USA > West Virginia > Upshur County > The history of Upshur county, West Virginia, from its earliest exploration and settlement to the present time > Part 37
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Upon this declaration, and fanciful ideas of the future course of the adminis- tration toward the institution of slavery, the southern confederacy was formed and sectional prejudice was ablaze. War was inevitable. And Upshur's people stood loyally for the continuity of the nation saying ever in their actions and in their deeds, give us union or give us nothing !
The first manifestation of suppression to the union sentiment in Upshur country occurred in the month of May, 1861, when Maj. Albert Reger, of Philippi, in command of a confederate force came to Buckhannon and made threats that the star and stripes that proudly floated to the May breezes from the court house tower must be handed down. This effort to pull down old glory which reflected the sentiment of Upshur's citizenship met with defeat through the wise and sagacious intervention of Rev. John W. Reger and band of loyal union supporters. This action on the part of the southern sympathizers from the adjoining county of Barbour, produced results, immediate in action and far reaching in consequence. Our people rose up as a solid phalanx against the intrusion upon their rights. Bitter passion was begotten in the breasts of the contending parties, so that when Col. Turk made his entry into the county on June 25, 1861, and reached Buck- hannon on the following day he was greeted with shot and shell that indicated the full intention of this people to fight for the integrity of the union. At the Ridgeway grist mill, now the Anchor Mill, the home guard, organized by Capt. Henry F. Westfall and N. G. Munday, contested very bitterly the invasion of the confederates upon this soil. Our forces were overpowered and had to seek safety in retreat. In the effort to hie away from the confederates' superior num- bers and seek protection from them, two of the home guards were captured on the Clarksburg and Buckhannon turnpike on the hill above the present home of Luther Martin. A. G. Kiddy and James L. Jennings were taken prisoners there on the 26th day of June, 1861, and rushed away to Tygarts Valley, McDowell and Staunton where they were incarcerated in a southern prison, held as homages for a northern favor. (The story of their imprisonment as told by A. G. Kiddy is given in full in another place.) As Col. Turk departed from this scene of action he was embarrassed at frequent points along the road by a guerillla warfare, which reached its climax on the mountain going down to the Middlefork river. There a number of citizens had gathered for the purpose of making one final effort to rescue their friends and neighbors who had lately been captured. The effort failed. The only damage done was the killing of two or three confederates which so aroused the entire confederate escort of the prisoners that all that day the citizen-body was pursued with blood- hounds and unfriendly foes. The next military demonstration occurred in the first days of July, when a strong Federal force, fully ten thousand, landed in the town of Buckhannon and remained here a few days to insure our people their de- sire to protect their property and person. This force encamped in that part of the town of Buckhannon now know as Quality Hill. The headquarters of Gen. W. S. Rosecranz and Geo. B. McClellan were near by the large chestnut tree in the back yard of Geo. L. Munday. They remained over the nation's natal birth-
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day, the Fourth of July, which was celebrated with a pageantry of military power and a simplicity of service that burned deep into the heart and memories of the youth who attended it.
On the 7th or 8th of this month this large military force left the county, going in the direction of Beverly and reaching Rich Mountain on the Ioth of July, where they had a bitter encounter with the Confederate force under Gen. John Pegram.
CONFEDERATE RAID UNDER JENKINS.
