, 1861-07-18
TIRE BATTLE OF CHEAT RIVER.

or by both fine and imrris onment.
=---.w-
TIE BATTLE OF CHEAT RIVER.
i D7rary 1Harch-1he fF7tgnt Of tie E,,ynu-
Il Hast in The Risxr-An Exciting ChaSe-
The KeIe;s Co.rertd. Routed aud fursucI-
Particulars ef TIE Battle-D.aM Of General
GaTntM-
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Commercially I
GAnr DuAosr. CorEick's Ford,}
Eight Miles South Of st. George,
Tucker County, Va, July Is
l have difmn1 recollection Of dreary,
weary, forced march Of nineteen miles over
almost impossible mountainEroade, mud knee
deep, with steady heavy rain taiIipg Ill the
way, sud terminating in a fierce eEG4gment
aud the death Of Gen Robert s. Garnest, Ad-
jutant Gtners1 cf The State Of Virginia, and
commander Of the Confederate army in Vest
eFn Virginia, Of whom all that is mortal lies
but q fey feet Icm our tent.
At last we emerged from the Laurel Noun
tejnE, and came ont on the Cheat River, at
Kahle1'e Ford, about twelve miles from, and
due south from st. George. It was then
noon. Our advance consisted Of the Ohio
l4tb, Gel. steeoman, 760; Col. Millro3's 9th
Indiana, 500; DumoLt's 7th Indiana, $50, AID
tTo pieces artillery, with 40 men-the Total
being 1s40. The reserve was an hour OF more
behind, their match being doubly wearisome
bet ause OF the necessary halts, nnd roads
made worse by those Tho had preceded
them. :.
The boys were glad to plunge into the tord,
rs tie swift flowing water OF the Main Cheat
pu,Eed them Of heavy loads Of mud witt
wt:ch most we're plastered to their waist
hal:de Emerging from the ford, our advance
CAME in sight Il the rear Of the fugitive army,
g. he eeeord ford bGlow, where their baggage
train Was 1T rest, and their infantry drawn IN
TO protect it.; The advance regiment halted
TIL Dumont's and the artillery came up to
their support, when the uulucky firing Of
gun by one Of our men set the whole body in
molten.
The chase nov becsme highly exciting. The
rebels pitched the rest Of their camp eq1ipage
into the buehes; the officers threw their
trunke, containing their personal effects, into
the gullies ard rsyiEes, and the privates gave
up their blankets, krapsacks, and canteens to
the ine1orable necessity Of fighting or re-
treating. and they preferred the latter. Our
advance pushed them so hard tha. they form
eG IN Line and commenced q scattering fire,
when cur artillery opened en- them. aad they
Instantly renewed their stampede. This
stand, however, had given their baggage train
time to get Under way. The pursuit was hot
y Kept up for three miles, and they showed
as wonderful an agility in flight as Porterfelds
army at Phillippi,
Within mi1c Of the next ford, the noun
tslns recede On both sides from the river.
The most Of this comparatively level bottom
!sEd is comprised in the farm of Nj. James
CUrrick, and the fords are known by his
na'.e- lE crossing the first Of these fords to
tie right side Of the river, (as VIC were ad.
ya'elne) onc Of their wagone nired, and those
in the rear had to halt until 1t could be re-
ieyed. The rebels meantime drew up In line
on the opposite side in an oat field, and were
coEceakd BY rail fence and the trees aud
bushes ringing that bank of the river. The
buff Is from so 10 50 feet higher than the
!sEd On the opposite side, down which the
ONO 14th vas advancing, with Captain Mow's
sIi1mishe,s pressed on toward the ford, the
t:amsters cried cut. "Don't shoot! DON'T
Ehoot! We are going to surrender" The
Captain then called to the Colonel, "Come
on, Col stee6nsn, :A:y are going to surren-
1ef, ann Lite regiment was ordered 10 advance
bank where tie rebel, were drawn up, Gen.
GaInett crltd, "TL1ee cheers for JET Dayfs,'
aud That instant the Whole line Vas bl.zs Of
ilg1t, as they pouIe destructive yoIiey upon
tee l4th. Thc uen came to an instant halt,
acd returned the compliment without chang
1pg position, and then advanced nearer tue
river, taking position behi1d worn out fence
The rebel battery tAsn opened fire, and Bar
nttt'G artillery was ordered up. Tie action be-
canle general. Mil1rcy's regiment came up.o
steednans support, but we're compelled to
deliver n ool4ue fire. Capt. Benham then
river about 800 yards above the ford, pass OBJ
l!que]y up the hill from our right, aud take
the enemy in the rear. The bank was ex-
cssdingly steer, almost perpendicular, but
Two companies had succeeded in cLambering
up. When the order was eounte11nanded, and
furd, uEdcr cover Ct The height On iher side,
and protected by tie fire from Steedman's
and Eilroy'e regiments, to take them in front
Al the read. The Colonel executed this order
i'll gallant style. His liIc instantly formed
and marched down the bed Of the river,
Eie.e the water vas frequently waist deep,
2:a the mcmc1t tie head Of Lis column Sd.
Peared the rthcls ceased firing along the en-
tire line, and stampeded through i wheat
field down to the second lord, the officers
vain1S trying to rally them.
Gen. Carl ett Eas the last to Cross tho ford,
Which he did on foot, aud stood by the river
ehtrc, waTieg Lis a:nckerchief, aud calling
III N to come back and dispute tile passage Of
he ford. Major Gordon Of the U. s. Army at
fhis moment sppearcd on the opposite aida
Which the rebels had just left, and seeing tI.otn
huddled in tie road, called to the advance Of
Dumcn:'e cor1mand, which was rushing along
ire Thi1lwlnd, 70 come on, gen. Garneit
directed tie attention Of his Iaric stricken
rear to the Major, and 4olley Of bullets fell
thsek as lial around him, many lodging
IN the Sycamore stump On wlich be
sss standing. The Major at the same time
faw GARRETT, AID pointing him out to q
squad OF CAPT. Fer1ys company, Sergeant
BtFllpgame d1eW deliberate sight On
the General and irkd. He vas seen to throw
~ bis EaIGs and 1all back on the sand. At
TIC same Instant ain ost the ou1y man who
lad The pluck to stand by the General, IA
teo!s:ar, be it said, 70 the shame Of the chiv-
s''y OF EIginia,) fell dead by his side. Du-
merits regiment had come up in much less
fioe than it has tukcn to record this event,
and poured rski1g fire into the enemy, who
lnadc stand Of some ten minutes, during
which the firing was sharp on both sides, and
fEcr they ran, croEdiug upon each other in
!hc widest confusion. Dumont's regiment
crossed the ford, and chased them two 3miles
VI, the st. George read, when they gave out
tre u absolute exhaustion, and biyouaeked for
tht. night.
Major Gordcn had crossed the ford in the
meantime, and csuse ur to Gen Garnett, who
~:s in the last ogony Of death. He discover
ed LIE rank by the STR on his shou1der-strap,
closed his EYES, aId ec;zisg linen handker.
chief frcm aa 1cdiaLa boy, Tied up Ills face and
composed his limbs.
The action was over. The reserve Of the
army came up soon after, and each regiment
"as assigned quarters on the battle field, built
rorslpg fres acd proceeded to dry their
clothes. The wounded Of our own and the
rebel forces we're carried Oft on 1itters to hos
pifa: quarters, WbeIe they received Immediate
surgical aid, while the dead were collected,
ard guard placed over them for the night.