Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-09-03
Editors LnteLligencsr

Editors Intckligeneer:
The capture of Clarksburg by the guer-
riiIas is still a thing in the future. The
expected attack last night did not come oti,
and we arc still in the United States.
Whether there was any probability of such
a thing is matter of doubt; but 1t is one
of the certainties that very grave fears
existed here and in the surrounding coun-
try. The excitement appears to have been
very high, and not only were all the troops
here under arms, but the citizens shout
dered muskets and went into rank. Several
companies of volunteer militia or "home
guards" came in from various parts of the
county, so that one now sees about us many
soldiers on the streets in citizens dress as
in regulation blue.
OF course amid so much excitement it is
the most difficult ofall difficult things to get
at the exact truth. 1t is so easy to exagger-
nte and so natural for those to do so who
ran away from the guerrillas, that very
little of tho current talk about the streets
aud hotels is to be relied on. have talked
with many about the probable force OF the
guerrillas, and have had all kinds of ESTE
mates, from 5O0up to rs many thousands
and their exact whereabouts is matter of
as great conjecture as the precise locality
of the proverbial flea. ] will give you,
however, what seem the most moderate and
truthful statements have been able. to
gather in the haste OF sending you this by
the earliest mail.
The gaerrillas have taken and sacked
(but not burned) the towns of Buckhannon
and Weston-the former frat. l fell in
with some prominent citizens of Buckhan-
non, who were ut the attack and escaped,
who give in substance the following par
ticulars:
The ruerrilias came in on them about
noon on Saturday, from the Webster county
region to the South, by way Of the French
Greek and Kanawha pike. Their pro-
gress as usual was marked by the arrest
Z and plumber OF Union citizens, who fleeing
for safety, first brought tidings of the rebels
approach when they were almost upon
the town. There was but one company of
troops at the place, company E, 10th Vir-
ginia, commanded by Capt. Marsh, of Ty-
ler) aud part of a company which was be-
ing recruited for the artillery service
These with tho citizens who turned out
with such arms as they could get, made
up 240 or $50 fighting men. These rallied
at once on the danger being made known,
to the outside of the town, where they met
the guerrillas, estimated at from 500 to 700.
A sort of irregular fight ensued which last
ed probably half an hour, whom the Union
lists finding themselves oyerpowered re-
menced than the retels rushed after them
on horseback, yelling like demons and
shooting down aud capturing many of the
fugitives, who scattered in nll directisns
aud made their escape as best they could.
One old man named Jacob Rohrbaugh; re-
fused TO run. He stood his ground load
ed and fired and declared that he would
die fighting. The rest not being so plucky
left him behind aud he was shot down in
the street, Ny iuformants think our loss
in killed aud wounded did not exceed
twenty. They think the rebel loss is great
er, but how they should know that don't
see as they didn't stay to count. However.
there has been later information through
paroled soldiers. 1t is said that the rebel
Captain and Lieut.. Colonel (names un-
KNOWN were wounded, the latter thought
to be moFtally. / have not boon able to
obtain the names of our killed and disabled
there. think there were not very many, as
legs seem to have done some excellent ser
vice and a good deal of 1t.
But the loss at Buckhauuou, under the
circumstances, was serious loss, and the
result of grave dereliction or blunder on
the part of somebody. A great deal Of
government property was captured aud de-
stroyed, among them several thousand stand
OF arms. There was a large quantity of
subsistence stores, part of which had but
recently been removed from Beverly
There were three churches and the base
meat of the Court House stored full
of them, besides great deal of picked
pork, in barrels, outside. Besides this,
there was quantity of ordnance stores.
All these wero destroyed, the guerrillas
being unable to carry them of. The loss
Is heavy, but none know the figures but
the officer having them in charge. Why
sucE heavy stores were lett thus unprotee-
ted at an exposed point, lying just on the
frontier of guerrilla land, none can
tell, though somebody ought be able to do
SO. There has been gross negligence
somewhere.
Capt. Marsh aud Lieut.. Samuel Adams,
of Bethany, Post Quartermaster, were eap-
tured, but afterwards paroled. A good