Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-09
The Raid in West Virginia.
Why Lynehburg was not Taken---HOW
it might have been Captured---Our
iReturn.
iLCorrespondence of Cincinnati Gazette
THE OBJECT OF THE RAID.

THE OBJECT OF THE RAID.
| This was two-fold = the capture Of
Iynchburg and the destruction of the
Rast Tennessee Railroad. In the first
| were collected immense stores, factories
and Government works. Over the second
these and similar stores had been trans
ported to Richmond. How well we ae-
cpmplished the second object let the
| Eynchburg Virginian testify:
! THE VIRGINIA Il TENNESSEE ROAD.
"The damage done by the Yankees to the
Virginia & Tennessee Railroad, while not
| fully ascertained, is reported to be very
heavy. Besides the burning of the bridges
across Big and Little Otter Rivers, and
Elk Creek, the track is said to be torn up
for several miles, all the depots between
| here and Big Lick are burned and the
Yater-tanks destroyed. If these damages
be correctly stated, it will take some time
to put the road in running order again"
take great pleasure in informing the
| Virginian, that these damages are correctly
stated, and that somewhat more can be
added to the distressing list without in
fringing the borders of the true and false
The several miles amount to 25l We
passed through country absolutely over
| flowing with natures bounties great way
ing fields of corn, wheat and oats, greeted
the utmost extent of our vision-herds of
beef cattle, sheep, horses-alI these fell
into sIr hands. Witness again the Yir-
ginian:
DEsoLATIoN OF THE COUNTRY BY THE
YANKEES.
#tlFTTl I \
neighborhood Of this city, near where the
enemy made their line of battle, is posi-
lively appalling. The people were stripped
Of everything, fences were torn down,
crops trampled upon, and every species of
vandalism that savages could think of was
practised- Hogs, sheep, cattle, ponltry,
were stolen and carried off"
This was not confined to the neighbor-
hood. On our return march, the whole
army drew all its beef -four and bread
from the country.
GENERAL HUNTER RESPONSIBLE.
But we didn't ttake Lynchburg, and why?
Simply because Major-GeneraI Hunter al
lowed failure in the first most important
element of a raid, celerity of movement.
A raid is an advance far into an enemy's
country where at very short notice vastly
superior forces can be hurled against the
invading party. The only hope for success
in such a movement depends upon the
surprise of the invaded, the suddenness of
the blow, and ere he has time to recover
and collect his forces, the rapidity of re-
turn to the original base where the parties |
are on nearly equal footing Now did |
General Hunter move in accordance with |
this requisite General Crook with his /
Joined him at Staunton We'd |
nesday noon, June 8th, where he had been |
resting his men two days. Already among
the rebels it was believed that Lynchburg |
was the point at which we were aiming. |
Yet we lay at Staunton until Friday morn
ing, the 10th, and by short, easy marches
Lexington on the evening of the llth,
and rested here until Tuesday morning,
the l4th, By this time, belief in the rebel /
mind had become certainty and we heard /
that they were taking the Lynchburg
stores to Danville, and making prepara-
tions to resist US at Lynchburg. Lexing-
ton is only forty-one miles from Lynch
burg by the direct route General Crook
here implored permission to march his
own gallant Kanawha division by this
road and surprise and take Lynchburg
in accordance with his own raid-lize Gus
tom; but he was refused, and compelled
to march with what he knew was almost
fatal slowness.
Instead Of taking the direct route, Gen
eral Hunter leads us of to Liberty, by way
Of Buchanan-both trihing places, in
neither of which did we gain any peculiar
dvantage-taking us by two sides of
triangle instead of the shorter line
Now notice the result of all this delay of
four days, and how it defeated our design
against Lynchburg. We arrived at Lynch
burg Friday afternoon, attacked and drove
the rebels two miles, and only halted with
the coming night. During the night the
heavy re-enforcements from Richmond,
division under Early, arrived in Lynch
burg, 'having been just five days on the
way" This latter fact we have ascertain
ed from undoubted testimony With these
re-enforcements, the army in Lynchburg
far out-numbered ours, and that, too, with
the addition Of strong breastworks, rifle
pits and forts In such situation but one
course is left, and that is, speedy and eau
tious retreat. I
a 1.s.u .s.... .... ..- ."." 1