Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-05-24
The Operations in West Virginia.

The operations III west virginia.
From all that we have been enabled
to learn Gen. Averill, in his last raid ups
on the Va. and Tennessee Railroad and
| his approach to the Salt Works, has
found s'Jordan hard road to travel. !"
With the exception of overcoming the.
small force under Col. MeCausland he
has had nothing but succession of de-
feats. The force of the enemy which
defeated McCausland, and afterwards
burnt the railroad bridge over. New Ri
yer, was under the immediate command
lof Gen. Crook. The portion which Gen.
! AveriA kept under his immediate COM
mand was defeated first by Gen. AAm.
E. Jonos, and afterwards in another en-
gagement by Gen. Morgan. After these
|confiiets, the forces of the enemy, iifclu-
lding both those under Crook and Ave-
lrill, finding they could not accomplish
1.-THE object of their expedition, retreated
towards the county OF Monroe, with the
horses, negroes, carriages, &C., which
they Lad stolen from the citizens in
their route. But behold there was a
''lion in the way"-they found they had
to encounter the forces under Col VIM.
T.. Jackson. The party of the enemy
under Crock, which was a much snpe-
Irfor force to that of ours under Jackson,
lsucceeded in reaching the top of Gap
Mountain by the time Jackson reached
1.-THE foot coming up on the opposite side.
Though Jackson failed to reach the top
lin advance OF the enemy, and though
the enemy were much stronger in num-
bers and had the advantage of position,
yet Jackson did not decline TO meet
them. He skirmished with them on the
mountain side, and though, for the want
of numbers anu position, he was unable
/ to prevent them from advancing, yet he
inflicted some loss upon them and ha-
raised them a great deal. At this time
he sent o messenger to the company
bringing up few wagons as well as
one piece of artillery, instructing them
If they could not reach him in two hours
Ito take them into Botetourt for safety.
Instead of going to Jackson or to Bote.
Etourt, it seems that they became panic
stricken, cut down the artillery carriage,
lrifed the train, and left it to fall into
/ the hands of the enemy who did not
reach that point till twelve hours after.
The parties to this disgraceful conduct
are under arrest. - - =
In the mean time, Jackson learned
that the party under Averill was coming
lon the same road at a distance OF about
jsix miles in the rear. He then, with his
small command determined to throw his
force between. the forces of Crook and
Averill, with the view of intercepting
the latter.
Though Jackson was now in a criti-
cal position, being between the supper
and neither millstone," yet he fought
Averill with such effect as to cause him
to leave the road and seek safety by
passing through the mountains where
roads there We're none. These forces off
the enemy succeeded, by this mode of
travelling, III forming a junction with
those under Crook They were so close
/ " and persistently pressed by Jackson
that they lost, we have been informed, |
| $50 wagons, with all kinds of stores, in
Guiding artillery ammunition, and con-
siderable quantity Of bacon. They lostt
horses and mules-and killed, not only |
horses, but negroes, to prevent them
from falling into our hands. Some negro
children were left, abandoned in the
mountains, where they were found and
taken care of by our men. s..s
The united forces of the enemy re-
treated through Monroe by Union, and
through Greenbrier by Lewisburg, cross
ing the river at the ford near where the
Greenbrier bridge stood before being !
burnt. They crossed on Thursday last,
which is the latest news we have to this
time, Saturday. Wefear that they have
robbed the citizens of all the family sup.
plies they had, and will leave many to
suffer.
We have been informed that a gallant
company of Jackson's command, 100 in
number, led by Capt. Marshall, attack
ed and defeated $50 Of the enemy at the
Greenbrier River bridge in Marlem's
bottom, in Pocahontas county, on Thurs
day last.
1t viii thus beseen that the command
of Jackson has not been idle, and thati
it las rendered very efficient sar,-'
/