous duty which he undertook, and for that reason he lost his life.
-
245
RANDOLPH'S SHARE IN THE CIVIL WAR.
as he could carry away. Each of these Confederate officers was ignorant of what the others were doing. On the night of July 11, General Gar- nett sent a dispatch to Colonel Scott to hold the Federals in check on the Rich Mountain road until daylight on the 12th. Garnett expected to pass Beverly with his army by that time, and he would have done so, were it not for false information, which will be spoken of presently. The message sent to Colonel Scott reached him at sunrise on the 12th, seven miles south of Beverly, at the Jeff Davis Hotel, a log tavern. It was then too late to obey the orders, and Scott continued his retreat south, and over Cheat Mountain. At Huttonsville the regiment was halted for breakfast, and was joined by Major Tyler and a squad of Confederates who had escaped from Rich Mountain. While eating breakfast at Huttonsville, an order came from Garnett, believed to be the last order he ever wrote. It ʻ read:
"General Garnett has concluded to go to Hardy County and toward Cheat bridge. You will take advantage of a position beyond Huttonsville aud draw your supplies from Richmond, aud report for orders there."*
GARNETT'S RETREAT.
Incidental mention has already been made of General Garnett's retreat from Laurel Hill. It will now be spoken of more in detail. On July 9 he withdrew his skirmishers from in front of Belington and concentrated his forces on Laurel Hill, expecting an attack. The 10th passed without an attack, except a shell occasionly fired from the Federal column in the vicinity of Belington. On the afternoon of the 11th he heard the artillery on Rich Mountain, and correctly judged that a battle was in progress. Before sunset he received intelligence that the Federals were flanking Colonel Pegram on Rich Mountain, and he incorrectly judged that they were coming round by the path north of the turnpike. Then it was he sent orders to Colonel Scott to check them on that path, and blockade it. Early in the night of July 11, he learned that Mcclellan's troops had gained Pegram's rear. Garnett was now satisfied that the position on Rich Mountain could no longer be held; for, if the Confederates were not attacked and driven out by force they would be cut off from their base of supplies at Beverly and starved out. He began hasty preparations to retreat up the valley through Beverly, and it was then that he sent the order to Colonel Scott to hold the Federals on the Rich Mountain road until daylight, hoping to reach Beverly with his army by that time. The outcome of that order has been spoken of elsewhere in this chapter. Gen- eral Garnett still had time to escape through Beverly toward the south, but he was deceived by false intelligence. His scouts reported early on the morning of July 12 that Union troops were in Beverly, and Garnett concluded that Mcclellan had already crossed Rich Mountain and had cut off retreat up the valley. ; The troops mistaken for Federals were the
*The Federals did not occupy the Coufederate fortifications at the base of Rich Mountain until the morning of July 12. The troops under Rosecrans who had defeated the Confederates on the top of the mountain on the afternoon of the eleventh, camped that night on the field, and the next morning moved down toward Roaring Creek, and occupied the abandoned Confederate works. from beyond Roaring Creek reached the works about the same time.
Troops sent by Mcclellan There were very
+Many of the citizens of Beverly and the surrounding country left their homes and went to the South. On the morning after the Rich Mountain fight, the Huttonsville bridge was burned by the retreating Confederates.
246
RANDOLPH'S SHARE IN THE CIVIL WAR.
rear of Colonel Scott's regiment then evacuating Beverly. Garnett was at that time within three or four miles of the town. Believing that he was headed off, he turned back and retreated up Leading Creek, and down Pheasant Run to Cheat River. He camped the night of the 12th on Pheasant Run. The charge was made at the time, and has been repeated ever since, that Colonel Scott blockaded the road between Beverly and Laurel Hill, thus cutting Garnett off from the Staunton pike, and compelling him to retreat through Tucker County. Speaking of this, Colonel Scott says:
"I have been charged with blockading a part of the turnpike between Laurel Hill and Beverly, which prevented Garnett's retreat by that town. The charge is false. No road was blockaded by me. No tree was cut by my orders or by my regiment, anywhere."
General Morris, who confronted Garnett at Laurel Hill, was not slow in discovering that the Confederates had retreated; but he was in poor con- dition for following. He had very few rations for his troops, and no time to bring more from Philippi. On the 12th he took possession of the deserted camp on Laurel Hill, and that evening moved to Leadsville, ar- riving there after Garnett's army had passed that point on its way into Tucker County .. A halt was made till four o'clock the next morning when, with 3000 men, he pursued the retreating Confederates, cutting blockades out of the narrow roads leading over the mountain toward Pheasant Run, rain falling nearly the whole forenoon. Below will be found an account of the retreat of the Confederates and the battle at Corrick'st Ford, from the official report of Colonel W. B. Taliaferro, of the 23rd Virginia Infantry, who was present on the Confederate side.
"On the evening of July 12, General Garnett bivouacked at Kalor's Ford, on Cheat River, the rear of his column being about two miles back on Pheasant Run. On the morning of the 13th the command was put in mo- tion about 8 o'clock. Before the wagon train, which was very much im- peded by the condition of the country roads over which it had to pass, rendered very bad by the rains of the preceeding night, had crossed the first ford, half a mile above Kalor's the cavalry scouts reported that the enemy were closs upon our rear with a very large force of infantry, well supplied by cavalry and artillery. The First Georgia regiment was immedi- ately ordered to take a position across the meadow on the river side and hold the enemy in check until the train had passed the river, and then retire 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 before some of the companies of that regiment who were thrown out to ambuscade the enemy could he brought over, the enemy ap- peared in sight of our troops, and immediately commenced firing upon them.
few Confederates found there, and they were nearly all disabled and unable to retreat. But the Federals captured considerable stores; also buggies, carriages, horses and other property of citizens who had been visiting the Confederate camp on a friendly eall, and were caught when the battle on the mountain began. There was no road by which they could get away, so they remained, and their buggies fell into Federal hands. One venerable old Confederate from Moorefield was too fat to run, and when Pegram retreated he left the corpulent officer in the trenches where he yielded to his fate and was taken prisoner the next morning. When the Federals saw him sitting on an empty flour bar- rel behind the ramparts they exelaimed with roars of laughter: "Here's old Sesesh himself."
