The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-07-20
Great Battle in Western Virginia.
DEFEAT OF COCO REBELS.

On the night Of the lIth the rebel army
at Laurel Hill, under command Of Brigadier
General Robert s. Garnet, late ma ior IN the
United States army, cvacnatcd its camp in
great haste, on learning of General McCelan's
approach to Beverly. apparently hoping TO
PASS Beverly before Gen. McC.clan's arrival,
and thus escape the trap for them by passage
through the Cheat Mountain pass.
The evacuation was discovered on the
morning Of the 18th, and pursuit was in
stan,ly ordered BY 10 O'Clock the Indiana
Ninth entered the camp on Laurel Hill, and
found large number Of tents, a lot of aoIr,
camp ,qupage, and clothing, and several
sick and woun1cd. with IL note asking US to
give them proper attention. The whole
road for twenty miles was >lrewn with bag
gage thIown from the wagons to facilitate
their retreat.
The rebel army wen. within three miles OF
Beverly, and there met the rebels flying from
Rich Mountain, and, finding escape to Hat
louisville impossible, all united and returned
toward Laurel Hill, and, took the road in tine
direction fist. George. General Morris divi-
sion pursued them for mile OF Two beyond
LccdSvlle that night, and then halted from
III TIL 3 in the morning, when the advance
resumed the pursuit and continued it all day
IN spite of an incesSant rain pouring down.
The rebel army left the pike, struck Cheat
river, and pursued the mountain road down
the valley.
Our advance, composed Of the Fourteenth
Ohio and Seventh and Ninth Indiana, pushed
on, guided through the mountain eullrs by
tents camp turnitare, provisions, and KNAPP
sacks, thrown from the rebel wagons to facil-
ltatc their flight Our troops foIdrd Cheat
river four times, and finally, about 10 o'clock
came up with the cncmy'S rear guard. The
Fourteenth Ohio advanced rapidly to the ford
in which the entmys wagons were standing
when suddenly the rebel army opened furi-
Gus fire Oh them with small arms and two
ritfcd cannon from the bluff on the opposite
side OF Cheat river, where they had been
concealed but the fire. as usual. was tou
! high to be effective. The Fourteenth regiment
| returned tho fire with spirit.
Meanwhile, two pieces of the Cleveland
artillery came up and opened OH the rebels
| and the Ninth Indiana advanced to the sup.
port of the Fourteenth Ohios left, while the
Seventh Indiana crossed the river between tn.
two fires, and came IN on the onrmy's right
flank. The rebels then fed in great disorder
leaving their finest pieces. Of artillery.
AT the next ford, a quarter of mile fur,
ther on, Gen. Garnet attempted to rally his
forces, when the Seventh Indiana came
up in hot pursuit, and another brisk engage.
ment ensned. Gen. Garnett was finally sho,
dead, when his army fled in wild confusion
toward st. George.
| The Seventh Indiana pursued them mile
or two. but our forces were so exhausted viii
their forced march OF twenty miles. with but
| le rpgt ord hat "a
Morris refused TO let them pursue any fur.
Their
The results of the whole affair are the cap
ture Of the rebel camp at Laurel Ill., a larg,
amount of tents, camp eqaipage, forty bag
gage wagons, field camp chest, supposed te
contain all their money. two regimen:al ban
nc1s, Zone Of them that of the Georgia regi
mcnt,) -four Georgia captains and l,ulcnants
and large number Of Virginia officers, til.
death Of General Glrnett and twenty Of his
men, and much larger number wounded
Our loss is wholly in the Fourteenth Ohio
Regiment, two being killed and two mortaly
wounded. Our forces are now engaged III
hurrying the dead.
General Garnrtt's body is lying at head
quarters. 1t will be sent to his family a
Richmond. Along the line Of retreat th'
woods are filed with deserted rebels, anC
our men ordered to stop arresting prisoners
because We cannot take care of them.
There ere over four thousand rebels on tn,
bIuif commanding our position who opened
lire on the Fourteenth Ohio. and the distance
was little short of two hundred Yards. Thei
artillery was rapidly served, but aimed abou
two feet too high. cutting OFT the trees ahov,
the heads OF orr boys. Our advance, which
alone entered into the engagement, numbcrc,
less than two thousand.
The rcbe.. army was composed ma inly o
Gcorgians and Eastern Nirsinans. Colone
Ramsay, Of the Georgia Regiment. succeeds
General GaInett IN the command. Tn,
Gcorgans were direct from Pensacola.
The same correspondent tcegraphed from
Grafton as follow: On coming through tn,
field OF battle of Cheat river, with Maio
Gordon. who had charge Of the corpse of Gen
Garnett, we found that the rebel army had
left the remainder Of the baggage train ant
artillery at point two miles from st. George
Word was instantly sent back to Genera
Norris, and all is now probably captured. =
The rebels are greatly disoIganized, and ar
heading for Hardy county.
The prisoners taken by Gen. Mcclellan il
Western Virginia are to be removed to Colum
bus, Ohio, for safe keeping.
LATER.
Dispatch of General Mcclellan.
BEVERLY, July 18th, 1861.