not exceed six thousand men. a They roads over which the enemy had passed, were disappointed and disheartened, had he crossed New River and marched upon been three times defeated with heavy loss, its Southern side, through Fayette county. and had been scourged with sickness and Here he found firmer ground and made disorder in their camps. They openly greater progress. On the 26th of October, avowed that the campaign was over for he reached the foot of Cotton Hill and enthe fall and winter, and that no forward camped. move would be attempted by them. This hill is a wooded elevation, apThe retreat of the army of invasion and proaching the dignity of a mountain, lying the increasing heaviness of the roads, in the elbow directly South of the junction made it evident to the Confederate author- of the Gauley and New River, which toities, that no farther advance of a danger-gether form the Great Kanawha. That Qus character could be undertaken by the river is five hundred yards wide at the enemy in the season at hand. General spot, and has a fall of twenty-two feet over Lee left his forces on Sewell, nnder the a ledge of rocks extending nearly across command of Gen. Loring, and under in- its bed. The scene is wild and picturesque, structions from the War Department, pro-rivalling the most majestic views of nature ceeded to Richmond, and thence to Savan- in this beautiful mountain district. Close nah, where his consummate skill as an En-along the river's brink, on the North side, gineer was exhiblted in the preparation ran the road on which all the supplies for and arrangement of the defences of that the enemy's troops at Gauley bridge, two city, and the approaches to Charleston now miles above, were obliged to pass. threatened by the naval and land forces Floyd's infantry soon began to skirmish under Commodore Dupont and General with the troops on the North side of the Hunter. By order, Gen. Wise reported river, and by their skill with the rifle, so himself in Richmond on the 28th of Sep-annoyed them that they were compelled to tember, and after the retreat of Rosecrans, withdraw their pickets, and their boats his Legion followed him and was assigned found it no longer safe to venture up with to important duty in North Carolina. Gen-provisions. Wishing to bring artillery to eral Floyd was still anxious to strike the bear on the road skirting the river, on the enemy a parting blow before the frosts of opposite side, the Confederate officers winter closed the campaign in the moun- labored with great skill and perseverance. tains, and with the sanction of his superi-Major Thorburn, of Col. Reynold's regiors, prepared for an advance. ment, had been a naval officer of the Uni On Friday morning, the 10th of October, ted States service, and by his nautical he struck his tents and took up the line of knowledge, put his men into the path of march to the Kanawha valley. It is hard success. A rifled six pounder was parto realize the fatigues and difficulties of buckled up the precipitous sides of the the way. The road between Floyd's and mountain, and put in position on the top, Loring's camps, was impassable to any under the forest shelter. Here it was used single team. It required six horses to move with severe effect upon the wagon trains a load ordinarily requiring two, and even and their guards, seven hundred yards disthen, the progress was slow and painful.tant as they moved up to Gauley Bridge. A mounted rider could not move out of a Provoked by these annoyances, the enemy walk. In order to move at all, Gen. Floyd was compelled to cut a new road four miles leng. Yet against all obstacles, his resolute brigade made their way. Instead of advancing on the worn and heavy a Cincinnati Enquirer. Examiner, Oct. 29th. made repeated efforts to dislodge the South. rons from their position by artillery, but finding this attempt vain, they threw bodies of infantry across the river, who were met by Floyd's Skirmishers in the woods, and so roughly handled that they recrossed in haste, after losing several men. Thus did this small Southern force maintain their stand for twenty days, inflicting b Letter from R. H. Glass, in Lynchburg great annoyance and considerable loss on Republican, Oct. 12th. the Federals. By the 19th of November, Gen Loring's troops had fallen back to, dusky was killed. But the progress of the Meadow Bluff. No support faced the ene emy was successfully checked, and soon my North of New River; Floyd's supplies their pursuit ceased and they retreated to reached him with great difficulty over the the Kanawha. Floyd removed eight hundeep roads leading to Cotton Hill. He re dred sick men of his command to Monroe ceived an admonition from the East that it county, and by the first of December, was was time to withdraw, and made his dis encamped with his troops at Peterstown, positions for the purpose. Nor was his having lost not a gun or caisson, no ammumove at all too soon. nition of importance, and not more than Enraged by his persevering attacks, the fourteen men in killed and wounded. The Federals had obtained heavy reinforce-enemy's loss was larger, but