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 RECOLLECTIONS 
 
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 West Virginia Campaign, 
 
 THE THREE MONTHS TROOPS." 
 
 May, June, and July, 1861. 
 
 BY AN ENGINEER OFFICER. 
 
 PRIVATE COPY. 
 
 FROM THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE, "OLD AND NEJV,' 
 
 FOR JUNE, 1873. 
 
 BOSTON : 
 
 1873- 
 
^» % 
 
 ## ' > 
 
RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 West Virginia Campaign, 
 
 THE THREE MONTHS TROOPS." 
 
 May, June, and July, 1861, 
 
 BY AN ENGINEER OFFICER. 
 
 PRIVA TE COPY. 
 
 FROM THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE, "OLD AND NEM^', 
 
 FOR JUNE, 1873. 
 
 BOSTON ; 
 1873. 
 

THE WEST VIEGINIA CAMPAIGN OF 1861. 
 
 BY AN OFFICER OF U. S. ENGINEERS. 
 
 I RECEIVED orders, May 1, 1861, 
 to join Major-Gen. G. B. McClellan, 
 Ohio Volunteers, and joined that offi- 
 cer at Cincinnati upon the 14th of 
 May; and the same day I was or- 
 dered, and passed on, to Cairo, III., 
 as confidential officer and engineer, to 
 fortify that position, and Bird Point 
 opposite, on the right bank of the 
 Mississippi. And during the next 
 ten days that I remained there, I 
 traced out, and had commenced, two 
 lines of defence. The inner one, for 
 the protection of stores and a garri- 
 son of some three thousand men, was 
 well under way, as also a battery at 
 the South Point. I also laid out a 
 work at Bird Point, about a hun- 
 dred yards square, with bastions at 
 the two diagonal corners, — south-west 
 and north-east ; the other two angles 
 having been made slightly acute for 
 a better flanking fire. 
 
 From constant and reliable reports 
 of refugees, and with the knowledge 
 I had of the thirty-five thousand to 
 forty thousand troops of Ohio, Indi- 
 ana, and Illinois, then embodied 
 under Gen. McClellan's orders, and for 
 whom I found there were steamers 
 enough on the rivers near, I was fully 
 satisfied that the Mississippi could 
 be swept to New Orleans, and held 
 firmly ; and. Gen. J. H. Prentiss (111. 
 Vols.) in command there coinciding, I 
 then earnestly urged this course upon 
 Gen. McClellan. 
 
 The general at first sent Dr. Stuke- 
 ly (U.S.A.), and again Capt. John 
 Rogers (U.S.N".), to learn more defi- 
 nitely of these probabilities ; and, im- 
 mediately after Rogers' return, I was 
 (on May 23) telegraphed to go back to 
 
 Cincinnati, as Major Marcy (chief of 
 staff) informed me on my arrival, for 
 the purpose of aiding in carrying out 
 that project for the seizure of the Mis- 
 sissippi River. 
 
 But, the day after my orders were 
 sent me, the telegraphic news reached 
 Gen. McClellan, of the irruj^tion of 
 the. rebel general, R. S. Garnett, into 
 West Virginia, — a part of his district, 
 — with a force of several thousand 
 men. Geri. McClellan immediately 
 visited Indianapolis to review the In- 
 diana troops there, commanded by the 
 Indiana brigadier-general, T. A. Mor- 
 ris, whom he at once ordered to Grafton, 
 Va., with several Indiana regiments 
 (the Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth), and 
 the Ohio Fourteenth, under Col. James 
 Steedman; which place Gen. Morris 
 reached (by the way of Wheeling) by 
 the 1st of June. 
 
 While at Cincinnati, awaiting (as 
 his chief engineer) Gen. McClellan's 
 return, I received his orders, stated to 
 be on the application of Gen. Morris, 
 to join that general at Wheeling; 
 which I did about May 30 ; and, within 
 some two days after, I was requested 
 by Gen. ]\^rris to act confidentially 
 for him, and^according to my best 
 judgment, in organizing and prepar- 
 ing the troops then reaching him for 
 service- in West Virginia. 
 
 Gen. T. A. Morris was a distin- 
 guished graduate of West Point, of 
 the year 1834 ; but, for many years, he 
 had been a resident of Indianapolis, 
 where his noble character had en- 
 deared him to the people of Indiana ; 
 so that his influence was invaluable 
 to the government in bringing out the 
 first troops for the war. And, of all 
 
The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 677 
 
 the first ten generals that I was 
 brought in contact with in this war, 
 there was no one surpassed, if any one 
 equalled, him in his most unselfish 
 devotion to the public service. His 
 chief aide (or chief of staff") was Major 
 John Love, a West-Point graduate, 
 and a careful, faithful friend of Gen. 
 Morris ; his junior aide a Lieut. Hines ; 
 his assistant adjutant-general was 
 Capt. I. A. Stein, a talented and ac- 
 complished officer of the volunteers; 
 and his quartermaster, Capt. D. L. 
 Smith, one of the most useful and faith- 
 ful men for his grade and duties that I 
 have ever known. These officers were 
 the main assistants of Gen. Morris, as 
 his staff", through the whole campaign. 
 Upon reaching Grafton, a railroad 
 position some thirty to forty miles 
 south-west of Wheeling, Col. Kelly, 
 with the First West Virginia Infantry, 
 was found in command; and it was 
 learned that Col. G. A. Porterfield of 
 the rebel Virginians, with his regi- 
 ment and some other troops, was at 
 Philippi, twelve miles south. And 
 two expeditions were at once sent out, 
 that very night, by Gen. Morris, to 
 cut him off", — one to our left, or east 
 of the Tyger River, under Col. Kelly ; 
 the other under Col. Dumont, Seventh 
 Indiana, with parts of the Sixth and 
 Ninth lWa.(and with Lander assist- 
 ant aide-de-camp, afterwards general), 
 went from our rightAto cut off" es- 
 cape to the south-west. These troops 
 marched all night in violent rains, and 
 met very nearly at daylight, at either 
 end c.f the bridge, at the west of the 
 villa<^ ■ of Philippi ; though had Kel- 
 ly's guide been faithful, or done his 
 duty, and brought his troops in at the 
 east of the village, the whole force 
 must have been captured without re- 
 sistance. The old road actually en- 
 tered the town on the east over the 
 hill north. 
 
 As it was, with a slight collision, in 
 which Kelly only was wounded (by a 
 rebel commissary clerk), the whole 
 force of Porterfield was routed towards 
 Beverly, thirty miles south-east (he 
 himself escaping with only the clothes 
 he stood in), leaving all the '•' public 
 property," several boxes of " squirrel 
 rifles," their ammunition, six flags and 
 colors (four of which I secured for 
 McClellan), Porterfield's trunk, com- 
 mission, epaulets, &c. ; and all their 
 bags and baggage, all their private 
 property, every thing were left behind 
 them. 
 
