Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-02-11
tom Municated.
Mr.. EDITOR OF THE CIVILIAN

destroy it. seem to designate on which
side of this rebellion is the power aboys
all, and the trivial incident which saved
us at the time we were actually In tht
Ienemy's Possession, should be generally
known
So Romes famed capital, devoid of aid,"
d: Agoose oRce saved, - - 80 @u
On that memorable morning of the Eth
Of June, 1898, when our military were
Withdrawal to a man, and shut up idly
and uselessty at New Creek, by whose
order, should long since have been pub.
liely investigated, an old citizen Of the
county, residing near the Bait. & D. r
Road. eight mites west of Cumberland
was aroused BY an unusual noise near his
residence, on the railroad. ....
lie went out and saw body of men
on the track, not exceeding so in number
and it being very early, scarcely day, he
could not distinguish until he got among
them who they were, or how engaged
Not suspceting them to be rebels, he sup
posed they were Federal soldiers but as
he approached and saw them tearing up
the track, he soon discovered to his sur
prise that they were rebels. Some of
them knew him to be loyal, and INDUCED
in insulting remarks upon his character
until, without any intention, or knowledge
on the subject, but simply as a rctort and
in an angry moment he reproached them
for their abuse of single unarmed man,
and dared them to go to Cumberland and
display their yaiour, where he said they
would find men enough on the right side
to use them up in short order. This was
the substance, though we cannot give the
exact words. He was then permitted to
retire unmolcsted to his house.
Shortly after, and while the rebels were
thus engaged, the morning passenger
train from Cumberland, going west came
in sight with some few passengers,
amongst whom was Brig. General X clley,
commanding the department or division.
The engineer before coming quite up, dis
covering an unusual number of men on
the track and connecting their appearance
doubtless with Lees advance into Mary
land, and rumors of an attack i'll Cum
bcrland, managed to slackcn the speed of
the train and alarm the passengers so that
all of them who desired had time to cs-
cape, and | believe the rebels fred into
tine train. 1t is certain, that General
Kelly escaped To the woods and reached
New Creek sometime during the day
The rebels supposing that the smallness
If their force would soon be known to the
large force of Federal troops at least flee
Moasand, including cavalry, artillery, in
number, which they knew to be at New
Creek. Instead of going at once to Cum
bcrland. as it is now believed was their
design, were deferred by the threat of our
loyal countryman. and immediately re-
created back to Virginia. and instead of
returning 10 join Major Harness, his ac-
tions show that they must have returned
to their main body under General limbo
den near Green Spring, about - miles
east of Cumberland. This main body
inclusive of those under General limbo
den. were together less than 1000, whilst
our forces under General Kelley. amoun-
ted to 5000, and were superior in almost
all respects to the enemy. Many of the
latter were from our city and the neigh
borhood. and almost mutinous in their
desires to be sent to our protection, but
not even corporals guard, single
Waterman, or sentinel was left to guard
any of the valuable bridges and store
houses Of the Railroad or Of the United
States. y single disafiected person could
have fired any of these structures with
iinpunity. and as we have always suffered
untcr the two great number Of thess cop
pcrheads and secessionists, there was I'M
inincnt danger Of this.
The design appears to have been, that
that this small body of rebels after tenn
pnrariy destroying the track west of Cum
h.r!and aud between it and New Creek,
were 10 march to Cumberland and there
join their immediate commanders, Major
Harness and Colonel Imbodcn, so as to
assure them from surprise by any advance
of our forces from New Creek, and give
them Il few hours of safety to accomplish
their designs, and we shall see, that by
their failure to do so, these commanders
nr"sr'" : lhey were captured and the
. A'i'NN Nuai ti'N ouSht ~ dIiu
ss- asi'y have accomplished, namely,
aunucd those in possession of Cumbcr-
land.
In the meantime what was doing at
Cumberland by Harness and Col. limbo
den These rebel officers with $50 men
and two small cannon, appeared on an
cmincnce about half mile south of it,
and not long after threw shell into the
city, aud summoned it to surrender, but
there was some delay between their ap-
can reliably account for. The city was
taken on the morning of the 18th, on the
afternoon and night of the 10th five or
six hundred of Niilroy's runaway troops
from Winchester, arrived here with some
subordinate officers, and promised the cit
liens to remain and aid in our defence,
We having been entirely stripped of all
those whom we had right to look to for
our defence. but on some of their scouts
coming in and reporting that the rebels
were approaching. all of these, certainly
more than double in number of the force
which captured us, except four or FIVE,
who were too drunk to escape before dawn
continued their ignominious flight, and
left us without defence of any kind, and
without arms of any sort. The horses of
these drunken half dozen, with all their
trappings on, wandering about the streets,
were seen by Major Harness and his for
ces from the height by which they ap-
preached, and not understanding what
this meant, as they doubtless had infor-
nation that not soldier was left, they
refrained from any attack until they as
certained the fret.
The defenceless city was surrendered
in the morning to this small body of reb-
els, who were justly alarmed at their po-
sition so near Federal force every way
superior to them, except in generalshiI