its extent has ments by steam-boats on the Kanawha never been made known. arms. and two columns of troops together num- The approaching rigors of winter in the bering at least ten thousand men, one un-Kanawha district, and the increasing presder Schenck and the other under Benham, sure of the huge masses of the enemy aswere sent across the Kanawha to march by sembling at Cairo and along the Missistwo roads converging and meeting at Fay-sippi, now induced the War Department ette Court House, and thus gain General to order Gen. Floyd, with his brigade, to Floyd's rear, surround and overwhelm him. Bowling Green, in Kentucky. But while Warned of this movement, he commenced his movements have been claiming our his retreat, abandoning to the enemy only attention, severe battles had been fought a quantity of ragged tents and worn camp in other parts of Western Virginia, resultequipage, for which he had not transporta-ing in signal successes for the Confederate tion. Prompt as was his march, it is certain that Benham could have intercepted him, had he displayed courage and gene ralship. This Federal commander had the tenth, twelfth, thirteenth and more than half of the thirty-seventh and forty-fourth Ohio regiments, amounting to about four thousand, five hundred men. Gen. Floyd's force was greatly reduced by sickness, and did not number more than three thousand, two hundred effective men. But Benham and his Ohio troops were liable to panic. On the march they heard a rumor of a heavy body of Southern cavalry advancing on a by-road to gain their rear. They in-ties. Jackson's camp here was called stantly fell back several miles, and thus.. the strange sight was presented of two armies retreating from each other! a We have seen that when General Lee ordered the larger part of his army to march to the Kanawha line, he left Gen. Henry R. Jackson, with two brigades, to hold the turnpike road at Greenbrier river, which ran from Huttonsville across Cheat Mountain, and after passing through the intervening valley, crossed first Greenbrier Mountain, and then the Alleghany ridge into the Valley. The position was not naturally of much strength, though it was flanked on each side by mountains of moderate height and rather gentle declivi Camp Bartow," from one of the heroes of Manassas. Entrenchments had been thrown up, under direction of Col. Barton, By this happy intervention, seconded by on the left, which was most open and exhis own energy, Gen. Floyd succeeded in posed, but the right and rear had no proreaching Fayette Court House several hours tection save the mountain and river. The before his enemy. He made instant dispo- stream was not more than twenty yards sitions to remove his sick, and continued wide, and easily fordable. The Southern his retreat, skirmishing vigorously with the camp was on its south bank, and held both advanced guard of the Federals. In these sides of the turnpike. The fifty-third Virconflicts, Col. Croghan, a gallant Confede-ginia regiment, under Col. John B. Baldrate officer-a son of the hero of Fort San-win, by order of Gen. Jackson, had taken a Letter from Lewisburg, dated Novem. ber 23rd. Dispatch, November 30th. Northern letter, Dec. 3rd. Gen. Benham was called to account by his government for his conduct in this march. post on the Alleghany pass, in his rear. Discovering early in October that the great body of Southern troops had been withdrawn, the Federal General Reynolds determined to make a vigorous attack upon the small force at Camp Bartow, not rapidly organized by Col. Edward John doubting that his superior numbers would son, and made a resolute stand. It numdrive them before him, and that he would bered about a hundred men, from the first open the way for a triumphant march on Georgia regiment, under Col. Ramsey, and Staunton. He organized a force of at 31st Virginia, under Lieut. Tothman. least six thousand men, with twelve pieces Taking shelter in the woods on each side of artillery, and marched from Huttons- of the turnpike, they resisted the approach ville and his stronghold on Cheat Moun- of the enemy by a rapid and destructive tain summit, on Wednesday, the 2nd of Oc-fire, which threw them into disorder. Astober. His men carried four days' cooked tonished at such obstinate fighting f.om provisions in their haversacks; and be pickets, the Yankees wavered; but, urged side his infantry and artillery, he had a on by their officers, they closed in upon body of cavalry, doubtless intended for the small force before them, and compelled pursuit of a flying enemy. His whole them to retire upon the main body, after movement indicated assurance of success. having kept the foe at bay nearly an hour. Jackson's troops consisted, to a great ex- Col. Johnson handled them with great tent, of the regiments who had made the gallantry and skill. They lost five killed severe but successful retreat from Laurel and several wounded, which was the Hill, which we have already narrated. chief loss of the Confederates in the whole They consisted of two small brigades, one battle. Col. Ramsey, while doing his duty under Colonel Taliaferro, and the