coming in constantly. I know already of ten officers killed and prisoners. Their retreat is complete. "I occupied Beverly by a rapid march. Garnett abandoned his camp early in the morning, leaving much of his equipage. He came within a few miles of Beverly, but our rapid march turned him back in great confusion, and he is now retreating on the road to St. George. I have ordered Gen. Morris to follow him up closely. "I have telegraphed for the two Pennsylvania regiments at Cumberland to join Gen. Hill at Rowlesburg. The General is concentrating all his troops at Rowlesburg, and he will cut off Garnett's retreat near West Union, or, if possible, at St. George. 66 "I may say that we have driven out some ten thousand troops, strongly intrenched, with the loss of 11 killed and 35 wounded. The provision returns here show Garnett's force to have been ten thousand men. They were Eastern Virginians, Tennesseans, Georgians, and, I think, Carolinians. To-morrow I can give full details, as to prisoners, &c. "I trust that Gen. Cox has, by this time, driven Wise out of the Kanawha Valley. In that case, I shall have accomplished the object of liberating Western Virginia. "I hope the General-in-Chief will approve of my operations. G. B. MCCLELLAN, "Maj.-Gen. commanding the Dep. of Ohio." Doc. 86. view for two miles around of a magnificent level plain, with all its roads in full sight, until they dwindled into the distant forests. Near the base of the hill wound the Guyandotte River, and within pistol shot of their position was the only bridge which spanned it from the side on which we were advancing. Our brave boys took but one glance and passed on. As they neared the bridge, they discovered a large body of cavalry on the road which wound around the base of the hill on which the enemy were ranged, retreating and dividing in order to intercept our flight-a natural inference, but a matter of opinion nevertheless. The rebels very considerately reserved their fire until the head of our column had set foot upon the bridge, and then they fired a terrific volley, killing one man instantly, and wounding a number of others. To escape this terrible shelving fire, our men moved double quick into the covered bridge, where the bullets pelted, pattered, and whistled like a leaden hail storm. They rushed onward, however, until they halted with such a sudden shock, that it sent the whole column into disorder. The planks of the bridge had been removed on the opposite side, and the mule on which the guide was mounted had fallen through, and he barely escaped sharing its destruction by clinging to the timbers. The rebels, encouraged by our delay at the fearful impediment, broke into wild shouts and cheers. Fired by their assurances of victory, our boys could be restrained no longer; they answered with terrific yells, some ran to the pathholes of the bridge and discharged their THE FIGHT AT BARBOURSVILLE, VA. muskets at the foe, and Company A, led by JULY 12, 1861. THE correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial, accompanying Gen. Cox's division on the Kanawha, gives the following account of the taking possession of Barboursville, and the driving out of the secession troops by a portion of Col. Woodruff's regiment. At midnight on the night of the 12th inst., Col. Woodruff's companies A, B, D, F, and K were aroused from their slumbers, and placed under the command of Lieut.-Col. Neff, and, with one day's rations in their haversacks, they proceeded on their march-after a short but stirring address from Col. Woodruff. The column was conducted by a strong Union man, a resident of Barboursville, who had been driven thence some weeks since. It was proposed to make the attack at early daylight, but the deep silence observed along the route, together with the halts to send forward scouting parties, deferred their coming into sight of the enemy until the sun was two hours high. When they did catch a first glance, if there had been any fear in their composition, it would have overpowered them at once. The rebels were drawn up in line of battle on the brow of a high hill, apparently inaccessible on all sides, and commanding a Capt. Brown, made a dash in single file across the bare stringers and rafters of the bridge, followed by Company D (Woodward Guards) and the remaining companies. As they emerged from the bridge the rebels flanked and charged front from the mouth of the bridge to the road which encircled the base of the hill, and sent another bitter volley at our men, which luckily was aimed too high, and did but little damage. Our men at this time had all cleared the bridge in total disorder, but blazing away with excitement, yelling and leaping like madmen. They turned suddenly up the side of the hill at a charge bayonets, and literally dragging themselves up by bushes and jutting turf. They cleared in a few moments, rushed at the enemy, who had, as they commenced the ascent, fired again with effect. It was their last volley. As the glistening bayonets reached the top of the hill, and met their wavering gaze, and those yells continued, which meant victory if there had been a thousand opposed, the enemy swayed for a moment, a leap was made from their flank and rear, and then the whole body scattered like sparks from a pin-wheel, down the rear of the hill, streaming in every direction in the