 I had made a request to accompany 
 Kelly's expedition at its starting from 
 Grafton ; but Gen. Morris replied, 
 " I have more important duties for 
 you here." But when, at noon the 
 next day. Lander came down, appar- 
 ently completely exhausted, reporting 
 a hard fight, and Col. Kelly mortal- 
 ly wounded, and that our new troops 
 were greatly disorganized, and in fear 
 of a return attack from Porterfield, 
 Gen. Morris turned to me, saying, 
 " You must go up and take, command." 
 And (by an engine kept ready for 
 the part of the route four miles west 
 to Webster) I left in ten minutes, 
 — as soon as Gen. Morris's orders to 
 take command could be written ; and, 
 taking horse for the twelve miles 
 from Webster, I reached Philippi, 
 at four to five, p.m., and finding Col. 
 Kelly lying, as was supposed, mortal- 
 ly wounded, I took Col. Dumont and 
 the other commandants of regiments, 
 with me (no one of them hesitating, 
 or objecting to my command by Gen. 
 Morris's orders), and, examining the 
 three outlet roads from %he village, I 
 placed one of these regiments at each 
 of these roads, witlTloufe*=»posts and 
 pickets in advance against the feared 
 surprise, retaining Dumont (as senior) 
 for a reserve at the court-house, 
 
678 
 
 The West Virginia Campaign of 1861 
 
 whither he had found, or caused to be 
 brought, the most of the captured 
 property. 
 
 A report was at once sent to Gen. 
 Morris in the morning, that we had 
 had no attack during the night ; and 
 about that time, the anticipated dan- 
 ger being over, Col. Dumont began to 
 fret, and to ask who was in command, 
 or whether he was- not the senior. 
 But when, by the return note from Gen. 
 Morris in the afternoon, I was recalled 
 to Grafton, as needed there, and Du- 
 mont found he was to be left on his 
 own resources, he urged me greatly 
 to remain in command ; and his pres- 
 sure afterwards was so strong on Gen. 
 Morris for this, that I was sent back 
 for more permanent command there, 
 the second day after, or about the 5th 
 or 6th of June. 
 
 I had known the rebel commander 
 (Col. Porterfield) in Mexico, as adju- 
 tant of Hamtramck's Virginia regi- 
 ment, and esteemed him so much, that 
 I had, years afterwards, given him a 
 clerkship in Washington. And as, 
 during this second visit, I found we 
 had captured all his personal baggage, 
 which we neither wished to pillage nor 
 retain, as our men had not, at that 
 time, their appetites whetted for plun- 
 der (as was the case afterwards, I am 
 sorry to say, with some at Corrick's 
 Ford), I had the wish to return him 
 this personal property : and propos- 
 ing it to Gen. Morris, then at Grafton, 
 •he telegraphed McClellan, who ap- 
 proved it ; and within a day or two I 
 sent out for this purpose a shrewd, con- 
 fidentM officer, with a few men and a 
 wagon, to take Col. Porterfield's trunk, 
 &c., to him, to Beverly, where he was 
 supposed to be, — about thirty miles 
 south-east of Philippi. Of course, 
 this officer was not to go with his 
 eyes shut ; and he did not do so. For 
 finding no troops on the whole route 
 
 to stop him, and but a small guard 
 at Beverly, he pushed on eight miles 
 farther, to Huttonsville, to deliver the 
 property. His return, of course, as- 
 sured us of our security from any 
 large force for some forty miles to our 
 front. 
 
 I regret to say that I received 
 in answer a letter from Porterfield, 
 which, though very civil otherwise, 
 was not entirely ingenuous, denying, 
 as it did, that the trunk was his own. 
 On which (the mails not being then 
 entirely stopped) I replied to him 
 that it contained his own commission 
 as colonel, military books with his 
 name in them, and the hat and epau- 
 lets of his rank. This commission I 
 had retained; and subsequently, in 
 August, I received a letter from his 
 wife at Martinsburg, Va., on our 
 border-lines, which requested the re- 
 turn of that commission ; while she 
 enclosed me the proceedings of a court 
 of inquiry upon her husbaud for this 
 flight from Philippi. This court was, 
 as it appeared, presided over by Col. 
 Taliaferro of the Twenty-third rebel 
 Virginia Kegiment ; wliich regiment 
 we had, in the mean time (in July), 
 routed, with the capture of his flag 
 and baggage, &c., at Corrick's Ford, as 
 will be seen hereafter. 
 
 I continued at Pliilippi as captain 
 — confidential aide — in' command, 
 (though addressed as colonel by Gen. 
 Morris) for some two to three weeks ; 
 there being about four regiments, or 
 some twenty-five hundred to three 
 thousand men there ; Col. James Steed- 
 man (Fourteenth Ohio), Col. Dumont 
 (Seventh Indiana), being senior 
 colonels : of the others, th^re were 
 Col. Crittenden (Sixth Indiana), Col. 
 Milroy (iSTinth Indiana), and Col. 
 Irvine with a battalion of the Six- 
 teenth Ohio Regiment, and a section 
 of Col. Barnett's (Cleveland, O.) ar- 
 
The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 679 
 
 tillery. In front, south-east, fourteen and to save them from fatigue) by a 
 miles on the hither side of the Laurel blind forest road, from our right at 
 Mountains, on the Beverly Road, lay Philippi, to take Garnett in rear from 
 
 the south side of Laurel Hill ; while 
 I myself planned to move twelve 
 hours later with the remaining force, 
 to attack him in front, some twelve to 
 fourteen miles distant ; and I actually 
 wrote letters, saying, " Unless bad luck 
 
 will 
 
 Gen. R. S. Garnett, the chief rebel 
 
 commander, in a fortified camp, with, 
 
 as it was finally ascertained, some five 
 
 thousand to six thousand men at least, 
 
 held in an iron discipline, with some four 
 
 hundred to six hundred finely mounted 
 
 cavalry. And constant scouting and or McClellan comes, by Friday I 
 
 skirmishing was occurring night and have Garnett." 
 
 day in the dozen miles between our 
 
 camps ; men being killed and taken 
 
 on either side now and then. We had 
 
 no mounted men, until Gen. Morris, 
 
 after much delay, procured fifty Colt's 
 
 revolvers ; when he bought horses, 
 
 saddles and bridles to match, and we 
 
 mounted some fifty men of the infan- 
 
 But McClellan did come by that 
 Friday (about the 19th July) ; and, 
 on explaining the plans to him, 
 he, soon after this, directed a simi- 
 lar movement, though over greater 
 space, and involving greater delay. 
 Instead of a near attack, by crossing 
 within the triangle (of fifteen to 
 
 try regiments. But within one week twenty miles on a side) between Phi- 
 more than half of them were dismount- lippi, Buckhannon, and Laurel Hill, 
 ed and useless ; the horses or men to Garnett's Camp, by a march of some 
 becoming unfit for the service. twenty hours, as had been intended, he 
 We were several (some eight or ten) decided to act on the roads of the lar- 
 days in this position, where some of gest triangle (of twenty-five to thir- 
 the colonels — especially Milroy, a ty miles of a side), which connects 
 good, brave, but rash officer — were con- the towns of Philippi, Buckhannon, 
 stantly urging me to attack Garnett ; and Beverly ; which involved a delay 
 for which, I understood, I had the that was eventually prolonged to four 
 
 authority from Gen. Morris (then at 
 Grafton ) whenever I deemed it to be 
 judicious. But, not then being able to 
 obtain the slightest assM?'erf information 
 of the numbers or strength of Garnett's 
 
 weeks, — up to the 12th and 13th 
 July. 
 
