The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-28

arproac he'd bound 30 suffer 10 greater less ex
ssni in the loss OF horses wagons money merchandise,
aud, indeed everything movable down 10 knife and
fork and when demonstrated with they would point the
snuyxics ct their at their confroners head and
ahFeaie boodshed was this class OF robbers wo tou
Ai'e villagers that the Northern troops would commit i
sor's Of criminal outrages, while they were II
the act of crime themselves. Since our troops
have come into this section of the country they
lmv" won the confidence Of the inhabitants, ana
their manly behav in holding sacred private
property AID the persons Of the inhabitants iolact
commands the admiration of ALL
Nearly all ,he six hundred prisoners which formed the
garrison OF The rebel works AT Rich Mountain. under Vol
Peyran, have been discharged on subscribing to the
oath Of allegiance to the United states Cot Pegfan VINO
~ an accomplished ocer, and formerly o the lnted
states Army, viii not be paroled but held as close
prisoner Of war, and wiz probably be sent TO Fort Nc
Henry, there 10 await his trial for high treason The
Colonel. who is young dl feels the precrousiess Of
ms position aud Il has affected his mind very much He
he is disgraced in The South lr having surrendered
prisoner Of war and LOUDLY dsgraced in the North
by being guilty OF treason
The guerrilla warfare hc The rebels have threatened
Tor long time, has already been instituted by them.
las, Thursday bugcr, belonging to the Fourth Indiana
reg nseiii, while proceeding horseback alone from
Laurel Hi 10 this place, distance fourteen miles
was froi upon by two men in ambush by the road
side, and instantly killed. The place whore the man was
shot WAS IN proximity 10 several rebel larnhouses The
"u'pri's escaped although strong scouting parties
sent from here IN pursuit % them
Another outrage Or murder has been reported, and
winch took placc near Cheat Mountain Pass ten miles
from Hni'onvile and about twenty miles from here, in
which one of the Cincinnati cavalry killed and two
pu"rs nortal'y wounded by party OF rebels lying in
ambush should any OF The cuprts be caught they will
ht siiaaariiy dealt with.
The Union solders very justly complain that there is
foo me eicncy extended the rebel prisoners as it
has been proved over and again that many Of the
rebels after taking the oath OF allegiance TO the Upited
Sats have immediately departed to take usrns against
the federal authorities Several or the rebels killed
wounded at the battle of Rich Mountain were known To
have done this oar soldiers and back the assertion
mp with rather strong language that ~ future they Will
take prisoners leaving the Inference that cold
lead ami the bayonet will remove the necessity.
On my trip from Grafton 10 this place stopped for
short time TO examine the field where the pioneer battle
Vt the Western Virginia campaign was commenced. The
TilaRe itsc III deep valley, ANA IN ordinary times has
population Of about eight hundred iphahtants 1t has
sawh1 ttnyard hotel country store and indeed all The
soDcomitants Of country village II viii always have a
historic character in uturc celebrated prose and
verse for the famous OF the rebels Colonel
Porerhcd before body of Union troops. II will pro-
hably hc remembered by those who read the previous
accounts that the Union forces who made the attack
mnrehed distance Of twenty miles through drenchng
rain at night, over muddy roads They marched In Two
columns The first under Colonel Kelly who was to come
upon them by cireulous route and attack the enemy
she faux, while the second column, under Colonel Lander,
approached by another route and attacked III 'front.' The
Iffer arrived on 'nouniinos Knob three quarters OF
milo distant from the cnemys camp, which was ON the
slope Of hill. Colonel Lander waited patiently for
Colonel Kelly with the loyal Virginia volunteers,
10 arrive and attack the enemy; but appchendng
that mshap had occurred, he finally concluded to
make the attack with his single column He planted his
artillery eligible position, opened the rebels,
and IN = few minutes completely routed them and cap
lander, who was Oh horseback in his zeal to overtake
The enemy, made desperate heap down a precpitous
mountain which, according to all accounts, greater
sa,e than that made by Israel Pnntn.
THE REBEL fohrrIcArloys AT LAUREL HILL.
