Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-25


The Advance Of the Rebels into the Ka-
uayrha Valiey--R etreat of Colonel Light
burn.
CfLhs recent rebsl raid into the Kanawha
Valley Of Virginia, we copy the following
from the POmeroy Telegraph:
"Our town has been the scene Ofintense
interest and excitement for the last few
DAYS. News, in the form of a thousand
rumors reached us of the marching Of the
rebel forces into the Kanawha Valley-the
battles of Fayette, Gauley and Charles
ton, and the retreat of our forces. We had
both armies victorious, and both slaught-
ed a dozen times, by rumOrs not profit
able to repeat.
"So far as we can get at the facts, they
seem to be, that very severe engagement
between our forces and an overwhelming
force of the enemy, occurred at Fayette, in
which our troops exhibited bravery not
surpassed during the war. They suffered
severely in the fight, but did most terrible
execution upon the enemy. The particu-
lars we are unable to give. They held the
superior force Of the rebels at bay until
night, and then retreated in good order
and Joined Colonel Lightburn at Gauley.
The Colonel, satisfied that he could not
withstand the superior forces of the enc
my, and determined to save the immense
train left in his charge when Cox was
withdrawn, fell back upon Charleston,
fighting all the way. From there he sent
the train across to Ripley, holding the
rebels ct bay at Charleston until it was
fairly started. Ordering the bridges on
=
Point Pleasant, to be destroyed, and the
roads obstructed, he commenced his retreat
in the rear of his train. Some skirmish-
ing occurred on the way, butit was brought
safely to, and across the Ohio, at Bufhng-
ton.
During all this time the most exciting
rumors reached this place. The Home
Guards Of Pomeroy, Middleport, Miners
Vile, &C., turned out to meet the Colonel
at Ravenswood. They had gone no farth-
er than Racine when they were met and
advised that their services were not need
ed. Some returned, and some went on
upon their own hook. Safely upon the
Ohio side the train commenced its move
ment toward Port Pleasant, which brought
it through this place. We don't know the
number of teams, but were told that the
train occupied eight miles in length. It
was such q show as was never before
seen in PomerOy. It occupied good por-
ton Of Tuesday and Wednesday in passing
through town. 1t was followed by host
Of fugitives, both white and black For
two or three days they have been rest
ing themselves in groups under every
shade tree along tho road. Many of the
soldiers had not an hours rest for four
days and nights, and the fugitives had
none for more than half that time. They
might well be weary. Scores of old men
and women, scarcely able to walk, and
little barefooted children, from three years
old and upward, walked all the weary
march without stopping to sleep. We pas
sed along the road from this place to Ra-
cine on Tuesday morning, and found it
literally lined with these weary pilgrims,
who had laid them down to sleep, and
rest on the free soil of Ohio, which, to
them, was a land of Canaan, reached at
last. We stopped and talked to many of
them, and heard tales that the novelist
could never coin from his fertile brain to
grace his fiction. We may recall some of
these hereafter.
"The retreat was undoubtedly master
ly movement, and does great credit to
Colonel Lightburn. The rebels were un-
doubtedly apprised Of the immense train
of horses, mules and wagons left in the
charge of Colonel Lightburn, and of the
inadequaey of his force to protect it. The
bait was a tempting one, and worth great
expedition if it could be captured. With
this train and the KsnaWha salt works in
their possession, they could return to
Dixie with salt enough for a winters
supply. The masterly retreat of Colonel
Lightburn disappointed them in ther prey.
A large amount of Government stores at
Charleston, which could not be brought
away was destroyed, so that the rebels will
have their raid pretty much for nothingII
True, they will strip the Valley of what is
left in it, and will leave it a desolation,
but it will yield them neither friend nor,
in large amount, the material of war
Unless they make a raid into Ohio, we
think they will not find supplies enough
to last them long at Charleston. Will they
attempt to cross the Ohio , We cannot
say. But it behooYes the citizens to per-
feet their military organizations at once,
and be prepared for the worst.
The reports of the destruction of the salt
works on the Kanawha are untrue. They
are not injured. And we rather suspect
the rebels will spend the next month in
making and transporting salt to Dixie in
stead of invading Ohio Salt has been the
great necessity Of the rebels for the last
year. 1t could no longer be had in the
South at any price. 1t must be had, how
ever, or they could not support their
armies. And hence the necessity of taking
the KanaWha Valley.
" 1t has also been reported that Charles
ton was destroyed. This, we learn, is not
the case, unless it was destroyed by the
rebels after our troops left. The Govern
nent stores were destroyed by order of Col |
onel Lightburn, which was right and prop
er. Seine houses caught FIRE from the |
bursting shells from both parties; but we |
earn on what we consider reliable author |
ty, that but a small portion of the place |
was injured. We hope this may prove to |
be true.
"All the Ohits Union people have left the
Valley. Hundreds of them followed the
train, and hundreds more es-
,aped down the Ksnawha in boats, and |
Ikifs, and cahoes, and crafts of all deserip- !
ions, as well as by all sorts of land con-
Teysnoes, and on foot. sSAnd all the black |
'eople being Unionists, left in the same
ashton"
Prom the time it was known that this
lrmy Of fugiti7es were with the train, as
by instinct the women, all along the
inc as well as in town, began to prepare
or them, by baking bread and pies, and |
eoking everything eatable to supply their |
FGnts."