Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-28
MORNING, APRIL %, 1852.


between REersy and Hutonsvic, coming in eur direc
! ton therefore eIpectsd il stopped upon the moun
tain tho enemy would be upon me before could max
much progro in making fortifc ltons and have sine
asoerainsd right in my opinion, as the following
letter OF Ac Itant Willie Of the II Georgis Regiment
who was sent by Gsheral Henry jackson, to Genera
McCielans camp Cheat Mountain to receive mer
who had been taken prisoners ptroe and who there
met Lieut.. hsr!l, an cid West Point friend will show
CAMP BARROW, Va, Nov. 2lst, 1861.
Cal Wn @. Ss-t.--
sIR YJu having expressed DESIRE that should re-
coun, TO yo1 the conversation which pa sd between
self aud Lieut. Wm L. Merrill formerly an of;er Of the
o. S.ats Army corps Of Engineers, and ut this time
Or souer OF war, in Richmond, Va comply by making
this statement Of Iac,s, namely That LieuL Eerril sad
g at had Colou Scotts regiment attempted TO have
made a staud On Cheat Mountain on the II day OF
aly, tha tine his regiment passed that point it's
trsat from Rich Mountain that Mcclellan would have
bont evry energy and empoJed every man. go that be-
Col Seou could not have held it an hour aad not enly
that he could Go BIT both his regiments aud Col John
so's Georgia regiment, would have been dfiyen there
isom hAi they attempted TO have stopE9d the enemy
being in such cOse perst tnst there would have been
time for thee " have erected even light field fortih
caous Ne mittod hc0e,l4ns force TO Cxoeed 10 0C1
men viii add s.r, that Lieut.. Merrill il old ftiend
Of nine honorable ard brave md CONSULTATION of tie
Army Register for gle year 1859 will shOg that b.
led away, without division, ali the honord Of his cass !
co sequspdy bis professional opinion. gwen abCv, q,
bat have v5gat
Hcp AZ tka. should any OF that class of brave o. -
lovcIsel kuovns critics dispute ti5 pohcJ ot
YOU. not p.csiag, Col J,hnsols advances g, Oh
Olsa Ecsuala this uayarS1sd recital OF lac,s may be-
10 Eefu'ati'n, lam, sir, ySur= truly.
EysGES WILLIS,
~ 1t. lst iniantfy, U. s. A.
s-Lisutenant merrill said tha. Nc )lelan and slGf
reached Cheat NouatNn the next dag a. abou Oclocb
passed the top OF Chsst before csst riday the
l2h Jalv Cen. Mcclellan ea6 stan Ser5 there on the
It day (Suufdayl at O'Clock, and he occupied the
place 10 force On Monday, as am credbly Informed.
|, 10 plain therefore, that had halted there sho1.d
have been overaksn by an overwhelming force, OF all
arms. before cOrla have uaae the nosi ordinary de
fense1.
l ascert,irei that IL we're TO stop er oheat. and
coald evan III Ike successful ortG ,auions my pcJcn
could casy b arnsd, ssi She eceny could get in my
reat aGl ouI oa my SsFpiss. An that they Soud have
70 DO Tor thai pupose would be- 10 leave the Sau1ton
turnpik, HuGonsyle aud 60 by good road TO Hun
sr55ie, 7irty forty miles distant aud thea by
aroher road, 80 milGs vneye Il intersec's with the
Stauutcn turnpike RSin dFeenbr6r river at the eas
era base OF Ohsa; Iouat2u. By doing ttis they could
basl, q me n front and Nor had any reason to
expect thi In the meantime. could get sufficient rein
focsmepls be Of aoy practical utility for the Top OF
Caest is than eighty miles from StsGnion RON which
our reincrcsments would have " u,aEch on root For
these reasc $ 70 ly Goung OF the want os artillery
defend ioracad ~ ~hen made concluded not 10 stop
on the top Of Cheat buI coadnue my march to Green
br.r !!vur At the eastern bds3 OF the mountaiD anu
some tea or twClYs miles ds al, where expected TO
meet Col Edxard Johnson Wko -is due there with his
r,gimeut thu tFEis't night eid who would have the
clnuslj boiI Of his regiment sad mine, aud leave it
lie discretion wte.aer not 10 return 10 the top Of
m, inouQ-ia sgd iortiiy. Gid 80 accordingly and met
Col ,buson the next day Saturday A. Grosnbrer river,
A. I eHp-o d. he, without consulting me on the sub
i,c ordered The retreat 10 he continued TO the top Of
roe All ghauy Mountains where We met General Z. B.
Jackson, who continued Il to AontereT.
Very respect ully,
four 0bs6isnt servant
W. o. SCOTT,
Colonel 44:h K V. V.