Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-07-17
McCLELLAN,s TRIUMPH.

Gen. McClelan's admirable strategy, brave
ly supported by the Indiana and Ohio troops
under his command, has cleared western Viz
.zisiia ass egessionists. The first fight at Phil
lippa, and the skirmishes that followed, showed
very plainly what might be expected. The
recent battles with the army under Gen. Gar
nett have finished the work. The first fight
with Garnett's troops, at Rich Mountain, was
conducted with great skill and energy by
Gen. Rosencranz. Meanwhile Gen. Mcclellan
had prepared to attack the main body under
Garrett. in their entertainments at Laurel
Hill, but they fled before lie could open fire
upon them. 1t seems that these two places
are some miles apart. We find in one Of our
exchanges the following statement in regard
to their location =
erich Mountain is gap in the Laurel Hill
range where the Staunton and Weston turn
pike crosses it between Buckhannon and Bev.
erly, and about four or five miles out OF the
latter place. 1t is about as far from Laurel
Hill proper THAT is where the Beverly and
Fairmount pike crosses it, and where the ene-
my was entrenched) as Beverly is, some ff-
teenjor sixteen miles. 1t is also about twenty.
ANc~LHlleS Auul DuSh!idHliOH'
A dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette gives
the following account of what occurred on the
retreat of the rebels from Laurel Hill -
"On the night OF the 18th the rebel army at
Laurel Hill, under Gen. Garnet, evacuated
its camp in great haste on learning of General
McClellan's approach, apparently hoping to
pass Beverly before the latter's arrival, and
thus escape the trap set for them by passage
through Cheat Mountain Gap. The evacua-
ton was discovered on the morning of the 18th
and pursuit Instantly ordered. BY 10 O'Clock
the ninth Indiana regiment entered the rebel
camp on Laurel Hill, and found large num-
Der of tents, lot of flour, camp equipage and
clothing and several sick and wounded, with
a note asking us to give them proper atten-
ton. The whole road for twenty miles was
strewn with baggage thrown from wagons to
hasten their retreat. The rebel army went
within three miles of Beverly, and there met
the rebels flying from Rich Mountain, and
finding escape to Huttonville impossible, they
all united and returned toward Laurel Hill,
taking the road in the direction of St. George.
Gen. Morris's division pursued them for a
mile or two beyond Leedsville that night, and
halted from IL until 8 o'clock in the morning,
when the nd ance resumed pursuit and con-
tinued it all day, in spite of the ncessant rain.
The rebel army LETT the turnpike, struck
Cheat river, and pursued the mountain road
down the valley. Our advance, composed of
the fourteenth Ohio, and seventh and ninth
Indiana regiments, pushed on, being guided
through the mountain gulies by the tents,
camp furniture, provisions and knapsacks
thrown from the rebel wagons.
Our troops forded Cheat river four times,
and finally, about o'clock, came upon the
enemy's rear guard. The fourteenth Ohio adj
vanced rapidly to the ford, in which the enc
my's wagons were standing, when suddenly
the rebel army opened o furious fire upon
them with small arms and two rifled cannon,
from the bluff on the opposite side of the river,
where they had been concealed. The firing
was too high, and the fourteenth returned it
with spirit. Meanwhile two pieces OF the
Cleveland artillery came up and opened on
the rebels, and the ninth Indiana advanced to
support the fourteenth Ohio, while the seventh
Indiana crossed the river between the two
fires and came in on the enemy's right flank.
The rebels then fled in great disorder leayiI q
their finest piece OF artillery at the next ford,
quarter OF mile further on"
Gen. Morris, who conducted the pursuit so
successfully, did his work well, and deserves
honorable mention. Gen. Garnet was shot
by an Indiana rifeman named Frank Burlin
game After he fell, the disordered and beat
en- rebels fed in the widest confusion in al
directions.
There were some $500 rebels at Rich
Mountain, and about 10000 at Laurel Hill