The cncmys works deserted by the rebels under
Garne't consisted Of concavc line of brcastworks
intrenchmens nearly one mile i'll extent, either side
of the main road from fhippi to Beverly about three
quarters OF mile, and commanding prominent noun
tain pass. The line n works divided by the man
post road and ran up the slopes OF the hills The rifle
p,s--or such they wcre-sulk TO depth of three feet
load, and the earth taken out Of the pits
used To form semibreastwork about two feet
high and laring the direction from which they expected
the Union troops These pits securely hidden from
view by huge ts Of brush, which the fortih
cations the appearance of long and uniform of
brush underground. The approach the works for
several hundred yards ground thick}y studded
with stumps Of trees eled trees with sharpened bows
aud other mpedmcnts both natural and artificial. on
two prominent knobs SUBMITS OF small hills command
ing The main road and proximate approaches, bni
two reians bh Of logs and Garth and embrasured for
six pieces OF artillery under the of which te rebel
ritiemcn could fire without any difficulty About six
reenh Of mile up the nnuptap to the east and inside
Abe position occupied by the rcbcls interior line
' breswoks several hundred yards in extent with
saiiens for artillery. This line was probably designed to
make second stand, in the event Of the rebels being
driven from the FIRST. The rebel position well select
cd and had Garnet made stand and given battle to the
EnicD troops the less Of life would have been very cal
VISIT 10 THE BATTLE FIELD At RICH MOUNTAIN.
Mter my arrival in Beverly was invited by General
Mcclellan 70 visit the rebel military works at Rich Noun
tain was furnished with escort consisting Of de-
tachment Of the Chicago Dragons under Lieutenant Os
born The party that accompanied your correspondent
was Lieutenant o. NJ. Poe, Chief Of Typographical Engi
nesrs in the Department Of the Ohio; Lieutenant j. Kirk
land, OF General McCieans staff; Lieutenant Merrill Of
The Corps OF Engineers and several others We left
Beverly clock p NJ, and proceeded in IA westerly
direction for about one mile and quarter, when We
reached the base Of the eastery side Of Rich Mountain
The assent commenced over good road but exceed
,ngly fortuous you proceed After proceeding mile
" two mp the mountain You abruptly come apon clear
spsces in Che woods through which be 10 the
eastward and partially surrounding the valley in which
Beverly is located, the Cheat Mountans-a local
name for portion OF the Allegheny range Continuing
the ascent for mile two apprscd OF my
approach to the late battle field by experiencing almost
insnerab stencil caused by the dead decayng bodies
vi horses iHnlcs and also from the improper and Der
tect sepuI,lre Of those killed in the battle At dis
tahce Of five miles from Beverly and the summit of the
Rich Mountain range, the battle field where
our brave Western troops met the picked troops of
Virginia rebels in a hand TO hand conflict On one
side Of he road old farmhouse, Immediately the
battle icld and which was perforated with bullets.
From the corner Of this house could be the mountain
slope. down which the unen troops, under General
Rosencranz attacked the cneinys intrencfments. On
fhe otber side of the road was the cneys rear work,
consisting OF several hundred yards OF leg and stone
Sought The inter Tor OF this work studded with huge
rocks aii trees, fom ehnd which Go rebel surpshdo
throrsh m sa works there was NO d'lc"ts IN taco "
cear o-id2uvcs ofA slmrp conflict IN the d9 81 tl4 har
he the eee wounded covered every inch o tno Rrojp
and to-day woes astcf t!o ta-4 ~ br ta~ % dif
INN 'dat.y Oh The battle aeld, within l,ln fenced
.nc.a'ln, - several ueHcb's ~ w-el 'ae aesA oi
of $50 ca+acty as 20 hold twtnty totte Thee
W rc assin' ~ 9r graves where - Noia8 o. seve
fu. 81, tael. >eihlt. were Gt.rrcl. Iner c"m-
RAJ 1a. "a b'at0W eslccia c3r theH, by cover
iDg ti,la Wh yrccn scds, aud placing smooth a'ab
with he ha4c aye and oer particulars Of toae beneath
them thereon After looking around tie Held for some
timS ald witnessing the debris Of the late rebel camp
we cd:nticnced otc descent Of tho mountain for the
distance ~ nearly mlc wncn upon the main
works of the enemy commanding all the road approaches
OVER Ike nolrt1in These works consisted OF over one
re o log brcastwors stretching in IN irregular
fmr over the slopes OF precpitous nountans On com
nan,ng positions and important stratcgical points
were reared Immense salients deni-line bastons
which were placed before the rebels flight. numerous
pieces eli artillery The OF works about forty
acrcs. divided by the main road lending from ,uclan
BNorly, and tho only accessible route botwceh
those two Important places The inerisr of the encinys
work plainly showed that much time atA labor had been
expanded the iortiGcaJons There numerous
roads and byraths cut "a facilitate rhc
passage from part II the work to another;
mil houses with opcr sides and bark where