fields below, at full speed, with white faces and an impulse of fear, which I heard compared to the fright of a hundred horses in a confla gration. Our men were too breathless for pursuit, but they cheered as only men who had conquered can cheer, and planted immediately the Stars and Stripes on the summit of the hill. There was some firing at the retreating foe, and their commander, Col. Mansfield, was hit and fell from his horse, but was immediately seized and carried off by his companions, as is supposed others were. They left but one on the field, an old gray-haired man, who, we are informed, was pressed into the service, as many of his companions had been. He was taken care of by our troops, but he died in the after noon. The victorious battalion, when the rebels had disappeared, marched through the town with their banners flying, and the bands playing airs which the inhabitants never hoped to hear again. The Woodland boys planted their flag on the cupola of the Court House, and seemed to regard as a coincidence that precisely two months after it was presented it was streaming from a spire in one of the hot-beds of secession. Doc. 87. COLONEL PEGRAM'S SURRENDER. GEN. MCCLELLAN'S REPORT TO LIEUT.-GEN. SCOTT. I HAVE received from Col. Pegram propositions for the surrender, with his officers and remnant of his command-say six hundred men. They are said to be extremely penitent, and determined never again to take up arms against the General Government, I shall have near nine hundred or one thousand prisoners to take care of when Col. Pegram comes in. The latest accounts make the loss of the rebels in killed some one hundred and fifty. G. B. MCCLELLAN, General McClellan sent the following reply by his Aide-de-Camp, Lieutenant Williams, United States Army: HEAD QUARTERS, DEP'T OF THE OHIO, SIR: Your communication dated yesterday, proposing the surrender as prisoners of war of the force assembled under your command, has been delivered to me. As commander of this department, I will receive you and them with the kindness due to prisoners of war, but it is not in my power to relieve you or them from any liabilities incurred by taking arms against the United States. I am, very respectfully, GEO. B. MCCLELLAN, Doc. 88. GENERAL MCCLELLAN'S REPORT. HUTTONSVILLE, Va., July 14, 1861. Col. E. D. Townsend, Ass't Adjutant-General : GENERAL GARNETT and his forces have been routed and his baggage and one gun taken. His army are completely demoralized. General Garnett was killed while attempting to rally his forces at Carrackford, near St. George. We have completely annihilated the enemy in Western Virginia. Our loss is but thirteen killed and not more than forty wounded, while the enemy's loss is not far from two hundred killed, and the number of prisoners we have taken will amount to at least one thousand. We have captured seven of the enemy's guns in all. A portion of Garnett's forces retreated, but I look for their capture by General Hill, who is in hot pursuit. The troops that Garnett had under his com. mand are said to be the crack regiments of Eastern Virginia, aided by Georgians, Tennes The following correspondenco preceded the secans and Carolinians. capitulation: NEAR TYGART'S VALLEY RIVER, SIX MILES SIR: I write to state to you that I have, in consequence of the retreat of General Garnett, and the jaded and reduced condition of my command, most of them having been without food for two days, concluded, with the concurrence of a majority of my captains and field officers, to surrender my command to you tomorrow, as prisoners of war. I have only to add, I trust they will only receive at your hands such treatment as has been invariably shown to the northern prisoners by the South. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Our success is complete, and I firmly believe that secession is killed in this section of the country. GEORGE B. MCCLELI AN, Major-General U. S. A. MCCLELLAN'S OPERATIONS IN WESTERN VIRGINIA. U. S. CAMP, NEAR HUTTONSVILLE, Randolph Co., Va., Sunday, July 14, 1860. THE Army, with Major-Gen. McClellan at its head, reached this place yesterday after noon. Its achievements for the last two or three days will be memorable in the history of prisoners of war. The General required an unconditional surrender, to which Col. Pegram submitted. He was brought into our camp at Beverly yesterday. His force is chiefly from Easton, Va., and was made up of their chivalry. Among the prisoners is a Professor in Hampden Sidney College, with a company of his students. It is also said that some of his college boys were killed. Yesterday, the news came that Gen. Garnett, who commands the rebels at Laurel Hill, was retreating with his whole force, six thousand men, towards the cast. He is compelled to take a miserable mountain road, and as Gen. Morris is after him, all his guns and provisions must be captured, and perhaps a large part of his army. Thus it will be seen that the backbone of the rebellion in Western Virginia is completely broken. The question is settled forever. Gen. McClellan has made a splendid beginning of this campaign. The Union people of this region have been treated by the rebels badly enough. The jail at Beverly was full of them. On hearing the defeat at Rich Mountain, they were taken out and sent to Staunton, twenty-five of them. One Union woman was in