Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-12-30

ed him to, that Stanton and Union were
in danger. The enemy looked upon these
movements ihi the light of a raid, ant
while they feared raid on their depot o
supplies ut Staunton they at the same tint
kept d sharp lookout to prevent us from
cutting the Virginia and Tennessee Rail
road at or 10 the neighborhood of Chris.
tiansburg, via Union. To this end The
enemy reinforced his commands at Staun
ton aud Union. This was again what We
wanted him to do, knowing that IL we
succeeded in drawing olf the scattering
rebel troops to the right and left Of Aver
10 between the divided bel columns and
secure the object for which all these move
ments were being made.
WORKING OF FHE PLAN.
Gen. Scammou reached LeWisburg on
Saturday, the l2th instant, where aud
when he attacked the enemy under com.
maud Of, Gen. Eehols, and drove them out
of town 9nd across tie GEeenbEier river
After this Gen. scAnmoA occupied the
town, continualIy threatening TIE enemy
with forces under the immediate command
Of Gen. DpEfie. Gen. Scammon left Lewis.
burg on the l6th.
Colonel Moore, according to iustruc.
tions, went no further than Droop Noun
tain, having reached this point from Bev.
erly on the llth, lie threatened Lewis.
burg fromlthe north ou the same day, and
on the 18Th opened communication With
Gen. Scaulnon's forces.
On the 18th Gen. AVerill was moving in
the neighbarhood of CoVingtou.
Col. Wells moved on the 10th from Mar.
tiusburg up the Shenandoah valley, by
way Of Winchester, Strasburg. Woodstock
and New Market, reached HarrisOnburg on
the Goth, md threatened Stanton with
bis cavalry IN the goth, 21st aud 22d,-
Receiving Information that the enemy was
approaching him in heavy force, be fell
back, by orders, down the valley, aud sue
ceeded in atAin joining Gen. Sullivan with
the main toEees.
At this tine, while Wells was occupying
the attentio9 of the enemy on the right,
Gen. Averil having broken the railroad
and other Communications, doing great
damage, cut his way out, via Covlngton
aud across the Alleghanies to Beverly, and
Colonies Thoburn and Moore aud General
Scammon repeated to safe aud supporting
positions.
THE LOssRs--THE ADvANTAGEs.
In the whole Of these movements our
loss in killed and wounded will not reach
twenty anu Win our missing Will uOA "a
ceed one bundred and twenty. or the
missing it is thought tnat many of them
will return 70 camp in few days. On
the other hand, we captured in all about
four hundred and thirty prisoners, with a
large number Of horses, Thus 1t will be
seen that much good was accomplished,
difficult task executed, and q great deal OF
very serious injury done TO the enemy,
without any loss worthy of particular
Where there is not much loss OF life, the
pnhlic seems 70 forget or overlook the ben
ehts of military movements Of. this chAEac.
Ter; but. the intelllgent reader!Will at once
see that it is not always the bloodlest bat.
lie fields that secure TO, the victor the
greatest advantages, or that small forces
cannot secure great ends, even without
fight. In this war it has often been proven
that the most obstinate battles were not
those where the greatest number Of troops
were engaged, but where one party fought
against another that was its superior in
strength, and that the greatest
with one or two ezceptions]
were gained by comparatively sqall COM
mands.