Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-01-14
iyeriIl'S Great Raid---i Rebel account.
From the Richmond Examiner 18th uIt.7

/
eye upon u...p and III tell yoa how he ven
and how Ire came. He came from New Creek
a depot on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
in the county Of Hardy, along the eastern
base of the Shenandoah mountains, through
Coyington to Salem, burnt things generally
and returned over nearly the same route
Imboden seized the gap where the Parkers
burg turnpike crosses the Shenandoah, all
prevented raid on Stanton. Averill left
five hundred men to hold Imboden there, anG
pushed on towards Salem. That General
could not pursue without uncovering Staun
ton, the force threatening nearly equallins
his own. General Lee was informed of the
situation Of affairs.
Here commences the rel gn of major gene
rails and military science. Major General
Tubal a. Early came Major General Fitz
hugh Lee came; Brigadier General Walker
came; Brigadier General Thomas came
their stats came. They all took a drink
General Eary took two Brigadier General
Wickham came Col. Chanbliss, commanding
a brigade, came. They smiled also.
When Averill was opposite Staunton Fitz
Lee was at Fry Depot, on the Virginia Cen
trail Railroad, days march from that town
a fortunate occurrence, indeed. EVERYBODY
thought Averill was freed now. Lee was
ordered across the Blue Ridge. He passed
through Browns Gap and struck the Valley
turnpike at Mount Crawford, eight miles
above Harrisonburg-a miserable mistake :
one days march lost. He then marched to-
wards Staunton. Another day gone for moth
| ing. He finally reached Staunton where he
ought to have been the first night. Still,
there was plenty of time to cut Averill off.
Lee and Imboden marched day and night to
| Lexington, and then towards Covington-
They had yet time enough to intercept him.
Here was committed the fatal and foolish
blunder. While Lee and Imboden were on
the road to Covington, in striking distance of
| that place, word was sent that the Yankees
were marching towards Buchanan, instead of
| Covington. No man ought to have put ere
dence in statement so utterly absurd as that
the enemy were going from Salem to that
| place. Such statement presupposes Aver
i'll deliberately placing himself past escape
and, therefore, run raying mad. Such i'm
| probable rumOrs should never be entertained
| a moment, much less made the basis of i'm
| portant military movements. The order was
| obeyed. The troops turned and marched
| back, and at night were neither at Buchanan
nor Coyington.
The story is told in a few words. The Yam
KEGS passed through COvington, and, to their
| great amazement, escaped. The rumor about
Buchanan was the tale of some frightened
fool. The enemy, in terror and demoraliza-
ton, fed from Salem at full speed, destroying
their train and artillery. jackson knocked
| some in the head; the citizens beat the brains
out of others; one farmer in Allegheny killed
| six; some are scattered in the mountains and
are being picked up here and there; the rap
id streams drowned many; but the main part
have gone whence they came, wondering how
they did get away. 1t is hardly necessary to
! add, the humblest private in the ranks, if he
! possessed sense enough to eat and drink, not
| only could, but wOutd have managed better
| Old StOnewall would have marched on, caught
and killed the Yankees. What Lee thought.
this writer don't know. They who know, say
lmb0den begged to go to Covington. He
| made it plain to the dullest mind that the
Buchanan story was past belief What's done
is done.
No language can tell the suffering of our
men. They were in the saddle day and night,
save few hours between midnight and day.
They were beat up by their officers and their
swords-the only means of arousing them
numb and sleepy. Some froze to death
others were taken from their horses senseless.
They torded swollen streams, and their Clothes
stif-frozen, ratified as they rode. 1t rained in
torrents, and froze as it fell. In the noun
W
fore they ventured to ride over. One horse
slipped over the precipice. The rider was
leading him; he never looked over after
him. The whole matter is summed up in
couple of sentences. Averill was penned up
McCausland, Echols, and Jackson at one gate,
Lee and lmbOden at the other. Some ass
suggested he might escape By Jumping dorm
the aceN and coming out in Japan, i. e., 90 to
Buchanan. Early ordered them to leave
gate open and guard the well. He did not
jump in.
Meanwhile, the Yankee cavalry came up
the valley through Edenburg New Market,
up to Harrisonburg, within twenty-five miles
of Staunton, "their headquarters" This
was boarding the lion in his den Tubal took
the field, at the head of company l. and
party of substituted men, farmers and plough
boys, called "Home Guards" The Yankees
handing" lost his hat in the race. The last
heard of him he was pursuing the enemy with
part Of his division-footmen after cavalry
with fine prospect Of overtaking them some
where in China, perhaps about the "great
wall" The Yankees were retreating towards
the "Devil Hole" Early bound for the same
place! They did very little damage in the
valley.
Here is the moral: The marshals under
| Napoleon's eye were invincible-with sepa-
rate commands, bunderers. A general of
| division, with Gen. Robert E. Lee to plan and
| put him in the right place does well. Mosby
would plan and execute fight or strategic
| movement better than Longstreet at Suffolk
and Knoxville or Tubal Early at Staunton
| Jackson's blunt response to some parlor or
| bar-room strategists in Richmond, "more
men, but fewer orders" swas wisdom in an
a Vi ms vbar
the hero of the valley uttered it. 1t is diff
cult to direct, especially by couriers the
movement of troops a hundred miles distant
among mountains the ranking" general
never saw, except on an inaccurate map. 1t
is not every commander who can point out
roads he never heard Of and by-paths he
never dreamed of, as the proper ones to cut
Oh an enemy. Bullets not brains are need
ed here.
CHARLOTTE CORDAY'-The details given by
Samson of this remarkable incident in the
Reign of Terror are, as might be expected,
more minute than any that have yet been
given to the public; but they show the cir
cumstances of the case, as depicted by Mr..
Wards pencil from previously existing data.
to be perfectly correct. Charlotte had not
returned ten minutes from her trial, at which
she had conducted herself with unexample
| frmness and ability, when NJ. Hauer, the ar
| fist, was introduced. She conversed with
the artist, while engaged in his task, with
| perfect calmness for an hour and half,
| when she suddenly remembered she had for
| gotten to write letter. She had only pen
ned few lines when Samson made his ap
| pearance. She went on with her work not
withstanding, and when she had finished,
she placed her chair in the middle of the
room, and let down her beautiful hair to be
| o+I IT IL I, d,