Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-09-20
western Virginia Generu1snlp.

Nowhere else on all the theatre OF war
have the Onion armies so well sustained
their cause as ill Western Virginia, taking
into consideration their strength tni the
immense country they have had to defend.
The National forces in Western Virginia
have never hcen large. They have never,
TO the popular mind, seemed adequate 10
the work assigned them. Being cOmparn-
lively feeble in numbers, and unacqunInted
with the by-ways of II mountainous region
they had 10 penetrate as des"late and mac
cessiblc as any in the Allegheny range,
Gen. McClellun's army had in the first
place, TO feel its way along through hos
tile, picket numbering population, and to
find its ntrenched enemies in the dangerous
mountain passes and cxPel them thence.
This was Il hazardous duty for the best ap-
pointed army and the best General "t the
times. The enemy knew every mile OF the
mountain wilderness. They had, every
where, capnblc local spies to furnish intpr-
nation of the movements of the Union ar
nv. They had:occupied and prepared for
defence the vital passes of the mountains.
But with Il rapiditv, 81 resO!uteness and /"
certainty that has no parallel i'll American
warfare, Gen. Mcclellan advanced upon the
fortified foe brush ed away ais trllcs APP
nnrentIy the most formidable obstacles.
and routed, scattered and captured the
surprised and panic-strickcu enemy, Till
not a vestigc of organized rebel force re-
maiucd in Northwestern Virginia 10 oppose
the authority of the Union. And then,
with care and promptness, the passes from
which the eneIAy had been expelled were
| fortified, to prevent his return to moiest
AN enfrnnchised people. Aud to this
date, the enemy is etfectnatly excluded.
In the Kanawha country the success has
not been less striking. In the beginning
of the Virginia inSurrcctiOu Gov. Wise
and one OF his hopeful sons were sent into
that region. The Governor harangu
and the son recruited, until they gathered
some thousands about their standard It;
Charleston, the county seat of kanawlli,
a county in which there are about 5000
slaves. Rebellion seemed to be firmly
seated in the Knniwha Valley, and the
FuIminations of traitors laid the whole
country under tribute. But i'll due time
Gen. Cox began to ascend the kunawh''
Valley with small army, and as he ad-
vnnced, Gov. Wise's force began 20 melt
away; aud by the tme he came within
striking distance of Charleston, the val
liant Wise set fire to his steamboat, where
with he had held sway over the kanawha
River. and by the light of his conilagra-
ton, moved rapidly toward Richmond by
way of Gauley Bridge.
Gen. Cox continued the pursuit OF the
fugitive Governor, (now q General, We
should have mentioned,y but again the
fieet-footcd Wise sought safety in preciPi-
tate retreat-this time burning Gauley
Bridge, to cover his escape the more Sc
cureiy. Thcreupon. having chased all the
rebels out ofthe back-gate OF the kanawha
county. Gen. Cox quietly sat down to
guard the entrance, and prevent their re
turu. So far, he is perfectly successful.
Floyd has pushed up to force way in,
but he has been made to run away. All
the doors to Western Virginia seem to be
bolted and barred, and Gen. Rosecrhns,
released from the necessity of guarding
any one point, moves about at will, with Il
brave. quick motioued and skilliul army,
ready to pounce upon any exposed flank
or front Of any intruding rebel force
When we regard the immense extent OF
Western Virginia, and its mountainous
character; when we remember that our ar
NV found it in possession of the enemy,
and its strongest places fortified; when we
take into account that it was full OF seces-
sion traitors, acting the spy and the mur-
derer by turns, whenever opportunity Of
fered-when we add to these drawbacks
the unacQuaintance of our Generals with