In the months of August and September, 1862, the brilliant Confederate Cavalryman, General A. G. Jenkins, with five hundred and sixty horsemen made a dashing raid through West Virginia and Ohio. The first point of attack con- templated was Beverly. But the Federal forces learning of his approach on that place made preparations and re-enforcements to give him ample reception, if not an ignominous defeat. Before his arrival at that town Jenkins learned of the plan to destroy and if possible annihilate his force and he abandoned this plan and moved to Buckhannon. Of his contemplated attack and march to Buckhannon his report of the expedition written September 19, 1862, says :
"I was at the time under the impression that the enemy had but 450 men at Beverly, and intended to attack him at that point; but hearing that General Kelly had reached there with 1500 men, I determined, if possible, to ascertain its correctness. For this purpose we used every effort to capture some of the enemy's scouts as we approached Huttonville, and when within five or six miles of the latter place, we succeeded in doing so. Of the enemy's scouting party of six we captured two and killed one, the latter being one of the two brothers named Gibson. We endeavored to take him alive, but he refused to surrender and resisted to the last. From the two prisoners I learned that General Kelly was certainly in Beverly with some 1,500 men. In the meantime I had been communicating with Imboden who was at Cheat Mountain with a small force, and with whom I had contemplated a co-operation. But the enemy's force being nearly twice as large as ours, made even a combined attack impracticable. I now determined, if possible, to throw my force in General Kelley's rear, and learning that an immense amount of supplies, and several thousand stands of arms had been collected at Buckhannon, I concluded to strike at that point. To effect this we had to cross Rich Mountain by a mere bridle path, or rather trail, which was often undiscoverable, and which for thirty miles passed through the most perfect wilderness I ever beheld. It was indeed an arduous task for men and horses. Some of the latter were completely broken down and left behind, and a few of the men were also physically unable to make the march and returned to General Loring's camp. After twenty-four hours of continuous marching, with intervals for rest, we suddenly entered upon the fertile country watered by the tributaries of the Buckhannon river. Here we halted, and after a few hours for rest and food, we proceeded down French Creek toward the town of Buckhannon. The popula- tion along this creek is among the most disloyal in all Western Virginia. We emerged so suddenly from the mountains, and by a route hardly known to exist, and if known, deemed utterly impassable for any number of men, that the inhabit- ants could scarcely comprehend that we were Southern troops."
For several days prior to Jenkin's arrival rumor of his coming had spread over the entire county and the nervous tension and excitement of the people were
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great. This anxiety had continued so long and so often before his coming that the people had branded the reports as false and settled down to quietude and peace. On August 29, definite information was received at headquarters in Buckhannon that Jenkins was really coming. Hasty preparations were made for his reception. The forces called into service on this occasion were Company E, Tenth Virginia, afterward the Tenth West Virginia Infantry, numbering about sixty men, under Capt. Marsh, and the Upshur Battery and Company E, West Virginia Light Artillery and the Home Militia under Capt. N. G. Munday, field operations under Lieut. T. G. Farnsworth. This last Military corps was not equipped regularly because they were not in regular service. Like Cincinnatus of old, they came up from their fields of corn and grass with their shot guns, muskets and rifles on their shoulder to fight for their homes.
On the morning of August 30, these Federal forces moved out to entrench themselves on Battle Hill (where the water tank now stands), and were surprised to find that eminence in possession of the Confederates. Immediately, they re- ceived orders to throw up temporary breastworks of rails, logs straw stacks, and other material and present themselves for battle. Jenkins seeing the disposi- tion and intention of the Federal forces to fight, ordered an attack. Volley after olley was poured into the Federal ranks as they stood behind their temporary protection and reciprocated by shot; dauntlessly they held their positions en- deavoring to drive back Jenkin's men. Mounted and unmounted they fought until a time when the Confederate fire was too hot for them to further withstand it and they beat a hasty retreat. The wounded of this battle were Henery Dight, regimental clerk of Company E, a little Englishman, Marion Rose, Daniel Cut- right, Henry Reger, and Andrew Black, of the Upshur Battery. For the purpose of caring for these wounded the new residence of Miflin Lorentz, county clerk of Upshur county, on Locust street, now the residence of Hiram Piles, was converted into a hospital and Dr. J. R. Blair, assistant surgeon of the Tenth, now acting as surgeon, was left to give them medical attention. Rose and Black died in twenty- four hours. Dight lived about ten days.