 In the mean time, McClellan con- 
 tinued my duties with Morris as his 
 own confidential officer, — a position 
 
 forces, I constantly and positively that, in fact, I held with Morris also. 
 
 refused until I should have some 
 such knowledge. I, however, was sat- 
 isfied that his force was far superior 
 to our own ; and, sending this word to 
 Gen. Morris, he telegraphed to McClel- 
 lan, at Cincinnati, who sent some ad- 
 ditional regiments; and, these begin- 
 ning to arrive about the 12th and 
 14tli of June, I arranged for a double 
 attack on Garnett at Laurel Hill. 
 
 And he soon began to send the bulk 
 of the troops to Buckhannon (some 
 thirty-five miles south-west of Graf- 
 ton) with all the mounted men, — three 
 organized squadrons ; although, on my 
 earnest representation to him of their 
 great necessity to us, he had prom- 
 ised 'Ho divide" with us at Philippi, 
 but did not. And he brought to- 
 gether there at Buckhannon some nine 
 
 I proposed to start at mid-day, about thousand men in front of Pegram's 
 half my force to go in wagons for twenty-five hundred, while he left Mor- 
 half the distance (for greater speed, ris, with little more than three thou- 
 
680 
 
 The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 sand men, at Philippi, to watch Gar- 
 nett's five thousand or six thousand 
 men intrenched at fourteen miles dis- 
 tance, to guard that he should not come 
 North, towards us, or escape to his 
 right or left, on our side of Laurel 
 Hill. And, of this force of ours, he 
 even ordered away the Sixth* Ohio 
 Eegiment (some eight hundred men) ; 
 but he allowed them finally to remain, 
 upon strong letters of remonstrance 
 from both Morris and myself, but with 
 a harshjetter to Morris, that he should 
 consider any further application for 
 troops as equivalent to a resignation 
 of his command. 
 
 With our pickets and detachments 
 constantly skirmishing day and night, 
 we continued in this position for six 
 or eight days, under orders to watch, 
 and hold Garnett in check; while 
 McClellan, as we understood, was pre- 
 paring to attack him, as we expected, 
 each day. But at length, one evening, 
 at ten, p.m., we received orders from 
 McClellan to move forward, and take 
 position at Eliot's place, near Beel- 
 ington (about a -mile and a half 
 short of Garnett's camp), by six the 
 next morning. And by this order we 
 were directed to leave the road, and 
 cross and recross the river on our 
 right to avoid a supposed defile. I 
 was immediately intrusted with the 
 entire order and arrangement of the 
 troops, times of starting, &c. ; and at 
 once told Gen. Morris that we must 
 not cross the river as ordered, as it 
 would give the alarm (if not given 
 before), and expose us to destruction. 
 The troops moved at two, a.m., in a 
 special, written regular order given 
 out ; and, marching till just before 
 daylight, we had reached half way, 
 when we rested at the head of the 
 column some twenty minutes to close 
 up. And then we moved rapidly to 
 Eliot's, reaching there by five, a.m., 
 
 and meeting mounted pickets, or their 
 scouts, first, only within a half-mile 
 of Eliot's, when tliey fired upon us, and 
 fled rapidly to the main body, to give 
 the alarm of '' a scouting-party," as we 
 heard they supposed us to be. We 
 had expected to meet them several 
 miles in advance of this position, as 
 we should have done but for this gross 
 and unusual negligence on their part. 
 
 I led this movement with the ad- 
 vance company of skirmishers, using 
 my own judgment in every case before 
 I would allow delay to the column for 
 scouting. And, although flanked by 
 platoons of men scattered on the right 
 and left, we marched steadily, even 
 with them and the column close in 
 rear of us, through all open fields of 
 two hundred or three hundred yards 
 width in all cases, — except only in, 
 woods, on a hillside above us, and 
 the few short distances where woods 
 occurred on both sides ; and the col- 
 umn was really not delayed one half- 
 hour on such accounts. And I have 
 never doubted, that, had we been per- 
 mitted to push on, we could have sur- 
 prised Garnett in his camp that morn- 
 ing. His pickets or his scouts had 
 been so unusually and unaccountably 
 absent or neglectful as to leave the 
 whole route unguarded, and even un- 
 watched, as stated. 
 
 We established ourselves as directed, 
 with the headquarters at Eliot's house, 
 and with most of the command in 
 advance of us some half-mile, with 
 pickets beyond to nearly twice that 
 distance; and a small intrenchment 
 was attempted on a rocky hill within 
 our lines, one afternoon, while, during 
 a violent thunder-storm, we expected 
 an attack from Garnett's forces under 
 cover of the heavy rain and darkness 
 of the storm. The advance of the ene- 
 my was actually reported ; and the 
 precaution of the artillery fire (the 
 
The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 681 
 
 first that many of our men had ever 
 witnessed), into the advancing storm- 
 cloud, supposed to cover the rebel 
 approach, made a spectacle very ex- 
 citing as well as grand; while with 
 each order for the discharge came 
 forth the approving cheer from the 
 men at their intrenching work, — the 
 " Bully for you ! " of the Western men, 
 — the first time I had ever heard 
 this cry. 
 