+" This name is usually written Carrick, but the propper spelling is Corrick.
247
RANDOLPH'S SHARE IN THE CIVIL WAR.
This was briskly returned by the Georgia regiment, which, 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 enemy, and were ordered to occupy a hill commanding the valley through which the enemy would have to approach, and a wood which com- manded the road. This position they held until the Georgia regiment was formed some distance in advance; then the former command retired, and again reformed in advance of the Georgians. This system of retiring upon eligible positions for defense was pursued without loss on either side, a few random shots only reaching us, until we reached Corrick's Ford, three and a half miles from Kalor's. This is a deep ford, rendered deeper than usual by the rains, and here some of the wagons became stalled in the river and had to be abandoned.
"The enemy were now close upon the rear. 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 min- utes the skirmishers of the enemy were seen running along the opposite bank, which was low and was skirted by a few trees, and were at first mistaken for the Georgians who were known to have been cut off;" but we were soon undeceived, and 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 fire kept them from crossing the river, and twice we succeeded in driving them from the ford. They again came up with a heavy force and renewed the fight. The fire of their artillery was entirely ineffective, although their shot and shell were thrown very rapidly; but they all flew over our heads without any damage, except bringing the limbs of trees down upon us. The working of our guns was admirable, and the effect upon the enemy very destructive. We could witness the telling effect of almost every shot. After continuing the fight until almost every cartridge had been expended and until the artillery had been withdrawn by General Garnett's orders, and as no part of his command was in 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 more- over to do this, as I believed the enemy was making an effort to turn our flank, and without support it would have been impossible to have held the position, as already nearly thirty of my men had been killed or 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 at being withdrawn. After marching half a mile I was met by Colonel Starke, General Garnett's aid, who directed me to move on with my regiment to the next ford, a short distance in advance, where I would overtake General Garnett.
*These Georgians, finding that they could not rejoin the army, retreated up the mountain through the woods, guided by a citizen of that country. They crossed that day to Otter Fork and camped. The next day they reached Dry Fork, having traveled through woods of tangled laurel which seemed almost impenetrable. They subsisted, in large part, on birch bark, and to this day the route they followed may be discovered by the scarred and half peeled birch trees. They reached Pendleton County after several days, and thence reached Monterey.
248
RANDOLPH'S SHARE IN THE CIVIL WAR.
"On the further 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 ten good riflemen, remarking to me, 'This is a good place behind this driftwood to post skirmishers.' I halted the regiment as ordered, but from the difficulty of determining who were the best shots, I ordered Captain Tomkins to report to the general with his whole company. The general, however, would not permit them to remain, but after selecting ten men, ordered the company back to the regiment. I posted three companies on a high bluff overlooking the river, but finding the underbrush so thick that the approach of the enemy could not be well observed, they were withdrawn. A few minutes after this Colonel Stark rode up and said that General Garnett directed me to march as rapidly as I could and overtake the main body. A few minutes after- wards 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 .* I marched my regiment four miles on to Parsons' Ford, a half mile beyond which I overtook the main body of our troops, who had been halted there by General Garnett, and had been drawn up to receive the enemy. The enemy did not advance to this ford, and after halting for some time our whole command moved forward, and marched all night on the road leading up Horse Shoe Run, reached about daylight the Red House, in Maryland. 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 as far as Greenland, in Hardy County."
The Confederates lost 13 killed in the battle and 15 wounded; at Laurel Hill 2 killed, 2 wounded; at Rich Mountain 45 killed, 20 wounded; and in the battles and retreat they lost about 700 prisoners. At Rich Mountain the Fed- erals had 12 killed and 49 wounded; at Laurel Hill, 4 killed, 6 wounded; at Corrick's Ford 2 killed 7 wounded. The Confederates lost the greater part of their baggage, and retreated with but little food for seven days, reaching Monterey, in Virginia. The Federals at Corrick's Ford were even in a worse famished condition than the Confederates. Many of the latter had breakfast on Pheasant Run that morning. But the Union troops had eaten nothing since the evening before, and some of them nothing since the noon before. Therefore, having marched and fought in rain and mud, with nothing to eat for eighteen or twenty-four hours, they were in poor condi- tion to follow up the victory at Corrick's Ford. They left off pursuit there, but detachments followed the Confederates and picked up plunder fifteen or twenty miles further. General Morris halted his army at Corrick's Ford till the next day, subsisting the men on beef without salt. He marched to St. George on the afternoon of July 14, remained there till the next morning, and then returned to Belington by way of Clover Run. Garnett's army had a narrow escape after the pursuing army from Laurel Hill turned back. Troops to the number of 6000, scattered along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from the Ohio to Cumberland were ordered concentrated at Oakland to cut Garnett off, as soon as it was known he was retreating east- ward. While the battle at Corrick's Ford was in progress, troops under General C. W. Hill were moving to occupy the Northwestern pike at the
*The battle of Corrick's Ford was not fought at Corrick's Ford, but at another ford nearly a mile up the river; but General Garnett was killed at Corrick's Ford, which is at the southern end of the town of Parsons, in Tucker County.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.