Our troops were overpowered and scattered in every direction, usually going in spuads of four to ten, in all haste to avert a wholesale and complete destruction. Some plunged in and swam the river above Buckhannon near where the Giffin Saw Mill now stands, others hied away to the woods and still others down the road leading in the direction of Clarksburg, which they hoped to reach and secure help and succor. * One bunch of five or six of the Upshur Battery ran across the hil: by Jacob Dean's, contemplating striking the Buckhannon and Clarksburg turnpike at the Dix farm and hasten on to Clarksburg. These were intercepted by a few cavalrymen who rushed their horses at full speed down pike and returned through the fields by the Dean place The Upshur Battery boys saw their danger and readily concluded that their safety lay in throwing their guns into the Buckhannon river and betaking themselves as rapidly as they could swim to the other shore. This feat of swim- ing while it lost them their guns and come near losing one of their lives by drown ing took them out of sight of the enemy and saved them from capture.
* William Hornbeck, William Burr, John Tenney and G. S. Cutright composed this bunch. William Burr was seized by a cramp when midway of Buckhannon river, and G. S. Cutright brought him to shore with the help of a white walnut pole, pulled him behind some trees and went on.
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The town was turned over to Jenkin's men who searched, pillaged, piled up and burned all the arms and ammunition left by the Federals in the basement of the court house which was the depot of supplies. The stores were ransacked and everything of value was either carried away or destroyed. Our informant tells us that at numerous points on Main street bonfires were had and guns, goods, furniture, boxes, wagons and every discription of personal property was contributed to increase and continue the blaze during the night of August 31. It was on this occasion that the brass cannon of which our older citizens have heard and know much about was thrown into the court house well by some of Jenkin's men. As late as 1886, Sheriff J. J. Morgan while cleaning out the court house well took out from the bottom fully one-half gallon of minnie balls which had been rusting in the wet quick sand for twenty-five years.
Quite a number of the Federals engaged in this conflict were captured, among them being Capt. Marsh who was at once paroled by Jenkins.
IMBODEN AND JONES' RAID.
The raid under J. D. Imboden, impetuous, cunning and destructive, was the largest military parade of Confederates that entered the confines of Upshur county. General Roberts was in command of the Federal forces in and around Buckhannon. On learning of the intention of Imboden to make a dash through this section of the country and knowing that his numbers were far superior to those under his immediate commandment, he hastened to do everything that would check and defeat the success of Imboden. After his victory over the Federals of Beverly, General Roberts issued an order before his advent into the county that upon his arrival the covered bridge leading from the main town of Buckhannon to the Island and the one at Post's Mill should be burned. Of this manoeuvring, skirmishing, purchasing and driving away stock and other depredations committed during this campaign no better or more authorative account can be given than that in the words of Colonel George R. Latham in his official report before Beverly and of Colonel John D. Imboden, the comman- dant of the raid. Therefore we give and append their official report.
In his official report Colonel Latham says :
"I took a strong position on the south side of the town of Beverly, command- ing the entire valley and the Staunton turnpike above, but flanked by back ridges on each side. About 2 o,clock the action was opened with artillery and infantry skirmishing at long range. A large force of the enemy's cavalry and part of his artillery were now seen advancing on the back road west of the valley, toward the road leading from Beverly to Buckhannon, and actually turning our right. This movement it was impossible for us to counteract, though the river intervening we were not in much danger of an actual attack from this force. The object of this movement was to prevent our retreat toward Buckhannon. Three regiments of his infantry were at the same time continually advancing through the woods, pressing back our skirmishers toward our front and left, his artillery playing directly in front, with two regiments of infantry in reserve. At 4 p. m. the action had become quite brisk along our line; our skirmishers were driven in on our front, and the enemy had advanced within canister range. The commands
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of his officers could be distinctly heard, and he was pressing well beyond our left. Shortly after this I received orders to fall back. I immediately set my train in motion; destroying my public stores of all kinds, and about 5 p. m. drew off my forces. The movement was executed in perfect order, and though the enemy pressed our rear for six miles, and twice charged us with his cavalry, there was no confusion, no hurry, no indecent haste. His cavalry charges were handsomely repulsed and he learned to follow at a respectful distance. We marched nine miles, and having gained a safe position, rested for the night, our pickets and those of the enemy being a mile apart."