 And for nearly a week, with occa- 
 sional alarms of an attack in force, we 
 watched this road to the north, and 
 those to the right and left, along the 
 north face of the mountain, as ordered 
 by McClellan ; it being understood (as 
 was stated by him) that he was to 
 take care of the road south, over the 
 mountain ; by which road Garnett 
 eventually escaped. We had daily 
 skirmishing — now and then a man 
 killed, and some two to five wounded 
 each day, on either side — for the five 
 or six days we lay there ; from time 
 to time routing out Garnett's camp 
 with our artillery, which I had placed 
 on the different near hills as they 
 could reach him. This continued until 
 about seven, A.M., on the morning of 
 the 12th of July; when a sergeant 
 of the command (a preacher at home), 
 who had been on picket, or (scouting 
 on his own account), came rushing into 
 Morris's headquarters at Eliot's House, 
 crying out, " They are gone, they are 
 all gone ! We can see no one in their 
 camj\" I mounted at once, and went 
 forward to Garnett's camp, reconnoi- 
 tring carefully as we came near, and 
 entered the works, which I found 
 were in a continuous line from the 
 woods at the north to the mountain 
 on the west. I there saw manifest 
 signs of their leaving in great haste. 
 Many articles of value, even, had been 
 abandoned, and much that was useful. 
 I sent back at once to request that 
 
 Gen. Morris would send forward two 
 regiments, and a wagon-load or two of 
 biscuit, for the pursuit. And ivhile 
 tvaitlng for these in Garnett's camp, 
 about nine, a.m., I received from Gen. 
 Morris an order sent to him by Gen. 
 McClellan, informing him of the rout 
 of Pegram, and forbiddhiff him to at- 
 tack Garnett. 
 
 As soon as the first regiment ar- 
 rived, we started to go over the Laurel 
 Mountain, and reach the south side, 
 about three or four miles distant, be- 
 tween one and two, p.m. Here Gen. 
 Morris joined us ; and, after remaining 
 an hour or so, he returned to camp to 
 bring up the rest of his men. But he 
 directed me not to move from that po- 
 sition until he rejoined us, as he ex- 
 pected to some time that afternoon. 
 We very soon ascertained that Gar- 
 nett, instead of continuing south to 
 Beverly (ten or twelve miles distant), 
 had turned to his left, to the north- 
 east, on a road at the foot of the Lau- 
 rel Mountain, towards the village of 
 New Interest. While delayed here, 
 and after writing and sending off 
 a report to McClellan, I exacted a 2^os- 
 itive promise from Col. Milroy of the 
 Ninth Lidiana Regiment (whose ill- 
 judged zeal I greatly feared), that he 
 would remain there, as we were ordered 
 by Morris ; and I then made a re- 
 connoissance to the front, towards 
 Leedsville, two to three miles south. 
 Yet upon my return, about dusk, I 
 found Milro}^, in his earnestness, had 
 broken his word with me, and started 
 off" with his regiment (all the command 
 following) to the north-east, on the 
 road at the mountain's foot, on the 
 trail of Garnett. I overtook him on 
 the route, about a mile and a half, 
 and finally prevented bis farther ad- 
 vance, but not till I had lain down in 
 the road, for his men to march over 
 me if he persisted. 
 
682 
 
 The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 The troops then closed up somewhat, 
 and went into bivouac ; there being but 
 one small farmhouse near, which gave 
 cover to many of the officers during a 
 violent storm that commenced at dark, 
 and lasted most of the night. About 
 nine or ten, p.m.. Gen. Morris joined 
 us, and was quite indignant at Mil- 
 roy's disobedience, saying he should 
 not lead the march in the pursuit on 
 the next day to punish him for this 
 disobedience of his order; by which 
 he had found every thing — artillery, 
 wagons, and all — were in the greatest 
 confusion on this narrow mountain- 
 path at midnight. 
 
 About ten, p.m., orders came from 
 McClellan, then at Beverly (in re- 
 sponse to my report), for us to pursue 
 with the earliest light, and stating 
 that Gen. Hill had orders sent him 
 to intercept Garnett where he was 
 expected to pass at the " Eed House," 
 near Oakland, some twenty-five or 
 thirty miles to the north-east of us. 
 
 At daylight of the 13th, I started 
 in command of the advance column, 
 with Col. Steedraan (Fourteenth 
 Ohio) leading, then two guns of Col. 
 Barnett's Cleveland (Ohio) Artillery, 
 then Col. Dumont (Seventh Indi- 
 ana), a battalion of the Sixteenth Ohio 
 (Lieut.-Col, Irvine), and last Col. 
 Milroy (iSTinth Indiana), placed in 
 rear on account of disobedience and 
 breach of promise of the day before ; 
 there being some eighteen hundred 
 men in all. On reaching Kew In- 
 terest, at six to seven, a.m., we be- 
 gan to find the camp equipage scat- 
 tered along the road ; first tent-poles, 
 then tents, and then camp-furniture. 
 And soon we made sure that Garnett 
 had turned off over a winding, hilly 
 road, to his right, which passed over 
 several mountain spurs to branches of 
 the Cheat Eiver, and led to the village 
 of St. Georges, some fifteen to twenty 
 
 miles to the north-east on its right 
 bank ; and, later, we found, as we 
 entered this mountain road, that the 
 more valuable camp-furniture was 
 then being left behind, and among 
 the first (probably as an example), the 
 fine camp-stools, &c. (as marked) of 
 Gen. Garnett himself. We then came 
 upon barricades of trees felled across 
 the roads upon the mountain slopes, 
 and at all defiles and steep "hill-, 
 sides : " some eighteen or twenty such 
 obst;ructions, from eighty to three 
 hundred yards in extent on the road, 
 were encountered in the march of 
 some eight to ten miles over two 
 spurs of the mountains. The rebels, 
 fortunately for us, left their axes as 
 they fled from our advance skirmish- 
 ers, sometimes by twos and threes, 
 struck into the trees woodman like, 
 sometimes by the boxful even ; and 
 thus we were soon enabled, with our 
 Western woodsmen, to cleaj: these 
 roads even for our artillery : so that, 
 when we eventually reached the Cheat 
 River, near noon, our guns joined our 
 advance regiment (Steedman's) with- 
 in twenty to thirty minutes after. 
 
 On this route, about ten to eleven, 
 A.M., after passing the second moun- 
 tain-spur, we came upon the last camp 
 of Garnett, deserted in such haste, 
 that the provisions were actually 
 cooking upon the fires, and were 
 soon devoured by our half-famished 
 men; for many of them, as I that 
 morning learned, had had nothing to 
 eat since they left their own camp 
 early the day before, from the over- 
 sight of their officers, or in their haste 
 to join in the pursuit ; I myself se- 
 curing a cracker and a bit of broiled 
 pork, — almost my first food for 
 twenty-four hours. 
 
