Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-08-03

Major General George Is. Mcclellan anu
was not, for the time being, military
character, and an associate Of heroesf
/ had heard that the chief quality of SOL
der was subordination, his first lesson to
/ learn obedience, besides Uncle Sam pun
| ishes for all offences under treason; and SO
choking down q throatful of vexation, and
strangling an anathema in embryo, re-
signed myself an apparently cheerful VIC
| tim ON the cruel altar of military necessi-
We returned about three miles, troubled
( in spirit. What could it mean2 Had l
violated some article in that terrible book
recently publisheduuder the patronage OF
! Hon Simon Cameron? or lad tue Presi :
dent teiegraphed me announcing my APP
poinfment as a Brigadier General2
could not think of but one argument in ia
yor ofthe latter conjecture, namely, that
knew nothing at all OF military affairs. As
| | reflected upon my own utter ignorance
! in this direction, | confess the idea became
quite plausible.
When at length I again stood face to
| face with Capt. Ransom, he told me. in the
| uuietest aud most unsensationnl manner
possible, that Col. Fuller had telegraphed
| him 10 detain ME till he could send loco
motive from Grafton. And sure enough,
/ in n few minutes n locomotive came thun-
dering along, and the Captain soon after
placed in nv hands another big package
for Gen. Mcclellan, aud bid me God speed.
l returned the benediction-inaudib
Meantime, no supper. We rode on,
through the pleasant valleys, along the
wooded hill-sides, past the rude cabins,
looking dozen years behind the times,
but half hid often by climbing roses in full
bloom. The moon met rs early, and we
resolved to make Phillippi. We did made
it, and had to make row, too, to get the
landlord up. And then his beds were all
full. We got some cold supper, very good,
and he showed me a room where two SOL
diers occupied each bed alone. The pic
ture satisfied me, and took bed-quilt
and my shawl, and lay down in the bottom
of the ambulance, on II bed of new hay, by
the side of my driver, an honest lad of the
Indiana 18th. and had rs fine sleep as
ever had on n spring mattress between lin
en- sheets.
PhilIippi is Ii miles south of Webster,
on the Taggart Valley River Casually call
ed the Valley river) and is'.''surrounded by
very high hills, rising very high on all
) sides. 1t was here that Col. Kelley open
ed the ball by making descent upon the
rebels holding the town; and appreciat-
ed, for the first time, the capital mistake
made by the eager Indianians in firing too
soon, thus alarming the enemy, nnd.giving
them time to escape. Could the road on
the other side have been reached before
the alarm had been given, not Il man could
have escaped.
1 should Judge that four-ffths of the
houses in Phillippi are deserted First,
the rebels drove off the Union families and
then, when the National troops came, they
ran in turn. Not half the loyhlists have
yet returned. Our landlord had only been
back with his family q few days. T' .
Court House stood with open doors,
,, the glass broken out of the windows.
troops have done some irregular acts, Dut
the rebels made them appear absolute
Puritans by contrast.
We left Phillippi about o'clock in the
morning. The road all day was full of
soldiers-mostly Ohio and Indiana regi-
meuts going home. They were the three
months men, whose terms of service are
, just expiring. They say they will go
home, aud rc-eulist for the war. Many
: will do so, but think the majority are
tired of soldering. The mistake will cost
us fifty extra millions-perhaps n hundred.
The Indiana men are very hitter on Gen.
Morris, for some cause bu ERld learn
nothing adeql,Ste to produce this feeling,
except neglect on his part to practice the
little arts conducive of popularity.
We passed over Laurel Hill about noon.
Its summit is abont fifteen miles south of
Phillippi-the same grand turnpike run
ming over it. The rebel defences were just
being demolished. They all looked to an
attack from the north, and were admirable
in designand construction. The approach
ing road runs southeast, along the west
edge of Il steep hill, wooded on the upper
side, turning in n hollow and running
southwest. For half mile before that
turn, it was completely commanded by a
. battery placed on a summit in range
with this southeast course. West of this
. battery, across the road, and on q higher
summit, another battery commanded every
thing in sight. Long lines of breastworks
ran at right angles with the approach, Civ
ing every aid to the defence. Still south
of all this, and higher up the hill, where
the road again changes it's course and runs
southeast, along its lower side, for half
mile, was line of redOubt, and an oppor-
tunity for - second defence, if driven from
the lower position. twas the fear of Gen.
McClellan's approach, down the mountain
road from the south, after the victory of
Rich Mountain, (about nine miles west OF
Laurel lTill,) that caused Garnetts hasty
retreat towards Staunton, resulting in his
stand at Carricks ford, on Cheat River,
and the route of his forces by Gen. Morris,
} accompanied by his own death. The evil
dences OF panic were visible for miles and
again near Beverly, Ito which place Peg
ram retrented and surrendered,l in the
trees which had been felled across the road
to impede pursuit.
We reached Beverly, thirteen miles south
of Laurel Hill, about o'clock 10 the af.
ternoon, to find everywhere visible the stir
and preparation for a movement South,
The conqneror of Pegram and Gnrne,t
goes TO meet the conqueror of Cox, on the
Kanawha. God speed the right!
J. NJ. W.
Very Doubtful.
The Washington (Pn.) Examiner con-
tains an editorial purporting to be a correct