Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-03-20
The True History OF Rich Mountain
"a Correction.
WuElLlNo, Va, March 10, 1862.


paign in Western Virginia, taken from the
New York Post, which is so grossly and
mNliciOusly false that cannot refrain from
attempting to correct it, and make an effort
to show who Was really the hero of Rich
| Mountain.
The writer Of that article says that the
true history Of that battle has never been
written. II this be so, certainly EhisaaE.
1 ticle has failed to throw light on the sub
I ject aud show him to be entirely ignorant
OF the facts, or to have written a Willtul
and malicious talsshoOd.
I 90 the afternoon Of July 10th, 1861, a
| reconnaissance Of the rebel position on Rich
! Mountain, was made by Gen. Roseerans'
brigade, the 9th Ohio having the advance
and engaging the enemy's pickets, while
the sth aud 10th Indiana we're drawn up 10
support them. That evening we returned
TO camp, and Gen. Rosecrans submitted to
Gen. Mcclellan a plan for attacking them
in the rear, which was approved. At day
light the next morning, July Ilth,) Gen.
RoSecrans, With the 10Th aud 18th Indiana,
| 18th Ohio, and about $50 of the STh Indi-
Nua, left camp, and after \ tedious march
through the mountains, in which We were
! guided by young Hart, reached the fat
crest Of hill about two miles in the rear
OF. the enemy's works, at about I o'clock
p. ". Il was here (While moving along in
/ column, the 10th Indiaua in advance, and
Co. a, Capt. Chris. Miller, dePloyed as
| skirmishers;) that we were fired on by the
enemy's picEets.
! Aud now will digress a little to say
that the expectation had been to attack the
enemy in the rear aud in their works,
while the main body of our army engaged
| them in irout but early in the morning
they had shot and captured messenger,
] and learning our movements had sent a
! large portion Of their forces back to meet
us, thus throwing the battle ground two
I miles away from where il was expected We
should meet the foe.
/ But TO resume. Immediately on the FIR.
ing of their pickets, killing and wOuuding
several OF our men, among them Capt Mil
\ Ter, we pushed forward at double ouisL,
and were ordered to form in line on the
edge Of the hill overlooking Harris house.
Some confusion occurred here owing 10 a
terrible rain, which rendered it impossible
to hear voice, consequently orders could
not be heard, but not gun WAS cred on
either side. The 10th were soon formed
in line and moved down the hill a short
i distance, and were halted to await the
forming of the sth on our right and the
18th on our left. Skirmishers were de-
HAOl AIgm GGkluGuG NAdG lUL0 J. LlO
soon unmarked the rebel cannon, which
opened on us but with no effect, their aim
being too high. We were ordered to lie
down and remained in this position some
time. When all was ready We rose up,
aud the battle became fierce and general
The rebel battery WAS sileneed, aud the or.
der given the 10th 10 charge. which they
did, headed by the brave Col Manson
Down the hill they went, over the turnpike
aud up the opposite hill, the rebels fleeing
before them. At the head Of his troops
in the thickest of the Eight, rode our hero
Gen. ROsecrans, cheering his men on. To
him, aud him alone, belongs the honor OF
r planning and carry out that bloody battle
the hardest fought aad most decisive bat
Tie in Western Virginia
Permit me to review and contradict in =;
feW Words as possible the utterly false
statements Of the writer Of the PstGs arti.
Gle First We did not ind ourselves sud
denly before = narrow pass swept br the
cannon Of the enemys but we're 6rsI 6rel
on, on ihe tat top of az open Eooded hill
where there was room 10 place in position
all the troops SeeOnd, Gea- Lander did
NOT assume any command. and 10 anv
presence during the time the iOIh resi-
nent were rafting fer the orders TO open
the battle, emphatlcally said HAT he had
no command there, He did not ieSd q
charge OF the Sth regiment through = pass
tor there Was no such pass there. While
our forces were One.Side Ihe rebels were
on another across aad in the Inrnpike, and
the descent from our position vas eoupar.
atiTeiy easy. Third, "Ihe writer SAYS IhC
tight vas brief aud oaly one regiment
participated, tor the place was so narrow
that 40 more could have found room.n-
This is either malicious falSehOod OF III,
writer utterly ignorant of facts, The lou
AID 18th Indiana, with about 35O of III,
sth Indiana were engaged, and Tough
hraTely, while even the 18th Ohio EhC
were the reserve, had an opportunity I,
IRE i've or three excellent VoIleys.
As to the way being open for a furthel
advance the facts were, that on collecting
cur forces after the battle, the prisoner,
taken declared there were still $500 nez
IN the Qualifications tWO miles aHaF Be.
: tween Us and the main body under Gen
Mcclellan, aud that fOOr regiments rerl
. eEPeeted mOmeuIAFily from Beverly. N
works the rebels had thrown ap ESuld "a
able US TO rePel an attack frOal these rel,el
endorsements, and orr position vas sDel
as TO prevent an escape by The 1nrn1Sk,
? from those in the tOrti6eations, beSSeE \
VAS too late 70 attack then thar a5gh1
As to sending = messenger . Gea Rr-
> Clellan II was utterly inPoSsShSt, be s.uulf
. not have found The way beck q epssn q !,
had been able 10 do 50. o1ais M l,,-r4
reached Gen NeClsllAa IN slue % lEr,F. -.
eOmPlished anything befa-e ssa.s n.zs zurs-4,-
ing,
Early the next mor1iaE S4a- Euasr-,.u-
sent EeeOnnOifeEing P1E1r aIr-Har-t wa
found tie works Ablo7uls,S, zils r-.Ii,4li,
leaving eTeEyihing beAzsE dian
Again. qnotinE lhe E-7As-7E a1,1 wards
says: ''IAs sank a Rs1i HuuuzaIE u7r- IN
great eHe. 1fiIas .isgpile polass sLis, ri7.r,rr
thres AEairrI I'D 6tsg r1ui.sis.. - Z -.
rtgiSasst 81 or tFOegs Teis i ezs=rrl,- m
true, The re6els adniIhel bAuSzZ n.,a-f.z
nearly their whole force pirted $50 n
Oss'rA az npriter slys 70 Asrt keas ,S5p1f d.
thOHssRd mn. The hEhl raEed SerreIr 81
two hours, aud was the most sev-re ~ -
siRee the breaking cat Of tie var. 8 8
that tine. It's success was act due % The
lludtel0Rs dispositions of Lander. hat =