Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-15
Position of tho Forces in western vlrElnln

Position Of the Forces in Western Virginia.
As much interest is felt in the movements
of our forces in Western Virginia, from the
recent forward movements of our troops on
that portion of the SACRED sol" 1t is mat
ter Of interest that description should be
subjoined of the various points at which our
and the rebel forces are stationed, according
to the last telegraphic advices. These state
that General Reynolds has at present part of
his forces at
ELKwATER.
This is very small hamlet on Elk River.
The sources of this river interlock with the
headwaters of the Little Kanawha and those
of the Monongshela. 1t puts into the Great
Kanawha at Charleston, where the great salt
works of Virginia are.
Part of General Lees forces lie at Green
brier Bridge and Elk Mountain. This bridge
crosses the Greenbrier River, stream which,
when it unites with New River, forms the
Great Kanawha. Elk Mountain is part of
spur which, putting off from the Aleghanies,
forms the highest ground between Elk and
Greenbrier Rivers and is nearly midway be-
tween them. They both flow in south
westerly direction, and are, at the points,
named, viz; Elkwater and Greenbrier Springs
or Bridge, about fifteen miles apart.
The main body, however, of Reynolds ia
still at
HUTToNsvILLE,
A town near the east fork of the Mononga-
hela River, the great tributary of the Ohio,
which joins the Allegheny at Pittsburg, ia
our own State. 1t is mere postoffice vile
lage, located in Randolph County, and lies
about two hundred miles northwest of Rich.
mond. The point at which the main body
of Lee is posted, called
HUNTERsvILLE,
Is located thirty miles southwest of Huttons-
vile, and in the same county. 1t also is
mere post town. 1t is distant from Lewis
burg, the great strategic point upon which
Floyd and Lee are both falling back, only
thirty miles. Floyd, pursued by Rosecrans
and Cox, has fallen back to Sewell Noun
tain, a prominent mountain hight, lying
right across the road to Lewisburg. General
Rosecrans lies at
MOUNTAIN COVE,
A small post village in Faye County. 1t
had, before printing paper was declared con-
traband of war, a newspaper of the extreme
Secession school. 1t has, within a month or
two past expired. 1t is thus evident that
Floyd and Lee are retreating upon, or rather
converging their forces toward, the same
point-Lewisburg the former from a due
north and the latter from a northeastern
direction. The evident intention of the rebel
leaders is to risk q battle in attempting to
cover the line of the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad, in anticipation of the design of the
Union leaders to strike for the possession aud
control of it. Its nearest approach to Lewis
burg is forty miles, at a town called Salem.
As the tide of victory has uniformly set
in favor of the Federal arms in Western Vir-
ginia, there seems to be but little doubt that
they are strong enough to press Lee and
Floyd still further back. The evident policy
of the rebels is to retreat fighting obsti-
nately at every point susceptible by nature
of being constituted into strong defense.
| Sewells Mountain and Lewisburg are GER
tainly not SO strong as the Gauley and Cheat
Mountains. Besides, Rosecrsns has been
strongly reinforced within fortnight, and
must be fully equal to the exigencies of his
position. The main bodies of Lee and Floyd
are not forty miles apart Their complete
union will be followed by the union of Rey.
nolds and Rosecrans. Both unions must bt
followed by grand battle at or in the neigh
borhood of Lewisburg. That gained, thu
seizure of the Tennessee and Virginia Rail
road follows, and the great artery of South
ern supplies is most effectively stopped
Such estoppel would be greater material
victory than the rout of twenty Thousand
men.