Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-07-23
GEN. HUNTERS EXPEDITION,

What It, Did and How 1t Was Done
Reasons for it's Non. Return DOWn the
Shenandoah Valley-ResponSi5ility for the
Maryland Invasion Placed Where II
Belongs General Hunter Asks to be Re.
GeUsd, Sc, SC.
Rarper's Ferry Correspondence N. Y. Herald.
HARPER's FERRY, July ls, 1864.
For every military disaster it appears
the theory of certain persons high Ia au-
thority that scapegoat must Immediately
be found, 1t makes little difference who
he is or what service he may have per.
formed. If he be only an "available"
scapegoat he will be caught, burdened
with all the sins of the War Department,
and be turned loose in the wilderness.
At present the. selected scapegoat for
that want of foresight which permitted
the invasion of Maryland would seem TO
be Gen. Hunter. Those who accuse him
should go step further, and hold him
responsible for all our recent disasters on
the White river and elsewhere. He is q
broad shouldered officer, and could Just as
we'll be made to bear the responsibility for
every misfortune that has oVertaken us of
late as for the one with which he is specially
charged. This will be a comprehensive
policy, and will enable all concerned, ex-
cept himself, to reft and start out again
with clean bill of health.
But as there are-or rather as it is to
be hoped there are-in the community
some few of the more antique and less
progressive sort, who desire to found their
judgment on evidence, and feel unwilling
to condemn to day an officer whom they
were lauding but brief period since, let
N.l
with the matter, place on record a briet
statement of facts as part answer to the
writ calling on General Hunter to show
cause why he should not be made general
scapegoap for the recent invasion of Mary
land.
Just two months ago General Hunter
was assigned to command the Department
of West Virginia, his orders being not to
relieve General Sigsl from duty in the de-
partment, but to take up the grading force"
of about ten thousand men, which had
been beaten back from New Market under
that officer, and TO renew Sigels advance
in the direction OF Staunton. He was, "if
he could" to capture Stanton and destroy
the rail roads east and west of that place.
If he found Staunton so we'll fortified and
defended that to attack it would involve
delays and heavy sacrifices of life, then be
it as much as possible and to keep as large
q number as possible of the enemy's troops
in employment. These were the orders to
General Sigel and it is TO be presumed the
expectations of success were not increased
by the defeat at New Market
Travelling without pause from Wash
ington to Cedar Greek, General Hunter as
sumed command of the beaten army, which
he found demoralized to degree that could
scarcely be exceeded. Nearly two thousand
of its'infantry we're without shoes. About
one thousand had thrown away their arms
in their flight, and had to be rearmed.-
The appearance of few guerrillas in any
direction produced a general stampede, the
men having lost all confidence in their
commanding general, and expecting every
moment that troops who had chased them
from Rood's Hill would appear in force to
continue the pursuit. How rapidly this
command was reorganized and a better
spirit infused would be on record in the
public mind if that mind were in q condi-
ton of health enabling it to remember any
thing. In few days the little army was
reftted in all particulars, and within IL
days from Gen. Hunters assumption of
command the battle of Piedmont WAS
fought and won by the Union forces, Pied
mont being ten miles further up the valley
than any Union army had previously peue-
trated. 1t is true Breckenridge division
was not there to help the enemy, but its
place was simply supplied by the acces-
sion to the rebels OF the command OF Gen.
William Z. Jones-troops fully as good
and numerous as those of Breckenridge,
and commanded by an officer universally
rated as his superior.
From Piedmont Hunters little army ad
vanced to Staunton, which it entered with
out opposition, the enemy being too much
demoralized from the defeat of the day
before to avail himself of the earthworks
and lines of rife pits constructed tor the
defence of the city. Here the railroad was
destroyed west and east in the most thorough
manner, and vast quantities of ordnance
commisssry and quartermaster stores be-
longing to the rebel government were cap
tured, and either issued to our men or
destroyed. OF details, however, there
will be no time to speak in this letter.
At Staunton Hunter was joined by the
infantry of General Crook and the cavalry
of General AEerill-tWo officers as excellent
aud distinguished as any in the service
A cayally division, under General A. n.
Dufie, was sent to threaten Rockfsh Gap
defended by Breckenridge and Imbodeu-
with orders to cross the Blue Ridge, destroy
the railroad at and around Charlottesville
and Amherst Court House, and as far down
as they could reach, aud then to reJoin the
main advance at Lexington, within two
days.