Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-06-12
Lieut. General comd'g
Csnfederato 0peraiious ia lssrth ,vestorn
Virginia

LieuE-General COmd &.
Csnfederate Operations ia Isorshvyestern
Virginia
A eaF-espan7ent Of the Rchmou5 s.afiast
wr ing tom II ,rsisluburg lckiughan eouu-
e., Va an Ter dae If May q h. gives the sn-
nexsd account of Confederate operations in
Norihwes'ern Virginia;
The chief otjact Of Gen W Jones late
expedition 70 Wes Yuginia, was to destroy the
3 ,liimors and 10 railroad, anl while so doing
10 ssrd aus csttis ~ Gen = Lees army
The iulpressment of horses sfterwar5, became
necesssrv, IA ordsr tha .ba disnouI tad men
should no b. }lf IA 80 des7iaga aad unfTiendly
n e0uutry. " drst encountered the enemy at
Greenland eighty strong. Alter making
vsJy gsla9l defense thy surrandeTed, having
Ora. ki led and wounded tw-nty-shr-s of eur
meu We th-n crassad the Potomac, passed
through a conner If Msrylani, as'a ka1 Oak
land and captured sIy-ive prisoners with
Gus ising gun. Ths bridges 8. NJ fais por-
i'm OF the road hHvinQ bsen destroyed we
sBsTcaed on kairm0nt l. Wss hell by tGur
hundse ald f tY Infantry. Tho fsncss wers
high ana ia uefous. snd aff Td5d them sure re-
irasts ron aur csgalry ebe-ges We ai length
saTr unie lhem AID had cleared tue way Cor
grand charge, when the white az zs hOis.ef
sud three HUNDRED suh sixty ive surrendered.
Bei0Ts ihey could he sent if0m tHe isd traia
bringing a regiment of infantry and tv7 pee-s
Of sr,iIieSy. was seen approaching Olr men
dism5uated, sez3d the gums JUST captured, aad
engaged the Yankee infantry which had dis
nleuntsd and were advancing au taA bridge
Before the rear Of thu tg2in c,uld be gained i
los {af up. snd stsr.ai t17 Grafton
ha bridge et Faiua1a 81 Gae Of the most
costly o. the road, one half Hsiilieu qf dollars
having been expended in building g. Il was
bailt en'irely oii,on. threaspans long, eeaa span
three hundred iaet The rods from some Of the
hollow cylinders having been drawn leaving
epz1tuT-s ia which powder could be poured, the
destruction of the bridge baesm3 an easy matter.
Two well prepared blasts threw the eatire bridge
inta the waters of the Mnnongahels The piece
Of artillery eSplnrsd was thrown ia sitter be
bridge A Fsrmnnt CIV PierpOnt has fno
residence During the 6ght some one took his
library into the street and burned il. A; Grafton
the enemy had two thousand, and at Clarh sbury
fouf thous nd We passed between th8 two
places, crossed tie railroad at Bridgeport ave
miles ffoa CiaIksbury At Bridgeport we cap
'ufel ioFly-six mounted ri6sman. Our next
Jint of attack was West Union. to which place 1
Col Hirmsn, with SIX hundred men proeseded 1
He found IL guarded by seven bundfei mon (
drawn mp mile in front Of the pl8ca En /
gsging the enemy in front with his sharpsh90t- /
ers, ia sent detachments Of mounted men who I
burns the bridges in their rear H9 then r.
! lined his command, hsviug captured ssvsuty- /
I've Yankees. During This time, ,,shs remainder 4
of the brigade had captured the guard At Cairo, 1
numbering twenty one mon, and destroyed /
three large bridges, AMI burned ihs W ioisn
trestle work within The ina7e The hat threw
down number of large 6ks u9on the trsck
By ti6s time Pierpouts State was thoroughly [
aroused. At Parkersburg they hal co lseied 4
large numher OF militia. with faw volunteers.
al resolved to die in the itch Two small
guDboats were lying in the river ready faT
action DY goods aud valuable property
were moved across the dyer, showing, hat
whilst the soliieys were preparing 20 d5f-nd
the plsee the eilizsns expee' ID tia place t.
be rsnsacksd by the rebals Bat ws iHfaed
Zip next At oiliown, cspinring 3 piece Of arii-
leFy on eur way, which W. spiked and threw
into the nearest stream. Anticipating onr
ihe enemy had eommsHce3
shpping the oil 70 Petersburg and tie price
rad advanced hys dollars on tha barrel IN
The sfter place L was the middle Of a bright
,aany isY that We reached O town. The
~nfks cf destruction comm need. One hnn-
ired and fry thousand barrels Of tho inflamna-
BE oil had ne l-ft 10 which tho ioFeh vas
spph,d TAe burning of ths heasei casks, The
e-iasof the aseng females, the ruaniag to sud
70 Of the E9af-deraiRs, created an excitement
s.a-eey eqHallad on the battle faid Hage
lames of black sm sascands autii il blends
vi b tbs clouds above. or is borne on some nass-
lg breeze to ear'h shutting our ir0n siFhs the
lowering flames by spreading an Egyptian esrk
ness, and st the same tins 8 sieksning oior
During the time the oil had cellecttd on stAe
-iyer 20 the depth Of several inches, aud the
iWoen torrent had borne e. down for miiss,
orming continuous stra'am This a. length
;sayht IRE, aud he sight was one Of awful
yraRdeur The flames rushing down the stream
Fitb lightning rsptdity, winding s7Cund the
bends Of the rv9T, emitting clouds 5i dense,
black smoke, whils the trees aoon the river
.dge heavsd to and ire as il 3 whirlwiua was
'mong their blaEe5es I'll said ihs vslls viii
burn for yaars befors the flames can be- extin-
pushed. Ii this b tho case the lass viii b. felt
kfoaghout the North, as the oil IS used IN
very machine shop and slm0st every lami'Y
amp. Oar mission hsvine been eonpA ted
ve Te nrRea We burned iftsan large bridges,
hre7 trains, a85 the oil wells. We bronght
iui fvs tbougaad cattle one thousand horses,
md paroled SIX hundred and fifsv one prisoners
~ noble Gasc1n eomplsining that his
'amps did not last lsa6 eo0Hgh, the maker
lslsed hin of what stuff is lard=hip would wish
. have them made. Make the v5mps" said
le, ''of the throat Of ehgrisier the quartats Of
he skin Of VOLTS neck, aud tho sola Of wo
nsn's tongue" CrspiR psade bold Do aek
why 2" "Whv, Yoa bloekhoad" replied the
gag, because the 6fst never admits Of water;
be second never beHds On either side; aa8 he
sst though always 10 motion, never wears
lat.
~ Il is sad that Two years Of 'qsr have
added ten years y TIE ags o. Gen ]
4se His beard, which q short tiEs since ives
lack with e few white sireaks, is now entirely
4hIte.