Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-07-09
THE OBJECT OF TIE RAID.

why this failure does not constitute de.
feat.
THE OBJECT OF THE RAID.
This was two-fold-the capture of
Lynchburg and the destruction of the East
Tennessee Railroad. In the first were COL
lected immense stores, factories and Gov.
eminent works. Over the second these
and similar stores had been transported to
Richmond. How well we accomplished
the second object let the Lynchburg Vir-
ginian testify:
THE VIRGINIA AND TENNESSEE ROAD.
"Tbe damage done by the Yankees to
the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, while
not fully ascertained, is reported to be very
heavy. Beside 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 water
tanks destroyed. If these damages be cor
rectly stated, it will take some time to put
the road 10 running order again"
take great pleasure in informing the
Virgini0n that these damages are correctly
stated, and that somewhat more can be
added to the distressing list, without in
friuging the borders of the true and false.
The several miles amount to 20 We passed
through a country absolutely OVERLOOKING
with natures bounties, great waving fields
of corn, wheat and oats, greeted the ut
most extent OF our vision-herds of beef
cattle, sheep, horses-all these fell into our
hands. Witness again the Virginian.
DEsoLATIoN OF THE COUNTRY BY THE ENEMY
"The scene of desolation and ruin in the
ueighborhood of this city, near where the
enemy made their line of battle, is posi-
lively appalling. The people were stripped
of everything, fences were tore down,
crops trampled up, aud every species of
vandalism that sAvages could think of was
practised. Hogs, sheep, cattle, poultry,
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.
GEN. HUNTER RESPONSIBLE.
But we didn't take Lynchburg. and why2
Simply because Major General Hunter al
lowed failure in the first most important
element of d raid, celebrity of movement A
raid is an advance far into an enemy
country, where NJ very short notice vastly
superior forces can be hurled against the
| invading party. The only hope for sue
cess inIsuch 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 return
to the original base where the parties are
on nearly equal footing Now did Gen.
Hunter move in accordance with this re.
quisite2 Gen. Crook with his command
joined him at StauntoO, Wednesday noon,
June Sth where he had been resting his
men two days. Already among the rebels
it was believed that LyuChburg was the
point at which we were aiming. Yet we
/ la NJ Fri Nha
10Th, and by short easy MARCHES entered
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 Lyuchburg stores
to DanviIIe. and making preparations to
resist us at LYuchburg. Lexington is on
ly forty one miles distant from Lynchburg
by the direct route. Gen Crook here i'm {.
plored permission to march his own gall
liant Ksnawha division by this road and
surprise and take Lynchburg, in accord
auce with his own raid-like custom, but he
was refused, and compelled to march with
what he knew was almost fatal slowuess
| Instead of taking the direct route, Gen.
Hunter leads off to Liberty, by way of Bu-
chanan-both trifiing places. in neither Of
which did we gain any peculiar advantage
| taking us by two sides of a triangle, in
stead of the shorter line.
Now notice the result of all this delay of
four days, aud 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 reiuforcements from Richmond, a
division under Early, arrived in Lynch
buag, hGUing been just fire days on the tray.
This latter fact we have ascertained from
undOubted testimony. With these rein
forcements, the army in Lynchburg far
outnumbered ours, and that, too, with the
addition of strong breastworks, rifle-pits
and forts, In such situation but one
course is left, aud that is, speedy and eau
tious retreat.
Well, the retreat is begun-and certain