The next morning the Federals continued their retreat to Belington, thence to Philippi where they camped over night, and the next day. April 26, reached Buckhannon, where other Union forces were gathered, making a total of 2,800, which was sufficient to have stopped the advance of Imboden, especially as Gen- eral Mulligan was holding his own in Barbour county, and keeping back the Confederates who were trying to reach Philippi. But the Union troops at Buck- hannon were ordered by General Roberts to retreat to Clarksburg, and the way was open for Imboden to advance, and he was not slow in taking advantage of it. No better history of the raid, as it affected Randolph and Upshur counties, had been written than that contained in General Imboden's official report from which the following somewhat lengthy extract is taken, beginning with the march from Huttonsville toward Beverly :
"It continued to rain all night, and the morning of the 24th was one of the most gloomy and inclement I ever saw. At an early hour I started all my in- fantry down through the plantations on the east side of the river, where they were joined by four guns of my battery seven miles above Beverly. The cavalry and a section of artillery took the main road on the west side of the river, under Colonel George W. Imboden with orders as soon as they discovered the enemy to be in Beverly to press forward and gain possession of the road leading to Buckhannon, and cut off retreat by that route. About five miles above Beverly the cavalry advance met a man, who, as soon as he saw them, fled. They fired upon him, but he escaped. It turned out to be the bogus state sheriff of Randolph county, named J. F. Phares, who, though shot through the lungs, succeeded in reaching Beverly and gave the alarm.
"About the same time on the east side of the river we captured a storage train and its escort. I learned from the prisoners that the enemy was in ignorance of our approach; but as soon as Phares reached town and gave the alarm, the whole force was drawn up to fight us. About a mile above the town they opened upon the head of my column with artillery. On reconnoitering their position, I found them strongly posted on a plateau fifty or sixty feet above the river bottom and commanding it and the road for more than a mile so completely that an attack then would probably involve the loss of hundreds of my men before I could reach them. I at once resolved to turn their position by making a detour of over two miles across a range of steep and densely wooded hills, and attempt to get round to the north of the town. To occupy their attention I placed a rifle piece on the first hill and engaged their battery. The cavalry, under a dangerous fire, dashed forward and gained the Buckhannon road west of the river, and cut off retreat by that route. The enemy immediately began to fall back below the town, leaving a strong force of skirmishers in the woods, which my infantry had to pass. A
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running fight was kept up more than two miles through these woods, and a little before sunset I had succeeded in gaining the north side of the town but too late to cut off retreat toward Philippi. The enemy was in full retreat and about one third of the town in flames when I gained their original flank. We pursued until dark but could not overtake them. My cavalry attempted to intercept them from the west side of the river at or near Laurel Hill, but the difficulty and depth of the ford and the lateness of the hour prevented it.
"I have been thus minute in these details to explain why we did not capture the whole force at Beverly. Slayton was unable to cross Cheat river, owing to the high water, and they were really ignorant of our approach until the wounded man gave the alarm. We found him in almost a dying condition, though he will probably recover. The attack was so sudden that the enemy could not remove his stores or destroy his camp. His loss was not less than $100,000, and about one-third of the town was destroyed in burning his stores. I lost three men, so badly wounded that I had to leave them in Beverly. The enemy's loss was trifling.
"On the morning of the 25th my cavalry reported the road toward Philippi impracticable for artillery or wagons, on account of the depth of the mud in places coming up to the saddle-skirts of the horses. I also ascertained that General Roberts, with a considerable force, was at Buckhannon, and I doubted the pru- dence of going directly on to Philippi until this force was dislodged from my flank. I sent off two companies of cavalry, under Major D. B. Lang, to try to open communication with General Jones, from whom I had not heard anything, and resolved to cross Rich mountain, and either move directly on Buckhannon, or by a country road leaving the turnpike four miles beyond Roaring creek, get between Philippi and Buckhannon and attack one or the other, as circum- stances might determine.
