Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-07-13
Major General j. ID. Cox.
CONCLUDED. | |


During the winter of 1862, Major Gener-
al Fremont superseded Gen. Rosecrans, and
projected plan of campaign for the ensuing
spring, in which one column, under his i'm
mediate command, was to advance from Bev-
erly, and other points in Northwest Virginia
toward Lynchburg, simultaneously with an ad-
vance of Gen Cox column up the Kanawha
and New River Valley toward Ncwbcrn.--
The troops of the Kanawha District had been
increased to four brigades, of which, one un-
der Col Lightburn, Of the 4th Virginia Vol
untecrs, held the lower Valley one under COL
Crook, of the Both Ohio, advanced toward
Lewishurg from Gaulcy Bridge, and two 9TH
ers commanded BY Col. Scanmon, of the 23d,
and Col. Moor, of the 2Sth Ohio, respectively
advanced under the immediate command OF
Gen. Cox from Gnulcy Bridge, by Fayettc
vile and Raleigh toward Parisburg.
The campaign opened early in May by
concerted movement Of the columns. Col
Crook drove the rebels from Lewslurg, and
occupied that place after battle with a rcb
cl brigade under Gen. Heth, in which the rcb.
els were completely routed. The column of
the south silc Of New River commanded by
Gen Cox in person, had also made rapid pro-
gress The rebels had bccu driven from Raj
eigh and Princeton, burning the latter place
in their retreat, and the advanced guard OF
Cox's force, under Lieut. Col Hayes, of the
23d Ohio, had entered Parisburg, when a new
phase was put upon affairs and the movement
brought to stand still by our revcrscs in the
Shenandoah Valley. Banks being forced to
retreat before Stonewall Jackson, Gen. FIRE.
mont was called of from his march upon
Lynchburg to attack jackson.
Gen. Cox received notice that the concert
ed movement was abandoned, and that he
must use his own discretion in taking care of
his command against the increased forces in
that part of Virginia, which had heen left free
to concentrate upon him by the change of d-
rcction of Frcmont's column. Simultaneous
ly with this news the enemy resumed the ag-
gressive. A superior rebel force under Gems
Humphrey Marshall and Wheeler, passed
through the East River Mountains some twcn-
ty miles south of t2arisburg, and moved straight
on Princeton, in rear of CoXs command
which was at the parrows Of New river, near
the mouth of East river The small rear
guard at princeton was quickly driven out
and the place occupied by Marshalls forces
Gen. Cox put Meors brigade in motion at
midnight, and ordering Scammons brigade to
follow, marched promptly back TO Princeton,
reached it at daybreak, and drove the enemy
out, and rc-established his communication with
the rear. Scammons brigade came up at
noon. The enemy had now taken up position
on u steep ridge of hills to the right of the
town. His force was sccrtaned to be large
y superior to our own, and he was apparently
moving to the rear of our troops Under
these circumstances it was determined to re-
tire to Flat Top strong mountain range be-
tween Princeton and Raleigh and then in
trench until the result of Fremont's move.
ment in the Shenandoah should be known
On the 2lst May, therefore, Gen. Cox went
into position on Flat Top Mountain.
On the 10th of August, the whole Of Vir-
ginia having passed under command of Gen.
Pope, Gen. Cox received orders to send about
one-half of his command to the Army of Vir-
ginia, then operating near Culpepper Court
House. At his request the order was SO mod
fled as to allow Gen. Cox to 60 in person
with the portion Of the command thus de-
tached He at once withdrew that portion Of
the troops to be left to Fayetteville, and Or
ganized from the rest division known as the
Kanawha division, and subsequently distin-
guished in the campaign Of South Mountain
and Antetam. It was composed of the llth,
18th, 23d, 28th, 30th and Both Ohio Infantry,
Mullins and Simmonds' batteries, and Pfau's
troop of cavalry They reached the head Of
navigation on the Kanawha by march of
ninety miles in three days and half, and
were then transported by steamboats, to Park
ersburg, where they took the railway to Wash
ington. Crooks brigade reaching Washing
ton-first, was sent right forward to General
Pope, then at Warrenton Junction, and re-
treating. A break in the railroad prevented
the rest of the division from following Gen.
Cox was ordered to rendezvous at Alexandria
and report to Gen. Mcclellan, who was then
landing his troops from the Peninsula. The
llth and 23d Ohio were then detached to pro-
ceed to Bull Run bridge by order of General
Mcclellan, to guard that railway structure
There they were attacked by Stonewall Jack
son, who had turned the right flank of Pope 8
army After gallant fight they retired with
small loss, to Alexandria.
Remaining at Alexandra until the 7th of
September, Gen. Cox was ordered to report
with his division to Gen Burnside, then com