The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-02-10
GEN. KELLEY'S Department.
Seven Days Operation in West
Virginia. "a
Additional Particulars of Gen. Kel-
Iey's Movements and Successes.

loy'S movements anu Cu6c6sSes'
In THE FIELD, WEST Va, Feb. 8, 1864.
The operations of the last seven days,
although at times extremely varied In their
character, have at last terminated in Sc
ries Of successes that at once dispel the
darksome clouds of temporary rebel pros
perity, and open bright vista to our true
interests. t
- -. -. =, THE OPERATIONS,
on both sides have been conducted with
great rapidity, considering the mountain
Gus condition of the country, the bad state
of the roads, the time it requires to con
centrate and move columns of troops, and
the usual necessary features attendant up
on raiding and the repelling of raid
caIupaign. e-.,.-, ..-r-.- 81
For some time past we had been in pos
session of information to the effect that
General EARLY was concentrating troops
and being reinforced in the neighborhood
of Harrisonburg, with a view to again at
tempting the capture OF the garrison at
Petersburg, and then making another raid
on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. To meet a movement Of this
kind General Kelley made all possible pres
paration Yet as time wore away, and the
weather continued fair, and the enemy gave
no signs of an intention to advance a large
number ofsnen (including nearly the whole
of a regiment of cavalry who had re. en-
listed for the war, were furloughed and al
lowed to 60 home, in accordance with the
War Department order on that subject
II - not
the news of Early having moved on Friday.
January 90. Of course it was too late and
matter of impossibility to recall the fur
loughed troops
| Ut FIRST MOVEMENTS.
At the earliest possible moment cavalry,
in small detachments, was sent out from
Harper's Ferry, Martinsburg and Cumber-
land to gain information of the enemy's
whereabouts. The scouting parties did not
bring US in any particularly reliable infor.
nation, and hence many were inclined to
believe "tbe grand movement to be moth
ing more than Rosser's or Gllmore's forces
out on big foraging expedition and kind
Of half way reconnaissance.
THE ATTACK ON THE TRAIN.
The next reliable information we had of
the eneny's movements was when Rosser
suddenly attacked one of our trains while
on its way from New Greek to Petersburg
1t is now know to he fact that the eight
hundred men sent as a guard with the
train were disgracefully remiss in the dis,
charge of their duty. The officer in com.
mand of the train guard officially reported
that be had eighty killed and wounded,
while neither fact nor report has, up to this
time, confirmed his statement. The truth
of the matter is that some one is to blame
for allowing the enemy to get what portion
Of the train he did secure, and for permit
ting either himself or his men to be misled
or frightened away by the mere opening OF
the enemy's artillery. What if the rebel
force were two thousand strong? Eight
hundred brave, we'll handled men could
have made strong defence. The capture
of few wagons does us little injury; yet
when We take into consideration how the
rebels catch at straws, and build bright,
hopeful airy structures on very small foun-
dations, we must ever deprecate the COM
duet of all officers and men who fail in
ever so small degree to discharge their
whole duty and nothing less. The most Of
the train guard has returned, coming in at
different points along the railroad. The
enemy took bat few of the guard prison
ers. Orr loss in the attack on the train
turns out to be astonishingly small. 1t is
reported that official inquiry will be made
into the conduct of the whole affair at an
early date
sULLIvANs MOVEMENTS.
On learning that his train had been at
tackled. and that the garrison at Petersburg
was threatened, General Kelly ordered
movements to be made in the most expedi.
tious manner from Harper's Ferry and
Martinsburg. Of Sulivan's troops; force
was sent To Winchester, under co.nmand
of Colonel FltzSimmons Of Averhill's
command (and l must take occasion to
mention at this point that another unfortu.
nate thing for us, added to the absence of
the furloughed regiments, was that Gen.
Averhill had just gone home on thirty
DAYS leave of absence, thus deprlving us OF
his active services), another column, under
command of Lieutenant Thompson, moved
from Martnsburg to Winchester and there
made junction with Fitzsimmons. These
united columns then moved across the
country towards Romney, going by way OF
Wardensvile. Their march was a rough
and rapid one, and, although conducted in
the best possible manner, failed by several
hours to communicate with, or get within
supporting distance of Colonel Mulligau.
While Fitzsimmons' and Thompson's
troops were moving toward Romney, a cav
airy force was dispatched look after reb-
81 movements in the ne,ghborhood of Lees
burg and in the Loudon county district, it
having been rumored that a rebel force was
moving and operating in that neighbor
hood.
THoBuRN's "GET OUT.
On saturday night, the Both, Col. Thoburn,
finding the enemy about to attack him in
force at Petersburg, Harry county, evacuated
his position there, and escaped to RidgeYille,
where he joined detachment of Colonel
Mulligan's troops, and afterwards moved
with Mullieau to attack Early near Moor>
Seld How raobura outwitted the enemy,
who thought he had Thoburn penned in,