 About ten to eleven, A.M., we came 
 upon some wagons loaded with cloth- 
 ing, drab overcoats, &c. ; with which 
 
The Wed Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 683 
 
 I at once equipped our advance skir- 
 mishers, to deceive the enemy, as 
 well as to protect ourselves from the 
 violent storm which had been raging 
 for several hours. The drab overcoats 
 (made of their negro cloth) I found 
 were quite useful in masking our ap- 
 proach from the stragglers of the 
 rebels in front, or from their desert- 
 ers, who, in several instances, were, 
 at the first, much alarmed at the idea 
 that they had fallen into the hands of 
 theiv :wn rear-guard while attempt- 
 ing to escape. And at length, after a 
 march of four to five hours during tliis 
 most violent rain, in which it poured 
 through my felt hat, down my neck, 
 through ray clothes, and down inside 
 my boots (the men being much worse 
 off, as I fear, as they were frequently 
 over their ankles in mud), we left the 
 mountain-passes, and came upon 
 the signs of cultivation, and reached 
 the river — the Black Fork of the 
 Cheat River — about five miles above 
 or south-west of its junction. I crossed 
 with two or three officers, direct- 
 ing all others to remain on our 
 own- side. We immediately discov- 
 ered the rebel wagon-train resting in 
 a field in the river bottom, about 
 five hundred yards in advance, and 
 apparently entirely unsuspicious of 
 our approach. I at once directed Col. 
 Steedraan, as soon as he could learn 
 that our guns were near his regiment, 
 and Dumont well up behind them, 
 that he should cross carefully ; and 
 passing along by the road on the 
 right bank, as it curved to our left, 
 and was screened by the thick trees 
 ai\d bushes on the right of this road, 
 he was to endeavor to pass to the 
 right and rear of their wagons, with- 
 out, as appeared possible, his being 
 discovered. 
 
 These guns of Barnett were re- 
 ported to be well up, and Dumont just 
 
 behind them, ready to close in some 
 fifteen or twenty minutes after ; and 
 the movement of Steedman com- 
 menced with every prospect of his 
 getting to their rear unseen, and of 
 capturing the whole train, as he 
 moved with much boldness and dis- 
 cretion. But, at this juncture, a 
 scoundrel straggler, who had crossed 
 without permission, fired off his mus- 
 ket in the air, towards the wagon- 
 train, as I could only suppose on pur- 
 pose to drive them forward, and avoid 
 a fight. I endeavored to gallop over 
 him with my horse ; but he escaped 
 down the steep bank into the river. 
 But the train, for this time at least, 
 was saved ; for we saw the wagons 
 move on immediately after, and then 
 two lines of infantry draw out to pro- 
 tect them ; and they started on the run 
 for the next ford. 
 
 I delayed Steedman there until 
 most of our troops had closed up ; and 
 then we moved on as rapidly as pos- 
 sible, crossing this second ford after 
 covering with our fire the adjacent 
 hills to prevent a suspected ambuscade. 
 And about two miles farther on, from 
 a high hill, we came in sight of their 
 regiments, on a regular run, and so 
 near, that I ordered up the guns, 
 directing the vis a tergo of a few dis- 
 charges to expedite their movement, 
 already characterized by one of our 
 Western captains as a "lojig dog- 
 trot." 
 
 This force was still followed as rap- 
 idly as possible ; although two mes- 
 sages had already readied me from 
 Gen. Morris, each with a contingency, 
 fortunately, " to stop the pursuit." I 
 had the first message before I came 
 to the first ford : it was brought by 
 young Pritchard (son of lieutenant- 
 colonel of Sixth Indiana), who had 
 been sent back with the first flag, 
 captured, as it was, under my horse's 
 
684 
 
 The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 feet. Tliis order required, that, if I 
 " was not sure of reaching the enemy 
 within two or three hours," I " must 
 halt, and rest my men." The second 
 message, by Sergeant-Major Fletcher 
 of the Sixth Indiana, directed me to 
 stop, and rest my men, unless I " was 
 immediately upon the enemy." A 
 third, by Gen. Morris's aide (Lieut. 
 Hines), reached me as I was arran- 
 ging for action at Corrick's Ford, and 
 was, to "stop at once, unless" I 
 " was ready to strike ; " to which my 
 reply simply was, "Wait five min- 
 utes ! " Gen. Morris afterwards told 
 me, another (a fourth) message had 
 been sent, — a positive order to stop 
 at once (and, as I understood, by 
 Whitelaw Reid, a Cincinnati report- 
 er) ; but, as the general said, " This 
 was not delivered, as you were found 
 to be fighting." These orders were 
 sent because Gen. Morris had • seen 
 only the stragglers who " fell by the 
 wayside ; " while I had the " whale- 
 bone " with me. 
 
 ^Our march thus continued for 
 about three miles from the second 
 ford, till we came to another field of 
 river-bottom land, and another ford. 
 Here we saw that the rebel troops 
 had crossed, and that a part of their 
 train was in the river, apparently 
 balked; and we soon found that they 
 were making dispositions to defend 
 this traift, from the steep, elevated 
 ground (about sixty to eighty feet 
 above the river) on the opposite side ; 
 the river being some hundred and 
 twenty yards wide and three feet deep 
 at this ford. 
 
 The advance regiments (Steedman's 
 a'ld next Dumont's), with Barnett's 
 Aiuillery, were soon arranged along the 
 river-bank, behind a rail fence, par- 
 tially covered by a slight screen of 
 trees ; and our fire first opened at them 
 across the river upon their more ad- 
 
 vantageous position ; and I could not 
 force our gallant fellows, so unused to 
 the danger, to take the slight cover 
 of the bank of an old channel-way, a 
 few rods in their rear, — a cover such 
 as before the war closed, however, with 
 just as much of bravery, our men, on 
 other fields, had learned to appreciate, 
 and to seize on all occasions. We 
 received a strong musketry-fire in re- 
 turn ; and soon their cannon opened 
 on us, with the usual efi"ect, or, rather, 
 non-effect, from a much more elevated 
 position, fortunately for us, for the 
 most part ; and we replied more effec- 
 tively with our riflemen and artillery. 
 As, however, in the course of some 
 ten to fifteen minutes I discovered a 
 break in the hill on their left, which 
 indicated an easier ascent than by 
 the steep bank in our front, I sent 
 orders to Dumont to cross at our right, 
 and move up this valley-gorge to at- 
 tack them. This was soon proved to 
 be impossible (as I found afterwards, 
 this slope was strewn with dead ce- 
 dars), and the steepness was too great 
 directly in front. I saw the men 
 flat on the ground, endeavoring to 
 crawl up the bank ; and Col. Milroy, 
 who followed Dumont closely, rode 
 up to me, and reported the hill to be 
 entirely impracticable. I sent word 
 by him to Dumont to go down the 
 river with his regiment, and to hug 
 the cover of the bank, on the side of 
 the enemy ; and that he would cer- 
 tainly find the road below them, op- 
 posite our left. The firing still con- 
 tinued for some fifteen to twenty min- 
 utes longer, between our main body 
 and the rebels on the hill ; our men 
 picking ofi" their gunners whenever 
 seen through the branches of the 
 trees. And at length I saw tlie men 
 of Dumont moving (Jown as directed, 
 until they passed the rebel front at 
 the foot of the bank, and turned in- 
 
The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 685 
 
 land, to the right of the enemy, bring- 
 ing themselves at once in rear of their 
 position ; when the rebels hastily re- 
 treated past the next ford, some five 
 hundred yards distant, leaving their 
 cannon, and their dead and wounded, 
 behind them. And they were closely 
 followed by Dumont's regiment shir- 
 mishing in their rear. 
 
