Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-06
IAN AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OF GENERAL FLoYDs
OPERATIONS ON THE KANAWHAn

| To tie Editor of de Wig: 10
An officer Of General Foyd's Brigade In a letter pub
hed in the Examiner Of yesterday attributes the defence
of Western Virginia to the mastery movements Of Gen.
Floyd and is rather Rosecrans, whom be calls
"a poltroon," which he says proved by the way in
which be allowed himself to be nsuled BY rpouud
ers from Cotton Hill, and the cowardly in
which he abandoned his position on Big SeweD Now,
with regard to Gen. Floyd it must be allowed that he
had great difficulties to contend with both in respect 10
the nature Of the country In which he operated and the
(perhaps necessarily inadequate furnished for ts
defence But with every disposition, under such circun
stances to make due allowances for all short coming
and give extra credit for anything accomplished we
canno. but deprecate the ipjldicious zeal with which
Gen. Floyds friends mo doubt without his wish
cognsance) claiming for him imaginary achievements,
awarding him the credit due to Others and abusing
an adversary, whom il would b. in much better and
more soldery beat than to The letter
10 question makes no mention Of Gen. Wise and the Wise
Legion and none Of Gen. Lee. The substance Of Gen.
Floyds LIST operations is that he marched down to Cot
ton Hill With nine regiments where he placed some arll
cry and attempted annoy the enemys camps thatthe
enemy thereupon force the river cut him
Oft and that he retreated. Now from officers well YER
ply of Western Virginia, learn that Cotton Hill
considered Of little importance BY the Confederate forces
and of less by the Federas Whenever General Wise
~ho with his small Legion penetrated much farther down
the K,nawha Turnpike than Gen Floyd has ever done)
vas within twenty miles OF Gauley Bridge, the Militia
always occupied Cotton Hill though sometimes num-
berng only few companies thence they kept up de-
sultory FIRE the Pedersls the other side of the
river TIE Federals or twice crossed over and
dislodged them, but never retained possession more
than few hours thus clearly showing that they neither
valued the position dreaded any serious annoyance
from it. General Wise contemplated placing
gun or two there, because diversion might here be
made without ary danger but examination it proved
that sufficient real annoyance could not be entaied on
the enemy to warrant the trouble waste of ammuni
tion We cannot see, therefore, anything very bril-
liant in this occupation Of Cotton HILL either regards
the strategic vaue heroism Of the achievement The
next best thing to letting 1t alone doubt to re-
treat from it, In the course OF that retreat,
credioy informed that much baggage lost and de-
stroyed, and that three regiments threw away some
arms although it gratifying TO know that the Yam
KEGS we're doing the same thing rhils rstrsating on
that occasion ePposi!s direction. General Floyd,
/
made brilliant raid Guyandotte But for this there
was no necessity to advance to Cotton Hill. General
Wise, several weeks before this part of the
airy of the Wise Legion Mers Ferry, and this
same Colonel Carlson whom he had advanced to Lieut.
Colonel of his cavalry penetrated to within twelve miles
Of Charleston, killing or capturing and destroying two
companies of the enemy 1t was too, chiefly The cavalry
of the Wise Legion which that gallant officer led in his
daring foray on Guysndo:te.
Previous to this advance andretreat from Cotton Hill,
the whole military of General Floyd had been
foedto surprising Ohio regiment Gross Lanes and
taking about ninety prisoners without loss He then
retired to Csrnfax Ferry, and fortified himself IN
3 place called Camp Gauley-which must not
be COMPOUNDED with the Federal Camp Gauley-st
! Gauley Bridge. Hero he attacked by Rosecrans
for four hours During henigh Gen. Floyd abandoned
his irtrenchments crossed the river, and retreated
II miles with considerable loss in baggage stores &C.
In all these Aghe which his friends describe as "ts
rfc contests" his total loss six wounded including
himself From the Big seWell, when Roseorans subse
quenty approached it well known tina. Gen. Floyd
treated prec;ptatey thirteen miles to Meadow Buff al
Lodging that RosecraDs advancing With Is 900 men.
Gen. Wise on the contrary who had not half the force
with which Floyd retrested made stand at the foot Of
the Big SeWel with not l 700 He there With the
Wise Legion arrested the Of Rosecrans who had
really about 900. For two days skrmished success
fully with the enemy, when Gen. Lee up with reih
focements and Gen. Wise was summoned to Richmond,
and Gen Lee being reinforced to $4,000 men, Rose
Grams retreated Now from his entertainments at Camp
auley, Floyd rerested and Rosecrans occupied them.
From bis position and entertainments Big Sewel Gen.
| Floyd retreated, and Rosecrans occupied them. From
Cotton Hill Gen. Floyd reres.ed and Rosecrans occu.
pied it.
Ia this summary ofacts fail to perceive any brilliant
result evolved By Gen. Foyds campaign may be- and
is doubtless true that the occupation of these positions
very barren triumph 20 the enemy, because all Of
them wre worthless; but where then the consummats
strategy Of occupying them al all! Where the coed
taste ofchagpg Rosecrans with pOlrooRery in retreatng
from the Big SeWel Dksnes he rersdnot before General
Floyd, but before General Lee, who had third greater
force, and an impregnabe position? Whence tho bis.
toric justice of outtrg all mention Of Gen. Wise and
his Legion who rightly claims that he did retreat
except 10 obedience to orders and who for nine days.
did, with hs Legion Alone bar the advance ofRosecrans
at Camp Defiance, point beyond which the Gen. new
or passed But altsolgh this marching and counter.
marching has been m,rked BY hardly any casualties Of
battle, what has been the effect on the health of the
troops and to what effective figures the numerous
regiments reduced, that assigned to Gen. Floyd
Il should also be borne 10 mind that while the whole of
the Wise Legion consisted OF men raised by Gen. wse,
iron which whole corp, have been ds,sehed) tho chief
part of the force under Gen. Floyd consists of regiment
after regiment that has been assigned to him.
REDAN.
Richmond, Nov 9th, 1851.
SIR JOHN PARKINTON MP. (AN EX-NINI5rER)
ON LORD PALxERSTON'5 AMERICAN POLICY.