other on the outer line, was cut off from his under Col. Edward Johnson, a native of men, and, being lame, was compelled to Chesterfield county, Virginia, but a resi- lie concealed in the woods until subsedent of Georgia, and at first commanding quent events enabled him to join his coma regiment from that State. The brigades rades. embraced the 12th Georgia, which had been Johnson's command, the 1st Georgia, Col. Ramsay, 3rd Arkansas, Col. Rust, 44th Virginia, Col. Scott, 23rd Virginia, Lt. Col. Taliaferro, part of the 31st Virginia, Lt. Col. Wm. L. Jackson, and Hansborough's and Reger's battalions, with a small cavalry force under Capt. Starrett, and eight pieces of artillery under Captains Anderson and Shumaker. In consequence of sickness and the detachment of various parties to points needing guards, the whole effective force did not exceed seventeen hundred men. Cols. Hansborough and Reger were sick, and their troops were commanded by their senior Captains, Higginbotham and Robinson. a Strong picket guards were kept constantly in front across the river, and on the wooded sides of the turnpike leading from Cheat Moun- deadly contents full among the Northern tain. The enemy now brought their artillery into position, and opened fire from six guns on the south of the turnpike and two on the north. They fired solid shot, shell and spherical case, and occasionally varied their missiles by discharging a shower of cannister. This incessant cannonade continued from eight o'clock until two, and yet was almost harmless to the Confederates. Three field pieces were brought into action by the Southrons, one a rifle, under Capt. Shumaker, the other two six pounders, under Captains Rice and Deshler. The remaining pieces were held in position on the right flank, to meet an expected attack. The guns in action were handled with signal skill and effect. They were carefully aimed, and sent their infantry whenever they attempted to ad On Thursday morning, the 3d of Octo-vance, and after driving them back, they ber, at a very early hour, the enemy came in sight and attempted to drive in the pickets. The first line, after delivering a sharp volley, fell back, but as the Federals advanced the whole picket force was a Gen. Jackson's official report, Oct. 7th. Letter in Dispatch, Nov. 7. turned a stream of shot and shells on the the enemy ventured within range, and from the river. Up the wooded sides of then pouring showers of bullets upon this an infantry force amounting to four them, before which all who were not thousand men were seen attempting to killed or wounded recoiled in confusion. march to gain, if possible, the rear of Instances of individual coolness and of Jackson's line. The location of the hill the collected spirit of whole regiments was such that they could not fire effectiveoften occurred during this conflict. Col.ly until they crossed the river; and as W. L. Jackson passed along his line en- they attempted to form and deploy, in couraging his men; a shell was thrown order to a charge, the 12th Georgia fired into their trenches, and fell close to him; several rapid volleys of musketry into he instantly ordered one of his command them, which instantly checked, their adto throw it out; he was obeyed; the shell vance. At the same time, Shumaker's exploded outside, and did no harm. a guns were directed to the point in the When the enemy's fire was hottest, a young cat, which was the pet of one of the companies, was seen in the rear, running with frolic gambols after the spent balls, as they rolled in the leaves and dust, and the soldiers laughed and cheered her on. b Capt. Rice used his field piece admirably for two hours, loading and firing by detail, amidst a storm of shells from the enemy, until a fragment of shell struck and carried away his foot. Even with the pain of such a wound, he did not lose his self-possession, but encouraged his men as he was borne to the rear, and his gun was effectively served to the close of the battle. Finding this artillery fire very severe, the enemy, at about half-past nine o'clock, massed their infantry on their right, under the cover of the woods, and crossing the river, advanced in formidable numbers to turn the left flank of the Southrons. The 3rd Arkansas regiment received them with a terrible fire, which drove them back in haste and disorder across the run and into the forest shelter. Their flag, a handsome silk banner, fell into the hands of the Arkansians. Enraged at their repulse, they turned their cannon on the point, and discharged a flood of cannister, which tore through the woods and undergrowth without any injury to the Confederates, who were protected on their flank by entrench ments and a thick forest cover. An hour later, the Federals made their final effort on the right flank and centre of the Southrons. Here no entrenchments protected the flank, but a mountain rose a Letter of W. P. C., Oct. 5, in Examiner, Oct. 19th. b Letter from Camp Bartow, October 8. Dispatch, Oct. 12. woods in which they were known to be The Southern fire was too hot to be borne; the regiments on the hill-side retreated rapidly