 I afterwards learned that Col. Du- 
 mont complained much of this order 
 (whicli, in fact, " turned the tide of 
 battle," and closed it at that point) 
 by saying that he had nearly executed 
 the first order for an attack on rebel 
 left, when he was ordered down 
 •' between the two fires." As to which 
 I can say, that, besides my XLiitnessing 
 their ineffectual efforts to make that 
 assault, I had the positive report 
 of Col. Milroy, who came from them, 
 that the hill was impassable ; while it 
 is further a fact, that not a single man 
 of Dicnonfs regiment was either 
 killed or ivounded during the pass- 
 age under the bank along the rebel 
 front. 
 
 At about the time of this retreat of 
 the enemy from his position on the 
 hill, the leading regiment (the Sixth 
 Indiana) of Gen. Morris's main col- 
 umn, that had hurried up, hearing the 
 firing, joined us, though too late to 
 share in the action. 
 
 I crossed over immediately after 
 Dumont's success, finding twenty-two 
 heavily-loaded wagons stalled in the 
 river, and a like number in the road- 
 way made through an impracticable 
 laurel-thicket on the other side, — all 
 with their horses and harnesses at- 
 tached. And ascending by the rear, 
 to the plateau they had just occupied, 
 we found their cannon and caisson, 
 with the dead gunners (seven or eight 
 men) lying around the piece, mostly 
 shot in the head, some directly above 
 the mouth ; the only sight our men 
 
 had, being through the bush embra- 
 sures. 
 
 The position Garnett had selected 
 here was one of the best natural de- 
 fensive sites I ever saw. It was a 
 cleared field of some two hundred 
 yards square, with a steep bank sixty 
 to eighty feet down to the river. The 
 bank was covered with thick under- 
 growth, and fringed at the top with 
 trees whose branches had been cut 
 away to give firing views, — embra- 
 sures, in fact, for their guns. On 
 their left, a steep ravine of a V 
 cross section, filled with dead cedars, 
 as stated, protected them, as we had 
 found, completely from assault ; and 
 on their right flank, as this plateau 
 dropped to near the river-level, they 
 were covered by the broad laurel- 
 thicket, impracticable to man or 
 beast, even to the smaller animals, 
 except by roadways cut through by 
 the axe. 
 
 While examining the dead at this 
 position. Major Gordon (just recently 
 sergeant-major of the Ninth Indi- 
 ana) came up to me, asking if I 
 knew Garnett, saying an officer had 
 just been killed at the next near 
 ford, who had "stars on his shoulders." 
 I at once accompanied him, crossing 
 the ford ; and, about twenty yards 
 beyond, I found the rebel general, R. 
 S. Garnett, lying dead, and near him 
 the body of a young lad, in the uniform 
 of the Georgia troops (gray with black 
 facings, like that of our Indiana regi- 
 ments). No other signs of strife were 
 near ; and I learned that they had been 
 killed from a clump of bushes on our 
 side the river-bank, by the fire, at about 
 the same time, of three of our ad- 
 vanced scouts. Recognizing Garnett 
 at once, who, six years before, re- 
 ceived the majority I had declined 
 in the Ninth U. S. Infantry, I had 
 Major Gordon remove and take care 
 
686 
 
 The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 of his sword, watch, and purse (of 
 Confederate nionoj'-), reserving for our 
 use, as much needed, a fine map of 
 Virginia, and liis field-glass. 
 
 We had his body taken to the 
 house of Mr. Corrick, on the adjacent 
 hill ; and I may here state, that the 
 next day we selected Garnett's own 
 ambulance for his remains, which 
 were placed in a box with salt. And 
 Major Gordon, by Gen. Morris's or- 
 der, was sent with the body, sword, 
 &c., to Grafton ; from which place 
 they were forwarded, as early as prac- 
 ticable, to his friends at Eichmond, 
 Va. ; a courtesy but poorly repaid by 
 the rebels at Bull Eun the next 
 week. 
 
 We afterwards learned from Mr. 
 Corrick, that as the rear of the rebel 
 column was in full retreat past his 
 house, after the action with us at 
 their wagon-train. Gen. Garnett came 
 there, and called upon his men for 
 thirty sharpshooters to go back with 
 him " to pick off the officers " of our 
 troops ; that he could obtain only 
 about fifteen, who returned with him 
 to the field, where he was killed, when 
 all who could, escaped. I have my- 
 self but little doubt that he returned 
 in the expectation or hope of losing 
 his life in mortification at this disas- 
 trous rout. 
 
 After thus identifying the body, 
 and giving the directions for the 
 proper care of it, I returned to our 
 troops, now, for the most part, across 
 the ford, near the stalled rebel wagon- 
 train, and directed one of the lead- 
 ing colonels, who had done finely in 
 this pursuit, to select his best disci- 
 plined and most reliable company to 
 take the charge of that train and the 
 property captured ; to await the orders 
 of Gen. Morris, and then to let his 
 men have rest and food, if obtaina- 
 ble. Upon which, I went forward 
 
 for some two miles, following Du- 
 mont's regiment (which had been 
 previously advanced as skirmish- 
 ers), to ascertain if there was any 
 hope of reaching any other consid- 
 erable body of the enemy. This 
 seemed entirely out of the question, 
 as the main force of some three thou- 
 sand to four thousand, at least, ap- 
 peared to have been continuously in 
 full retreat ; while the rear-guard of 
 two or three regiments had fought us 
 to save their wagon-trains if pos- 
 sible. 
 
 On giving up the further pursuit, 
 indispensably, from the weariness and 
 hunger of our men, Dumont's regi- 
 ment was directed to go into bivouac 
 from one to two miles in advance of 
 Corrick's ; and, returning late in the 
 afternoon, I found Gen. Morris at 
 Corrick's house, with all the command 
 near. But, going to the captured wag- 
 on-train, I discovered that a systematic 
 pillage of the whole train had been 
 going on under the direction of the 
 colonel in whose charge it had been 
 left. 
 
