rib of the Alleghanies, extending for at least a hundred miles in length. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad pierces it by means of the celebrated Kingwood tunnel, the longest in the world. It stretches down in a direction a little west of south, to the head waters of the Kanawha, there called Greenbrier River. The main turnpike leading to Staunton (over which Wise's army passed from Eastern Virginia), runs along Laurel Hill's base.

On the slopes of Laurel Hill, General Robert S. Garnett, who had been appointed to the command of the Confederate forces in northwestern Virginia, was intrenched with a force of three thousand infantry, six pieces of artillery, and three companies of cavalry, and was also occupying a strong position at Rich Mountain, under Colonel Pegram.

On the morning of the 10th, General Garnett received a note from Colonel Pegram at Rich Mountain, stating that his pickets had that morning taken a prisoner, who stated that there were in front of Rich Mountain, nine regiments of seven thousand men, and a number of pieces of artillery; that General McClellan had arrived in camp the evening before, and had given orders for an attack the next day; that General Rosecrans had started a night before with a division of the army, three thousand strong, by a convenient route, to take him in the rear, while McClellan was to attack in front; and Colonel Pegram went on to say, that he had moved a piece of artillery and three hundred men, to the point by which General Rosecrans was expected, and that he had requested Colonel Scott, with his regiment, to occupy a position on the path by which the Federals must come. As soon as General Garnett received this note, he sent a written order to Colonel Scott, to move to the point indicated by Colonel Pegram, and to defend it at all hazards. At Bealington, in front of Laurel Hill, General Morris

was encamped with his command. About two o'clock on the afternoon of the 10th, the attack commenced.

warm.

By four o'clock, the skirmishing in front by the Fourteenth Ohio and Ninth Indiana regiments became very The enemy advanced under cover of the woods. The Federal skirmishers rushed forward, pouring in a sharp volley, killing several. The rebel cavalry then advanced to take our skirmishers by flank, but they rapidly retreated; and the artillery dropped a couple of shells, one exploding among their cavalry, causing them to instantly fall back, when the boys again rushed forward, pouring in another volley. The rebels now scattered in the woods, their officers attempting to rally them, but they could not be brought up in a body again. In the mean time, the boys picked off their officers. Several more shells were thrown in, and our men made a final rush, driving them clear through their own riflepits, bringing back several of their blankets, canteens,

and guns.

At dusk, the skirmishers retired from the woods in capital order.

July 11. About three o'clock in the morning, General Rosecrans with portions of the Eighth, Tenth, and Thirteenth Indiana, and Nineteenth Olio regiments, left camp at Roaring River, and after a very difficult march by a circuitous route of six or seven miles, arrived at Rich Mountain, where the Confederates, numbering about two thousand men under Colonel Pegram, were strongly intrenched.

The advance on Rich Mountain by Rosecrans, and the brave men of his command, was attended with the utmost difficulty.

Over the mountain, by a pathless route through the woods, the whole division moving in perfect silence through the brush and laurel, over rocks and through ditches, while the rain poured down upon them in tor

rents, as if the windows of heaven were opened. They arrived at Rich Mountain about two o'clock in the afternoon, and succeeded in reaching the turnpike some two miles in the rear of the enemy, when a desperate fight immediately ensued. The attack on Colonel Pegram was met with the most gallant resistance. The earth of the mountain seemed to tremble under the thunders of the cannon. The tops of immense trees were cut off by the fire of the Confederates, which was aimed too high, and the crash of the falling, timber, mingled with the roar of the cannon, as the artillery again and again belched forth its missives of destruction, seemed as if the forest was riven by living streams of lightning. While the cannonading progressed, an incessant fire of musketry was kept up in the woods by the rebel sharpshooters, who were vainly trying to keep the advancing lines at bay.