"On the evening of the 26th I crossed Middle fork and encamped about midway between Philippi and Buckhannon, some twelve miles from each, sending all my cavalry forward to seize and hold the bridge across Buckhannon river, near its mouth. Considerable cannonading was heard at this time in the direction of Philippi, which I supposed to proceed from the enemy we had driven from Beverly, in an attempt to prevent Major Lang from going toward the railroad, where I expected to find General Jones; but at 11 p. m. Colonel Imboden informed me that the Beverly force had passed up toward Buckhannon at sun- rise that morning, and that there was a fresh brigade at Philippi reported by citizens to have arrived the night before from New Creek, under command of General Mulligan, and that the cars had been running all the night previous, and other troops were in the vicinity. He requested me to send two regiments of infantry and a section of artillery to the bridge that night, as he was appre- hensive of attack. He also informed me that he had captured a courier from Buckhannon, and that two others had escaped and gone back to the place. This information was all confirmed by two citizens who arrived at my camp from Webster. I resolved to send forward the reinforcements asked for, and as my troops were all very tired, I sent for my colonels to ascertain which regiments were in the best condition to make the march that night. Knowing that General Mulligan was east of the Alleghanies when our expedition set out, and not hearing from General Jones, it was the opinion of all present that he had failed to reach or interrupt communication on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and that our
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position was exceedingly critical if the enemy had control of that road as he could throw the whole division upon us in a few hours, and if we were beaten, could cut off our retreat at Laurel Hill, Beverly and at Buckhannon or Weston. I concurred in the opinions of my colonels that in the face of this new information it would be extremely imprudent to advance farther or to remain where we were, with the danger of being overwhelmed and cut off in a few hours, and that the safety of the command required that we should fall back to a position where escape would be possible if we were overpowered. Accordingly we marched back to Roaring Creek on the 27th. The road was so bad that from 5 a. m. until 2 p. m., nine hours to accomplish two miles, and the command did not reach the camp until in the night. Having recalled my cavalry from Buckhannon bridge, I sent forward a scout that night toward Buckhannon, which returned after midnight reporting that the enemy had burned the bridges across Middle Fork and Buck- hannon rivers, and retreated that night from Buckhannon, blockading the road behind them.
"On the 28th I passed on to within four miles of Buckhannon, and the next morning took possession of the town with a regiment which I crossed over on the debris of the burnt bridge. The enemy had burned all his stores here and destroyed two pieces of artillery, which he was unable to move. On account of the extraordinary bad roads, I had been compelled to leave at Greenbrier river, east of Cheat mountains, forty-odd barrels of flour, and also several barrels in Beverly. Our horses were giving out in large numbers and some dying from excessive labor and insufficient sustenance. Not being able to cross my artillery and horses over the river, on my arrival I ordered a raft to be constructed and the country to be scoured in every direction for corn and wheat ; impressed two mills, Ridgway and Post, and run them day and night. Grain was very scarce and had to be procured in small quantities, sometimes less than a bushel at a house. I employed a considerable portion of my cavalry in collecting cattle and sending them to the rear. I required everything to be paid for at fair prices, such as were current rates before we arrived in the country. This gave general satisfaction in the country, and our currency was freely accepted. On the 29th I received my first information from General Jones, and on the same day I ascertained that the enemy was massing his troops at Janelew, a village about midway between Buckhannon and Clarksburg, and fortifying his position. The 30th was spent in collecting corn and cattle.
"On May I, hearing nothing further from General Jones, I sent Colonel Imboden to Weston with his regiment of cavalry. He found that place evacuated and the stores destroyed, but got confirmation of the fact that the enemy was at Janelew. Fearing that General Jones had been cut off in his effort to join me, I gave orders that night to move early the next morning to Philippi. My raft was completed and I was ready to cross the river. Just as we commenced moving on the morning of the 2nd, a courier arrived with the intelligence that General Jones was within six miles. On receiving this information I changed my direction of march toward Weston, feeling confident that with General Jones' brigade and my own force united we would be strong enough to hold our own and probably defeat the enemy at Janelew or Clarksburg.'
"CLAWHAMMER" WITCHER RAID.
In 1864 Col. Vincent A. Witcher, of the 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, started from Lewisburg on September 22, of that year, through West Virginia
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