 The rebel troops appear to have 
 been amply supplied with every neces- 
 sary — clothing, medical stores, tents, 
 &c. — except provisions; and the of- 
 ficers, generally, with splendid cam- 
 paign outfits, such as I have never 
 seen at any time with our troops, 
 either before or since. And I found ' 
 all the boxes of clothing had been 
 broken up, and their contents dis- 
 tributed by that colonel to his regi- 
 ment, or to his favorites of the other 
 troops ; the more valuable stores, and 
 the trunks of the rebel officers, being 
 especially secured by himself and 
 those around him, as appeared. One 
 young man attached to our staff, now 
 commissioned in the army, told me he 
 saw this colonel with a « double hand- 
 ful of gold watches." I was greatly 
 
The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 687 
 
 mortified at this betrayal of the trust 
 given to this officer ; but on reporting 
 it to Gen. Morris, as the rifling of 
 the train appeared to have been pretty 
 successfully and thoroughly complet- 
 ed, there seemed to be then no reme- 
 dy, especially in this moment of suc- 
 cess, with these new and undisci- 
 plined troops just going out of service, 
 as they all knew. 
 
 The killed and wounded on our 
 side were limited to five or six only, 
 as they mostly fired upon us down 
 hill. Of the rebels we found about 
 fifteen bodies, and some twenty to 
 thirty wounded. There were also 
 taken three flags, a fi.ne rifled can- 
 non, a military chest with bank 
 money ready for signing, and — be- 
 sides a large amount of valuable 
 private property — the train to the 
 number of forty-four heavily-loaded 
 wagons, with their hoirses and har- 
 nesses even (some hundred and fifty 
 to two hundred in all) ; and, in the 
 pursuit next day and the day after, 
 about fifteen more loaded wagons 
 were captured, or about sixty in all. 
 They were loaded with clothing, blan- 
 kets, tents, &c., and at an estimated 
 value, as far as we could judge, of at 
 least some two hundred and fifty thou- 
 sand dollars. The quartermaster at 
 the Grafton depot afterwards told me, 
 that there had reached that station, 
 • within the next two or three weeks 
 (and by difficult or mountain roads), 
 an amount of property worth at least 
 a hundred thousand dollars. And 
 thii5 was after weeks of plunder- 
 ing by the occupants of the adjacent 
 farms, and after nearly all the horses 
 and large amounts of other property, 
 as I was told, had been run across the 
 Ohio lliver. by these retiring troops, 
 whose three months of service ex- 
 pired, for the most part, within one 
 or two weeks after this action, which 
 
 ended the first campaign in West 
 Virginia. 
 
 The report of the action was writ- 
 ten and sent to Gen. McClellan from 
 Corrick's House, on the morning of 
 the 14th, and received by him at 
 Huttonsville, Va., about thirty-five 
 miles south-east, at " eleven, p.m ; " 
 when he at once telegraphed this suc- 
 cess toWashington in glowing colors. 
 Upon the 14th of July, having 
 gathered up the most of the proper- 
 ty left by the enemy. Gen. Morris's 
 column started on its march to the 
 town of St. Georges, on the Cheat 
 River, about eight to ten miles north- 
 east of Corrick's Ford ; and, for the 
 first four or five miles, we followed 
 the route of the rebels, who from 
 thence had passed more to the east- 
 ward, — to the south of Oakland, 
 where Gen. Hill (of Toledo, 0.) had 
 been ordered by McClellan, but failed 
 to intercept them. These routed 
 forces were in such a state of suffer- 
 ing for provisions, as I was informed 
 a short time after by some of the 
 principal persons in that vicinity, 
 that they actually caught the fowls 
 from the barn-yards as they passed 
 along; and, tearing the feathers off, 
 they devoured them raw. 
 
 Our route to St. Georges lay 
 through three or four fords of the 
 Cheat River ; and, on reaching the 
 second and third fords, we found sev- 
 eral of their baggage-wagons broken 
 down and deserted, and many rooms 
 and outhouses at the farms near, 
 filled with the carpet-bags these new 
 troops had used in place of knapsacks, 
 and with bales of new blankets, &c. ; 
 and again, a mile or two farther 
 to the right of the route we pursued, 
 I found and took possession of eleven 
 wagons, loaded with clothing, &c., 
 which were left, after the horses had 
 been taken away, the evening previous. 
 
688 
 
 The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 Gathering up the most of this prop- 
 erty, and impressing the farmers near 
 with their teams (in compensation 
 for their own plunder still retained), 
 we at length, that evening (of the 
 14th), reached St. Georges. Our men, 
 also, had suffered greatly for the want 
 of food ; their main reliance that 
 day, as well as on the afternoon pre- 
 vious, having been only the beef cat- 
 tle of the vicinity, which, though 
 found in abundance, for the most 
 part had to be eaten, as just killed 
 and roasted, without bread, vegeta- 
 bles, or salt; though, we had the 
 adjacent country scoured by mounted 
 men, for several miles, for this last 
 indispensable condiment, which was 
 either wanting, or concealed from us. 
 The effects of this diet upon the men, 
 so accustomed to salt provisions, was 
 most injurious and weakening, accom- 
 panied with purgings and vomitings : 
 so that next day, when we moved 
 back to our old camp (some twenty- 
 five to thirty miles), whole companies 
 of men, as it was told me, — the 
 whole battalion of the Sixteenth 
 Ohio especially, — marched the entire 
 distance without food, in their fear of 
 using this unsalted beef. 
 
 After resting the men for the night 
 at St. Georges, on the 15th of July, 
 Gen. Morris directed their return to 
 Eliot's, near Beelington, where all ar- 
 rived either that evening or the next 
 day. I roay mention, that, some four 
 or five miles out from St. Georges, a 
 few bush-whackers, screened in a 
 thicket on a steep hill near the road, 
 attempted the assassination of Gen. 
 Morris by pouring their fire into his 
 ambulance, which, however, was oc- 
 cupied by only rebel officers, prisoners. 
 And, when once back in camp, the 
 preparations were then made for the 
 return and muster-out of these troops, 
 nearly all of whose three-months' 
 
 terms expired within the next eight 
 or ten days. 
 
 It may be mentioned here, in clos- 
 ing this narrative of the campaign, 
 that the main column, of some nine 
 thousand men, had lain for some ten 
 days, under Gen. ^McClellan, between 
 Buckhannon and Rich Mountain, in 
 front of Pegram ; and from them (on 
 the 11th of July) about three thou- 
 sand men were sent, under Rosecrans 
 (with the gallant Lander as confiden- 
 tial aide of McClellan), to get some 
 seven miles in rear of Pegram, where 
 they captured a two-gun battery un- 
 der Capt. De Lagnel, '•' with two hun- 
 dred and twenty-eight men " (as De 
 Lagnel gave the account to Col. Mor- 
 row of McClellan staff). Upon which 
 success Pegram retreated to his right ; 
 and, after two days, he surrendered, 
 with some six hundred men, to Gen. 
 McClellan. And at Philippi, Morris's 
 column of three thousand to four 
 thousand men, on the 2d of June, 
 routed Porterfield and some fifteen 
 hundred men, capturing four to six 
 flags, a large quantity of small-arms 
 &c. ; and at Corrick's Ford, on the 
 13th of July, these same troops rout- 
 ed the main force of the enemy in 
 Virginia, estimated at five thousand, 
 or upwards (some five regiments, be- 
 sides artillery and cavalry), killed 
 their commanding general, and cap- 
 tured three flags, a fine rifled cannon, • 
 and all his train and munitions of 
 war. So that Gen. McClellan, on re- 
 ceiving the news of this action at 
 eleven, p.m., the next evening (July 
 14), was able to telegraph, '' We have iCtUiC 
 Garnett ; the enemy are annihilated ; 
 and I firmly believe secession is killed 
 in West Virginia." 
 