The engagement lasted about two hours, when Colonel Pegram finding he could not maintain his position, endeavored to escape with his command, but did not succeed in doing so, and was captured with a large number of prisoners, Colonel Pegram surrendering his sword to his captors. The mass of the enemy escaped through the woods precipitately in perfect disorder, leaving be hind six cannon, a large number of horses, wagons, tents, and camp equipage. When General Garnett heard of the result of the engagement at Rich Mountain, he determined to evacuate Laurel Hill as soon as night set in, and retire to Huttonsville, hoping to pass Beverly before General McClellan* should arrive there, and thus escape

* Major-General George B. McClellan, whose brilliant exploits in Western Virginia sent a thrill through the loyal States, was born in Philadelphia, December 3, 1826. He graduated at West Point in the class of 1846.

Until the Mexican war he had no opportunity of distinguishing himself, and then, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles

the trap set for them, by a passage through Cheat Mountain Gap.

The evacuation was discovered on the morning of the 12th, and a pursuit instantly ordered. By ten o'clock, the Ninth Indiana regiment entered the rebel camp on Laurel Hill, and found a large number of tents, a lot of

of Contreras and Cherubusco, he was brevetted First Lieutenant. For his gallant conduct at the battle of Molino del Rey, on September 8, 1847, he was offered a brevet captaincy, which he declined, but subsequently was advanced for like gallantry displayed in the battle of Chepultepec, and received the command of a company of sappers, miners, and pontoniers in May, 1848.

At the close of the Mexican war he returned to West Point, where he remained on duty with the sappers and miners until 1851. During this time he introduced the bayonet exercise into the army, and translated and adapted a manual which has since become a text-book for the service. During the summer and fall of 1851 he superintended the construction of Fort Delaware, and in the succeeding spring was assigned to duty in the expedition for the exploration of the Red River. Thence he was ordered to Texas, as senior engineer on the staff of General Persifer F. Smith, and was engaged for some months in surveying the rivers and harbors of that State. In 1853 he was ordered to the Pacific coast, in command of the western division of the survey of the North Pacific Railroad route.

He returned to the East in 1854, on duty connected with the Pacific survey, and was engaged also in secret service to the West Indies. The next year he received a commission in the First Regiment cavalry, and was appointed a member of the commission which went to the war in the Crimea and in Northern Russia. Major McClellan's report on the " Organization of European Armies and the Operations of the War". a quarto volume, embodying the result of his observations in the Crimea― greatly enhanced his reputation as a scientific soldier.

In January, 1857, weary of inaction, he resigned his position in the army to become vice-president and engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad, which post he held for three years, when he was offered, and accepted the presidency of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, of which he was also general superintendent. When our domestic troubles assumed formidable dimensions, Major McClellan's services were at once called into requisition. He was offered and accepted the command of the Ohio forces.

flour, camp equipage, and clothing, and several sick and wounded, with a note, asking them to give them proper attention. The whole road for twenty miles was strewn with baggage thrown from wagons, to hasten their retreat. The rebel army went within three miles of Beverly, and there met the rebels flying from Rich Mountain, and finding escape to Huttonsville impossible, they all united and returned toward Laurel Hill, taking the road in the direction of St. George.

General Morris's division pursued them for a mile or two beyond Leedsville that night, and halted from eleven until three o'clock in the morning, when the advance resumed pursuit, and continued it all day, in spite of the incessant rain. The rebel army left the turnpike, struck Cheat River, and pursued the mountain road down the valley. Our advance, composed of the Fourteenth Ohio, and Seventh and Ninth Indiana regiments, pushed on, being guided through the mountain gullies by the tents, camp furniture, provisions, and knapsacks thrown from the rebel wagons.

After a terrible forced march through the rain and mud over Laurel Hill, our advance came upon the enemy at Carrack's Ford, eight miles south of St. George, where they again made a stand, and a sharp conflict ensued. The rebels drew up in line of battle, and with a simultaneous cheer for " Jeff. Davis" by the whole command,.opened upon the Federals, pouring a raking volley on the right of their advance column, the Ohio Fourteenth, which returned a hot fire, lasting twenty minutes. Dumont's Indiana Seventh made a charge upon their battery, when they broke and run, crossing the ford toward St. George, leaving many of their wagons which had become stalled in the river, which was naturally deep, and, at this time, rendered deeper than usual by the heavy rains.

At this moment General Garnett, in attempting to