and in disorder to the turnpike, and at half-past two o'clock, the whole force of infantry, artillery and cavalry was moving in a confused mass to the rear, carrying their wounded in twen ty ambulances, and leaving many of their killed, with a large number of knapsacks, canteens and muskets, scattered through the fields and along the forest road. The loss of the Confederates in this ac tion was six killed, thirty-one wounded, and twelve missing. The enemy's loss was not less than three hundred in killed and wounded. One of their 12-pounders was crippled, and with difficulty removed from the field. They retreated from the assault in rout and disorder. Under such circumstances, it would seem hard to treat this battle as resulting in anything but a decided Confederate victory. Neverthe less, it becomes our duty once more to look upon it through the mysterious lens of the Yankee mind, which had the strange power of inverting all objects and falsifying all truths. The Northern account thus a Letter in Dispatch, Oct. 8th; 12th. summed up the results of their move-of traitor troops, and Ohio home guards, ment: "The reconnoissance proved entirely successful, affording information relative to the enemy's strength which could not be ascertained from scouts." "Our loss is ten killed and eleven wounded." "It is impossible to ascertain the loss of the enemy; it will not, however, fall short of five hundred killed and wounded, as our artillery did terrible execution !" a under a Col. Zeigler, came up to the place in the steamer Boston, and upon the pretext that the people of Guyandotte had invited the Southern attack, set fire to the town and reduced two-thirds of it to. ashes, including many dwellings of unhappy Union men! Women and children were turned homeless into the streets, after seeing all that made their homes comfortable pillaged or burned before their eyes. a This cowardly outrage added one more to the links of that chain which must at last bind the North to a fate of lasting infamy. Although winter was fast approaching, active military operations did not cease in West Virginia. Col. Jenkins, who had been left with his cavalry and a part of the Wise Legion in Fayette county, orAfter the brave fight of Greenbrier Mountain, General Henry R. Jackson was ganized a force of about four hundred detailed from his command, and sent on horse, under Col. Clarkson, and on Sunimportant duty to Georgia. The departday, the 19th of November, suddenly dement of this region of Virginia was now scended upon the town of Guyandotte, in under the military control of Gen. Loring, Cabell county, on the Ohio river, then and movements were in progress which held by a garrison of two hundred and resulted in a campaign in the dead of fifty Federals, After a short resistance, winter, in the upper part of the Valley, the enemy gave way and took refuge in under the lead of a renowned officer, the houses, firing from the windows upon whose advance was attended by decided the Southern cavalry, who were enclosed success, but at a cost of great suffering to in the streets. Col. Clarkson dismounted, his army. This will be the subject of a and ordered his men to do the same and narrative soon to be made. The brigade follow him. In a few moments they broke of Col. Taliaferro was withdrawn towards open the doors and drove the Yankees Staunton. Camp Bartow was only occufrom house to house, killing and wounding pied by scouts and a picket force, and the many, and finally compelling the surren. der of all surviving. The military pro-back and established at the pass at AlleConfederate line of defence was drawn perty captured consisted of two hundred ghany Mountain, fourteen miles from the Enfield rifles, a large quantity of ammuniGreenbrier river, and about the same distion, saddles, clothing and commissary stores, and a number of cavalry horses-Johnson was in command, with about tance from Monterey. Here Col. Edward the whole valued at not less than twentyfive thousand dollars. b The object of the move being accomplished, and it being impossible, with so small a force, without supplies or support, to hold the town, Col. Jenkins withdrew his troops in safety. His action had beer. perfectly legitimate, and according to the Jaws of war; he attacked a town held by a regular force of the enemy, overcame them, and took nothing but public military spoils. Nevertheless, the next day a body twelve hundred men, consisting of the 12th Georgia, 31st Virginia, under Major. Boykin, two companies of Col. Baldwin's 52nd Virginia, Hansborough's and Reger's battalions and eight six pounders, the Lee battery, under the veteran Anderson, and the Rockbridge battery, under Capt. Miller. Under the increasing cold of winter, rendered more intense by the keen air of the mountains, these brave and hardy men maintained their post, with all the hardships of a seanty supply of blankets and food, and the discouragement of isolation a Special dispatch to Cincinnati Com- from comrades and homes. anercial, Oct. 4. Whig, Oct. 14th. b Letter of N., Nov. 14. Examiner, Dec. 2nd. a Wheeling Intelligencer. Nov. 22. Examiner, |