 Upon the evening of the 16th, Major 
 Marcy, chief of staff of Gen. McCiel- 
 lan, came to Eliot's (en route to Wash- 
 ington) witJi McClellan's reports, and 
 
The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 689 
 
 the flags from Philippi, and requir- 
 ing also those just captured, which, 
 being still with the regiments in 
 camp, he would not wait for, but or- 
 dered to be " sent express to Washing- 
 ton." 
 
 Major Marcy had with him at this 
 time four flags that had been captured 
 at Phillippi, which, with considerable 
 difficulty and management, I had re- 
 covered from the colonels of the regi- 
 ments who had them, and sent to 
 Gen. McClellan some time previously. 
 One of them, I recollect, was an ele- 
 gant green silk cavalry flag, or guidon, 
 with gold bullion tassels and fringe, 
 that had within the week been pre- 
 sented to the Highland Guards by 
 the ladies of Highland County ; when 
 the captain, as we were told, hatl 
 promised •' to defend that flag with 
 the last drop of his blood," &c. I pre- 
 sume, however, he forgot his prom- 
 ise, as no one was killed in this rout. 
 As this banner had on it in gold 
 letters the motto, " god defend 
 THE RIGHT," I had the pleasure, 
 soon after, of sending word to the 
 ladies of Highland County '' that 
 God had heard and answered their 
 prayer." 
 
 Of the three flags taken at Corrick's 
 Ford, one was a large flag of Col. 
 Taliaferro's Twenty-third Virginia 
 Eegiment ; another was a silk flag of 
 Col. Ramsey's Georgia Regiment; 
 and the third, taken just after the 
 action, was an elegant white silk color, 
 with silver tassels and fringe, and 
 over the arms of Georgia the motto, 
 " COTTON IS KING," suruiounting the 
 temple. This beautiful and unique 
 banner has proved too much for the 
 honesty of some of the people about 
 the Wliite House or the War Depart- 
 ment ; for in the winter of 18G3 and 
 '64, when I found most of these other 
 flags in the war-office, this white bau- 
 
 44 
 
 ner had disappeared, as had also the 
 green silk cavalry guidon taken at 
 Philippi. 
 
 Major Marcy proceeded to Wash- 
 ington, reaching there a day or two 
 before the defeat of Bull Run, and at 
 a most fortunate moment, as it proved, 
 for himself and his chief ; for though 
 it is certain, I believe, that neither 
 McClellan nor any of his staff (not on 
 detached service) had been within the 
 range of a hostile cannon, if they had 
 even heard its sound, in all these ac- 
 tions and skirmishes, yet, within that 
 week, McClellan's chief of staff. Ma- 
 jor Marcy, was made inspector-gen- 
 eral, and McClellan himself the ma- 
 jor-general and actim chief of our 
 whole army. 
 
 This short record of facts might 
 close here, were it not somewhat in- 
 structive to notice the course of this 
 general in relation to his active assist- 
 ants in this brief and brilliant cam- 
 paign, in so strong contrast to the 
 constant action of his last successor 
 in the war, as the results have shown ; 
 and in such stronger contrast even, in 
 the final positions and success of these 
 two generals. 
 
 At the time of Major Marcy's visit 
 at Eliot's, he showed the roll of 
 McClellan's report, stating the names 
 of the "but three persons specially 
 mentioned" in that report, the two 
 confidential officers from his staff, and 
 one of the detached commanders. 
 That report, in 1864, was not to be 
 found at the War Department, al- 
 though its forwarding letter of July 
 15 was there : so that what that com- 
 mendation of these officers was can- 
 not now be ascertained, although, in 
 one case at least, at that time, it was 
 read by the officer referred to. 
 
 What his final action may have 
 been towards his commander at Rich 
 Mountain is not known; but for 
 
690 
 
 The West Virginia Campaign of 1861. 
 
 his other commander, one of the best 
 and noblest of men, and upon whom 
 the responsibility had rested of the 
 course which had given McClellan 
 his main victory, he suppressed the 
 commission of major-general, when 
 signed by Lincoln, by aspersions on 
 that officer, as I was told by a promi- 
 nent official of Congress, a near rela- 
 tive of that officer ; while to his own 
 staif-officer with this commander, and 
 thus temporarily under this general's 
 orders, McClellan had written as fol- 
 lows, at the very hour he dated his 
 first despatch to Washington (eleven, 
 P.M.) : " Allow me to express my sin- 
 cere thanks, and my profound admi- 
 ration of your heroic courage and 
 great professional skill, evinced in the 
 late rout of Garnett's forces. Let 
 me assure you that nothing would 
 give me more satisfaction than to 
 give you the full credit you deserve," 
 &c. To this officer, on being noti- 
 fied that the president would make 
 him a brigadier-general, if he (Mc- 
 Clellan) approved, he sent back (and 
 this within the same week) a telegram 
 of the most bitter and insulting char- 
 acter, and delayed for months his ap- 
 pointment as a general, besides injur- 
 ing him in many ways for years after. 
 And this simply because that officer 
 had received from Gen. Morris the 
 
 order to take the captured flags to 
 Washington, as McClellan's own chief 
 of staff had directed, and as was a pro- 
 per order to the staff-officer command- 
 ing the advanced fighting force. 
 
 And as to the fourth officer (now 
 dead), the possessor of his papers told 
 me of two similarly contrasting tele- 
 grams among them from McClellan, — 
 one, as an answer to some suggestions 
 of this most active and gallant officer, 
 to the effect that he was to mind his 
 own duties, and " attend to his own 
 regiments " (this officer being then a 
 general); the other, three weeks later, 
 said, " Come to me, and do for me as 
 you did at Rich Mountain." 
 
 Well indeed might that officer have 
 said to McClellan, as he told me he 
 did in the first week of his- arrival 
 in Washington, " General, if you are 
 to hold the high position you now 
 have, it will not do for you to kick 
 down the ladders by which you rose," 
 — words prophetic, though the speaker 
 did not live to see that general's fall, 
 or the rise of another to his position, 
 who has clung to every good man 
 about him, who had aided him as 
 he rose (as every such man has clung 
 to him), until he now holds the high- 
 est position in the gift of a great 
 free people that the world has ever 
 known. 
 
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