the jail, but she was lib carried away. Col. Pegram's army had been very boastful, and fully believed that the Yankees wouldn't fight. It is said that at Rich Hill they had, in anticipation of a battle, dug a pit into which to throw the killed of the enemy, and labelled it "For Union men." The same pit was filled with their own ghastly dead. lippa, Laurel Hill Camp, both under the general command of Gen. Garnett, of Virginia, though he remained at Laurel Hill, appointing Col. Pegram to command at Rich Mountain. Beverly, at the junction of the two roads, was not fortified. The intrenchments at Rich Hill were very strong in position, and could not be taken in any direct manner without great loss of life. On the top of the mountain was a smaller intrenchment. The lower fort was surrounded by dense woods, for a mile in all directions. After ascertaining its position and strength, Gen. McClellan early sent Gen. Rosecrans, with the Eighth and Tenth Indiana Regiments, with the Nineteenth Ohio, to go around along the top of the mountain, to get upon the east side of the intrenchments, so as to surround the enemy. After going nine miles, through woods and over rocks, a march which Col. Lander, who was along, says is without an equal. Gen. Rosecrans came out upon the in- | trenchments at the top of the hill. They received a fire from the two guns, (six-pounders,) which killed one man and wounded several. Immediately Col. Lander called for twenty sharp-shooters, and with them hurried forward and placed themselves behind some rocks. These brave fellows soon picked off the gun-erated. She reports that another woman was ners, but they were reinforced. The Nineteenth Ohio boys, who were in the rear and on high ground, fired a whole volley, after which the Indiana troops charged the guns and carried them, and in a moment the whole intrenchment, and utterly routed the enemy. The action was short but fierce. Two hundred and forty of the rebels have been found killed, and probably when the woods are searched U. S. CAMP NEAR HUTTONVILLE, the number will be increased. Our loss was RANDOLPH Co., Va., Sunday, July 14, 1861 very small, comparatively, not more than The campaign of Maj.-Gen. McClellan in twenty or twenty-five being killed. General Western Virginia has terminated in the comRosecrans remained on the ground. His vic-plete destruction and rout of the rebel army. tory, however, was not known to Gen. McClel- Sublime was Gov. Letcher's proclamation to lan, who heard the noise of the firing, but was the people of Western Virginia, and fearful was in ignorance of the result. During the same the retribution to be visited upon the army of afternoon, he was cutting a road for his cannon, the United States for invading the sacred soil nearly two miles long, through the wood to a of the Old Dominion. Behold the grand sepoint which commanded the lower intrench-quel! Gen. McClellan has just returned from ments. It being too late to plant the guns beyond Cheat Mountain Gap, and no foe could that night, two regiments-the favorite Fourth be seen. After burning the bridge at this and Ninth Ohio-were stationed on the new place, the rebels pushed into the mountains road to hold it till morning. In the morning post-haste, and are half way to Staunton by a white flag was seen flying over the rebel this time. Such was their fear, that they threw fort, and it was soon afterwards found de-away many things; even many soldiers left serted. Col. Pegram left as secretly as possible, taking to the woods. Ile abandoned every thing-tents, horses, baggage, indeed every thing that could not be carried by men struggling for life in the Rocky Mountains, in a dark and rainy night. The victory was complete. The number of prisoners taken at the time was considerable, but has since been greatly increased. There will probably be a thousand, as Col. Pegram, with six hundred men, after wandering in the hills for thirty-six hours, and being completely hemined in, sent in to Gen. McClellan, proposing to surrender as FLINT. their muskets in the houses of Secessionists, and doubtless in the woods. The citizens here say that there were nearly 3,000 of them. One of the regiments was on its way to Rich Mountain to reinforce the forts, and within three miles of its destination, when they heard the guns at the battle, and, soon after the news of the rout, wheeled about and started for Staunton. Gen. McClellan feared that they might make a stand in the Cheat Mountain Gap-but their haste would not permit. Gen. Garnett, with six thousand men, is also on what Col. McCook calls "a clean trot" for Richmond. in the mountains. I go up to Beverly to-day 99 CINCINNATI GAZETTE NARRATIVE. He is in the mountains northeast of Beverly, and Gen. Morris is after him; and unless he throws away all his guns, and heavy incumbrances, and is nimble on foot, will surely take him. Glorious, isn't it! With the exception of a small force near Charlestown, on the Kanawha River, Gen. McClellan has swept the rebels out of all that To understand the exact location of the batpart of Virginia which belongs to his military tle field it should be remembered that the endistrict. The rebellion can never organize itself emy, after leaving the Beverly pike, had taken again in this region. Gov. Pierpont and his new a mountain road leading back again to the Government