Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-07-06

were pouring In by the thousand. Then !
was that the now. well known military rendez
vous Camp Dennison) was selected, On the
Both Of April, Gen Cox with the 1lth anG
part Of the Sd Ohio Infantry, took train from
Columbus and landed at the new camp The
color line was formed on the west, of the rail
roud, in corn and wheat fields. A train load
of lumber was quickly transferred from the
cars to the ground upon the mems backs
tools were distributed, and before night bar
racks were nearly completed. An old barn
subsequently used for a hospital, became the
Quartermaster and Commissary depot, mess
kettles and pans were issued, and Ohio sold
iers began their first experience in real camp
life, cooked rations having been issued in all
previous places Of rendezvous. That night
still further indicted the raw recruits into the
perils and difficulties Of soldier life, heavy
rain having converted the light, loamy soil Of
the camp into sea Of liquid mud-a soft bed,
to be sure, bnt q terribly uncomfortable one to
the untried soldier, who was wholly ignorant
Of the ingenious expedients of the veteran
campaigner. ,i,, y, e,s L,., '.t s,d. ,....
lTheitwo regiments above named were
oi;ssiickly followed by the 4th, 9Th, 8th, 18th,
and 18th; andla few weeks later Gem Bates
brought in his brigaIe-the 9th, 9th, 9th, and
10th Regiments-which had been organized
at Camp Harrison, near CINCINNATI These
completed the contingent Of Ohio inter the
first call for troops, and until the latter part
of June the time was proftably and industri-
ously employed;in fitting them for the field
At that time the organization for the three
years service was commenced All Of the
original regiments at once re-enlisted, and
General Cox was appointed by the President
Brigadier General Of United States Volun-
teers to rank from May 18th, 1861 s4a29-
On the 9th Of July Gen.. Cox was ordered
by General Mcclellan to take brigade con-
sisting OF the llth and l2tA Ohio and the lst
and I'd Kentucky Infantry, to the mouth of
the Great Kanawha river, in West Virginia.
where they would be joined by the 2lst Ohio,
Cotter battery of light artillery, and Pfau's
Cincinnati troop of horse The valley Of the
Great Kanawha was formed into the District
OF, the Kanawha, to the command of which
Gen. Cox was assigned. r.rag.. .sF
Upon arriving at Point Pleasant, opposite
Galipols, the General received orders to ad.
vance toward Charleston and 'Gaulcy Bridge
From the rugged nature of the country oper-
ations were necessarily confined to the imme-
diate vicinity of the river, thus giving the en-
eniy great advantages over an attacking force
The rebels were commanded by that arch
traitor and long winded politician, Henry A.
Wise ,''' 47'a'.''E7 t."'a %. y
On the 18th of Julya brisk engagement oc-
cured at Scarey Creek between the 18th and
1 l. Is ft,x 81 I'D tbav al,aIc
| who had erected eartliworks on the south bank
of the river, covered by the creek, which was
untordable. at the time, the bridge having been
destroyed by the enemy, Our troops, under
| Colonel Lowe, of the 18th Ohio, failed in the
effort to make crossing of the creek, and
the reconnaissance established the fact that
the position of the rebels was too strong to
attack in front, and as it commanded the river
wagon transportation for supplies would be
needed before the principal column could adj
vance, as originally, intended, on the north
bank of the river, Supplies had hitherto been
carried in small steamers which had accom-
panied the march of the troops along the
stream. A week later, wagons and animals
having been received the advance was re-
sumed, and General Cox, crossing the Pocat-
aligo, and making detour to the left, turned
the position at Scarey Creek, as well as ano-
ther fortifcaton at Tyler Mountain, on the
north bank af the kanawha, seven, miles be-
low Charleston The enemy, finding them
selves threatened in flank and rear, hastily
retreated, after burning steamboat load of
their supplies. q On the following day, the 10Th
General Cox again advanced and drove Gen.
Wise out of Charleston, the rebels, in their
retreat, burning the fine suspension bridge
over the Elk river at that place., During the
night the engineer company of the llth Ohio,
under command Of Captain z. P. Lane, of
Cincinnati, built a bridge of boats, and the
chase after Wise was resumed on the follow
ing morning. Wise being closely pressed, did
not venture to stop at Gauley river, but burn
ing the costly turnpike bridge at that point,
continued his flight to Lewisburg. Here Gen.
Cox received orders from General Mcclellan
to stop and fortify his position, the little col
umn having advanced as far as was consider
ed prudent OF necessary, in order to cover the
approaches to West Virginia through the
mountains. The trophies takenaby General
Cox in the pursuit Of Wise, was one piece of
artillery and fifteen hundred stands of arms,
together with large number Of prisoners,
who according to the practice in vogue at the
time, were paroled and sent home i,gs
Gen. Mcclellan having been ordered to the
command of the Army Of the Potomac was
succeeded by General Bosecrans in the De-
partment Of West Virginia. %" aa"
Floyd having joined Wise with heavy rein
forcements and assumed command of the reb-
Ell forces in West Virginia, ordered new ad7
vance early in August, and during the whole
month Gen Cox''s little army waged an une-
quail conflict with nearly four times its own
numbers, The various defiles leading out
from Gauley Bridge were the scenes Of almost
daily combats and skirmishes; but, although
the rebels penetrated to the Kanawha river
below, the posts occupied by our troops, they
did not succeed in getting permanent foot
hold, or in stopping communication with the
Ohio river below. Meanwhile General Rose
Grams was pushing forward his preparations
for uniting with General Cox by moving a
considerable column from Clarksburg, by the
way of Summerville, to the Gauley. '.' =
After various maneuvers, Floyd fortified
himself, at Carnifex Ferry, where General
Rosecrans attacked him., with an indecisive
result; but Floyd retired from his position in
the night Immediately after the retreat of
Floyd, Gen. Cox advanced upon Wise, who
retreated to Dogwood Gap and Sewell Noun
tain. McCook's brigade being ordered to re-
port to General Cox, the, latter. with the two
brigadess closely followed the enemy to Sewell