Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-30
THE EXPEDITION TO CALHOUN
COUNTY.
The part Mutually played in 1t by
the Ohio md Virginia BOys--Ite-
ply to the Account OF one OF our
correspondents.

CLARKsnunG VA Oct "a, 1861.
Editors ZnieILigsneer:
In your paper Of the 18th OF the month,
appeared n communication, headed vim
dication of Virginia volunteers, signed l..
A. NJ. the writer of which has fallen into
several grave errors, and is guilty of max
ing some unnecessary misstatemeuts. l..
a. NJ. kretends to give n correct statement
of the expedition to Calhoun county,
but he falls into SO many errors that per-
son who knew any thing about this affair
would suppose he wrote merely from hear
say instead Of personal Knowledge. can
not imagine what reasons he can have for
calling hte communication "a Yindicatiun
of Virginia Volunteers" us no one has ms
yet sIandered them, neither has any Ohio
officer claimed the honor that may be at
tnched to this expedition. Therefore con
slider his communication not as ''vindic;-
ton of Virginia volunteers, but as u
cnuseless and unnecessary attack upon the
two Ohio companies engaged in that enter
prise. The companies of the Fifth Obi"
Regiment alluded to were II and X, and
were under the immediate command of Maj.
Gaskell of the Fifth. These with the de-
tachments of the Virginia companies made
the force under rLieutenant-COlOnel Thomp-
son between 800 and 400 strong. We ar
rived at Brooksville Sept. ID believe
Here we were halted, it was said for
few hours to rest and get Somethingto to EFT.
While some were preparing the food, 9TH
ers spread their blankets for II nap, while
some embraced the opportunity to bottom
their feet. While we were engaged in
these occupations, Il few shots were fired
from across the KGnawha-some three or
four uerhaps-one of them striking n tree
against which corporal T. I. Armstcad, of
Company X, Fifth Ohio Regiment, was
leaning One or two others had, perhaps,
equally narrow escapes. AS soon as the
shots were fired, one or two of the Virgin
in companies seized their guns and fred
volley after volley into the woods, at the
trees | suppose, thereby doing terrible cx-
ccutiou among the aforesaid trees and I'm
Gle Sans ammunition. In this battle (2l
the Ohio companies had not the honor to
participate. This is the only engagement
in which they did not hnve n hand. AS
soon as this battle was over, the Lieuten-
ant-ColOneI ordered US to fall into liue, aud
we marched up the river. We had not
gone far before few more shots were fired
Mt us from across the stream. We were
then halted, aud detachments of Eve or ten
from each company, under Lieut. McCasky,
were sent over They soon routed the en-
cmy, and returned with few guns, two
horses and two prisoners, They did not
know whether they had killed any one or
not, but the supposition was that ''somc
body was hurt"
This was the great battle inswlich L. A.
NJ. heard ''innumerable rifles" [ heard
not more than twenty-five at most. After
this little affair, we were ordered right
about, and having again arrived at Brooks
Vile, we took possession of the old Court
House, aad stationed pickelsnll around the
place, but not rebel was seen that night.
On Monday night. volunteers for ascout-
ing party, under Lieut.. Hetferman, of Go.
| X, 5th Reg't y. ", were called for.
happened to be one of this party. This
expedition, according to L. A. NJ was
composed chiefly of Yirginians, Now the
facts were these: There were l6 of Co. K
and II al, Co. II. There were So all told.
Add lG'and II, and subtract the amount,
and you have the number of Virgintnns.
The road, instead of winding along deep,
narrow, rocky rayine, winds along the side
of a hill, with hill to our right, and a
descent of ten or ten or fifteen feet on our
Eleft. We were fred upon just as we got to
the top of the hill, where stood three log
cabins. The enemy had laid their plans
well, but were too cowardly TO put them
into execution, aud after giving US olc
round, they ran. Some fifteen or twenty
shots were fired in return by our party,
Fand we advanced without any further
Ihindrahce. None were wounded on our
side in this engagement G. W. Phillips,
of Co. X, 5thE o. ", had a bullet hole
through his shat, and Lieut.. HefFerman
found himself pretty well sprinkled with
.rtu;IraI sb0f huE M 1n1napa was dome