will have free scope. The course western side of Laurel Hill, and across the of our army has been most magnanimous in its mountains to the Shafer Fork of Cheat River, treatment of the people. In the neighborhood intending to proceed down the river to St. of the camps, at all houses, there is, on the ar- George. They had reached the Cheat River rival of the army, a guard stationed to protect (near the Southern extremity of Tucker County) the timid from their own fears. On the march when they discovered our advance rapidly nearfrom Beverly to this place, many of the houses ing. From that time Garnett's manifest object were vacated entirely by men, women, and was to select some advantageous ground upon children, all having been put in mortal fear by which he could drive us back and then make the terrible stories of our atrocities. In many good his retreat. On reaching the third ford cases, the men (Secessionists) fled, leaving their of Cheat River, his practiced military eye at families, and these locked up in their houses, once detected the advantages of the position. and closed the curtains, except, alas! when On the left bank of the river was a low level woman's irrepressible curiosity overcame them, bottom-cornfields and meadows. On the and a slightly-drawn corner of the curtain re- right was a high bluff, commanding the fields vealed the gazing eye. A few who were Union below, and its brink fringed with an impenpeople, stood in their front doors and yards and etrable thicket of laurel. Fording the river waved their handkerchiefs, in the highest joy. and placing his men on this high bluff on the There was not the slightest difficulty in deter-right, he had them completely concealed from mining the character and sympathies of the our advance by the laurel, while the situation people, by their appearance, as the United gave him every advantage with his artillery. States army marched by. Around Huttonville, The wagon train was left standing in the river, the slaves, who were told that we should cut manifestly for the purpose of deceiving us into off their hands to disable them froin working the belief that the army had advanced and the for their masters, are delighted with the army horses were unable to draw the wagons over pageant, and come about in great freedom, and the rough rocks of the ford. He supposed tell with joy how they had been frightened and rightly enough that we would advance and humbugged. Several Secessionists who have take possession of the wagons, and that thus fled to the hills have returned. One man who the bait so nicely arranged would draw us dihad fled, driving away his cattle, came back, rectly under the fire of his army, concealed on and was so well pleased with the Northerners the opposite bluff. that he brought back his cattle to sell them to feed our soldiers. Where Gen. McClellan will go from this point is not known-perhaps to the Kanawha region, to pay his respects to Gov. Wise. Foolish as the Governor is, he is too wise to be caught in the vicinity of Gen. McClellan. We feel very proud of our wise and brave young MajorGeneral. There is a future before him, if his life be spared, which he will make illustrious. He is the son-in-law of Major Marcy, of the United States army. In conversation with Major Marcy about his Red River exploration some years ago, he pleasantly remarked that then McClellan was a lieutenant under him, but now he (Marcy) was under McClellan. P. S.-The news reached the camp to-night that Gen. Garnett is killed. He was followed into the mountains by Gen. Hill. Ile lost one cannon, several men killed, and several men taken prisoners. I am informed that the Seventh and Ninth Indiana Regiments, Cols. Dumont and Milroy, Fourteenth Ohio, Col. Stead- | man, and First Artillery, Ohio, Col. Barnett, were engaged in this work of routing the rebels His plan worked to a charm. The only defect was that he counted on four thousand soldiers to carry it out when he seems to have had only four thousand cowards. A properly directed fire, properly maintained, would have mown our three regiments to the ground long before the main body of the army (then two or three miles back) could have arrived and no power under Heaven could have prevented Garnett from making a successful retreat. But the men were panic stricken. This was business: those blue-blooded Yankees actually had the impertinence to stand fire, and to shoot too with uncomfortable accuracy. The bullets came too near the persons of the chivalry. The perfume of gunpowder was not near so fragrant as that of the cologne with which they had been so bountifully supplied at Laurel Hill, and in disgust they fled like a pack of frightened sheep. The bad shooting of the rebels alone saved Steedman's Regiment (Fourteenth Ohio) from being decimated by the first volley. They were in fair view, drawn up in marching order on the left bank, and with only the river between them. Had Steedman been on horseback, he | the channel, they then marched right down the would assuredly have been riddled by a dozen river between two fires, with the bullets and bullets. But on foot, directing the movements cannon balls of both armies pouring across just of his men, the bullets went hissing like ven- above their heads, till they passed the wagon omous serpents directly over his head. The train standing in