Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-25
BY TELEGRAPH.
REPORTED EXPRESSLY for the STATESMAN
For last Nights Dispatches see Sd page
Morning and Noon Dispatches,
Report Of General AveriIl.


EDRAY, PoCAHoNTAs Co.. VA. Dec. u, J
via BEVERLY, Dec. %.
To Gen. Hdlleck::
have the honor to report that / cut
the Virginia and Tennessee railroad at Sa-
lem on the 20th, and have arrived safely at
this point with my command.
At Salem three depots were destroy
ed, containing twenty-five barrels of
-four ten thousand bushels of wheat, one
hundred thousand bushels of shelled corn,
fifty thousand bushels of oats, two thousand
barrels of meat, several cords of leather,
one thousand sacks of salt, thirty-One boxes
of clothing, twenty bales of cotton and a
large amount of horses, shoes and saddles,
equipments, tools, oil and tar, and various
other stores, and one hundred wagons. The
telegraph wire was cut, c0iled and burned
for half mile, the water station, turn table
and three cars burned, and the track torn
up and rails destroyed as much as possible
in six hours. Five bridges and several cul-
verts were also destroyed. Over an extent
of fifteen miles large quantity of bridge
timber and repairing timber were also de-
stroyed.
My march was retarded occasionally by
the tempest in the mountains and the icy
roads. was obliged to swim my command
and draw my artillery with ropes across
Cragg's creek seven times in twenty-four
hours. On my return / found six separate
commands, under Gems. Early, Jones, Fitz-
hugh Lee, lmbOden, Jackson, Rehols and
McCOuptin. arrayed in a line extending from
StauntOn to Newport, upon all the available
roads. to prevent my return. i captured
dispatch from Gen. Jones to Gen. Early.
giving me his position and that of Jackson
at Clifton Forge. | marched from the front
of Jones to that Of jackson at night. His
outposts were pressed in at gallop by the
Sth Virginia mounted infantry, and two
bridges across jackson river were saved. al
though tagots had been piled ready to ignite.
My column. about four miles long, has
tened across, regardless of the enemy. until
all but my ambulances and few wagons
and one regiment had passed. when a strong
effort was made to retake the first bridge,
in which they did not succeed. The ambu-
lances and some sick men were lost. and by
the darkness and difficulties the last regi-
ment was detained upon the opposite side
until morning, when, as it was ascertained
that the enemy seemed determined to main
tain his position up the cliff, which over
looked the bridges, / caused the bridges,
which were long and high. to be destroyed,
and the enemy Immediately changed posi-
ton to the flank and rear of the detachment
which was cut off. | sent orders to the
remnant to destroy our wagons and come to
me across the river or over the mountain.
They swan the river with the loss of three
or four men, who were drowned.
In the meantime the forces of the enemy
were concentrating upon me at Callaghan's
over every available road but one, which
was deemed impracticable, but by which l
crossed over the balance of the ambulances
and command with the execution of four
caissons, which were destroyed in order to
increase the effect of the pieces.
My loss is six men drowned, and one Off
Ger and four men wounded and four Off
GERS and ninety men missing. We captured
about two hundred prisoners. We also
took about one hundred and fifty horses.
The march was entirely upon very poor
country, and the officers and men have suf-
fered cold, hunger and fatigue with remark
able fortitude. My command has marched,
climbed, slid and swan three hundred and
fifty-tive miles since the Sth inst.
w. w. AVERILL.
Brigadier-General.