the ford. Then turning to the enemy's artillery came crashing into action right, they forced their way through an almost almost with their first volley of musketry, and impenetrable thicket of laurel, on the river's the fire would have been murderous, had not brink, and appeared on the right flank of the they also aimed too high, as very likely to be enemy. the case when shooting down from an eminence, unless the gunners are thorough masters of their business. The shells passed about two feet over the heads of the Fourteenth, cutting off trees at that height, and bursting some distance beyond our lines. No praise can do justice to the gallant conduct of that glorious Fourteenth. From the first curdling surprise by the clash of musketry and artillery, when the whole hill above them seemed belching out fire and lead, they stood firm as the soil they trod, instantly forming their line of battle and returning the fire with a precision to which we soon found many a mournful testimony on the height above. Instantly, Milroy's 9th Indiana came rushing up, and the gallant Colonel attempted to form them in line of battle on Steedman's left. The ranks next to the Fourteenth were thirty deep. Every man wanted to be at the point of danger, and was crowding forward to be in front, till it was by the most energetic measures that the "Swamp Devils" could be driven further from the scene of action in order to get them into line. Meantime what ought to have been the crowning manoeuvre of the engagement was going on. Capt. Benham had observed a point some distance up the river, where he thought the bluff on the right could be scaled, and a flank movement thus be made to turn the enemy's left. Old Dumont was instantly ordered to ford the river and lead the Seventh Indiana up the bluff. The ascent was terrible, and the thicket of laurel added fresh difficulties. But the Colonel had already reached the summit; Capt. Lord's company and another had followed him, and the rest were ready to ascend, when some one bore the word to Capt. Benham, who was on anothor part of the field, the statement that the ascent was impractica· ble. That decided the contest. The enemy had been wholly engaged with the Fourteenth Ohio, right in front of them, while, meantime, the Ninth Indiana had been pouring in its fire at a "left oblique." The instant Dumont appeared on their flank, they fled in wild disorder, the Seventh forcing its way out of the laurel and starting in after them on an emphatic double quick. About a quarter of a mile ahead the ford was reached. The enemy had just crossed this when the Seventh came rushing up. They were four thousand; Dumont had perhaps six hundred. Yet the first volley drove them, and Garnett found it impossible to rally the main body of his army at all. The few around him continued to reply with a galling fire, when Major Gordon (who was acting as aide to Gen. Morris) rushed around a little thicket and came up to the river's brink at a point near which Garnett was standing on the opposite side. The remainder of the rebels fired one volley and incontinently fled. Garnett turned on his heel to wave back his men, when Sergeant Burlingame, of Capt. Ferry's company, raised his musket, took deliberate aim, and fired. Garnett fell instantly on his back, his head lying towards our forces, and his mouth opening wide, as if gasping for breath. He uttered not a single groan, and when Major Gordon reached him, scarcely a moment after he fell, his muscles were just making their last convulsive twitch. The Major stooped down, tenderly closed his eyes, bound up his face, disposed his limbs, and left him lying on the river bank, with a guard of patriot soldiers around to protect his corpse from any possibility of indignity. Not a Virginian stood by him when he fell. The whole cowardly crew had fled; and of all the army of four thousand, but one was with his General-a slight, boyish figure, with scarcely the dawn of approaching manhood on his face, and wearing the Georgian uniform and button. Bravely he had stood by his General to the last, and when Garnett fell, he fell too. There they lay, in that wild region, on the banks of the Cheat, with "back to the field and face to the foe." The one was the representative of Virginia aristocracy and Virginia treason, edu In five minutes more the enemy's flank could have been turned and the engagement ended, but Benham, acting on the information he had received, ordered Colonel Dumont then to proceed down the river and turn the other flank. When the order was delivered the Colonel was mystified. There he stood, the ascent made, | his regiment partially up and the rest follow-cated, honored, accomplished, and now fighting ing, and now, having marched up the hill, instead of engaging the enemy before him, (and who had not yet, owing to the intervening thickets of laurel, discovered his presence,) he was ordered to march down again. But a soldier's duty is to obey, and down the bluff went the Colonel. Taking the middle of VOL. II.-Doc. 23 against the flag under which he had been reared, and which he had followed to many a field of glory; the other, his deluded follower from another State, evidently from the lower walks of life, and with only a brave heart and stern determination to stand by the cause he had espoused to the bitter end. And there, on that |