The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-12-16
WHEELING i6 1861


commander was confident OF beInr
able 70 turn greatly to his advantage.
But 70 resume our narrative. with
herculean Lexertions, General Ander.
sons brigade struggled on over SthG
pathless sleeps. Scarcely had Il gained
the point aimed nj on the Staunton
turnpike, when night turned In dlrk
aud rainy. IBy what route those wei
aud weary troops had come, pefhapt
hardly one Of them could have told
Yet, there they were, secreted In The
dense d forest, and ready 10 strike The
premeditated blow on kimbaIl'S . rear
at the coming dawn. Peering through
the gloom, the Esbela could descry thG
camp firea at Elkwater. four miles 81
more away, toward their left and rear,
Faclng In ihe opposite direction, they
found themselves confronting kim.
balls plckets. Although the latter
were alert and vigilapt, such waB th6
enemy's caution that this bfo1lmlty
does not appear 10 have been suspect.
ed. In all essential particulars, The OK.
ecutlon ufLee's plans, up TO this point,
had been perfectly Successful.
We now return 10 the affairs NJ Elk.
water. At dark the plckeis on The
Huntersvllle turnpike were repostSti,
the better TO guard against surprise
Two companies OF the Third Ohio, sent
out ag supports, came up an hour later,
and almost In silence took their station
In o narrow belt OF timber crossInf the
hill lust 70 the left OF the ford, and up.
on the farther bank OF Elkwater Fork.
This was an important position In the
advanced line Of .Elkyater defenses,
Chat 1.-THE Iord) gsilt looked directl
down upon the debolchitfo or StewaEEis 4
run and commanded perfectly the ap.
proach down the Huntersyllle turn.
pike. II WIS q dreadfully stormy
night, without sign Of moon or star. A
single alarm, about nine o'clock-a
false one, as Il proved-was all that 90.
CURED 70 disturb lts monotonousq quiet.
Sleepless and shelterless, the pIokets
awaited the frat CLEAN OF daylight. Al
last itcanne- T2QfItS SfjTf /
"Prime eheeFet, Light,
ofRll material things, the tirSt and best ~
Dawn never seemed more welcome
than It did 10 the guards who stretched
their shlverlng forms in the gray light
of that Thursday morning, and then,
by turns, hastened 10 the reserve posts,
where stubborn fires were already be.
ginning to shoulder, there to warm
and dry thenlselveh-haply, also, to
boil the cup Of coffee that each 30 much
needed.
All had ANTICIPATED an early and de.
termined advance OF the enemy; but
for hours no stir was visible behind the
rebel picket posts. About II A., NJ,
however, a squad of mounted scouts
came back upon the gallop, reporting
the rebel columns again in motion, and,
in few minutes, there they came,
those gray hosts, with long lines oi
bri Rht steel cleaning In the sunshine,
and five brass field pieces In plain
sight. The advanced picksts were I'm,
mediately called 10. aud, under the dt.
rectlon OF Major keiier, OF the Third
Ohio, preparations were made TO give
the enemy q warm reception, should he
attempt TO torce the position at Che ford,
Company B, OF the Sixth Ohio, was de-
ployed as skirmlshers across the mead
Ows short distance In advance, with
orders for the men to conceal themselves
as much as possible, by lying down, In
the weeds and tall grass. A company
OF the Seventeenth Indiana, posted be.
hind u rail fence, extended the line
some distance further to the right,
toward high wooded hill Other com.
panies Of the same command were
picketing Elkwater run, to prevent a
Hank movement from that direction:
while Stewards run, upon the other
flank, was still held by Company D, of
the Sixth Ohio. The miniature fort.
Immediately to the rightand rear OF the
ford, was filled with troops, an atidi.
tiOnal platoon or more lining the road
side close by. The two companies OF
the Third Ohio remained In am bush on
the hill side beyond Elk water Fork.
At camp, meanwhile, long roll had
again brought the troops TO the breast.
works, where they lay until nearly
evening. Companies q and X, OF the
Sixth, were sent forward on II recon.
noissance; but Colonel Morrow (who
had now taken command at the ford),
considering his force su fiiciently strong
without them, they did hut barely come
In sight OF the enemy, when they were
ordered TO return. - II
Again Lee had halted, after pushing
forward a, strong line Of skirmishers;
and, while he lay, awaiting A Andersdh' u
signal for the assault, was improving
the time by reconnoltering; discovering
which fact, the Union pickets cautious.
~ advanced, and were soon engaged Ia
pickering combat with the enemy's out.
posts, at long riile.range, One party
from the Sixth Ohio succeeded In reach.
Ing an apple orchard on the right OF the
road, hRlf a mile In advance OF the
ford. Two splendidly mounted officers
who were seen riding along the rebel
front, taking observations with a field.
glass. provoked, OF course, a shower oi
leaden compliments. Wheeling their
horses about, the pair trotted back out
of sight. Scarcely had they done so,
when q put OF blue smoke shot up from
behind screen OF bushes, and d shell
went crashing through the apple trees
over head.
In company With the Colonels Of his
Elkwater regiments, General REYNOLDS
WIS, at this moment, ut the front recon.
n0itering the enemy's position. Turn.
ing 10 an orderly ne dispatched hur.
ried line to Captain LoOmIs. That OH.
Ger delighted 70 receive permission to
''let alp the dogs Of war" under HIS
charge, soon had ten.pOund Parrot
ut the ford, and began
hnrlfng shell al the head Of the enemy's
column. The rebels, strangely can.
tious, made no reply. It was now late
In the afternoon.
While this affair was In progress,
Company B's skirmishers had been
called In, and Company D, alarmed by
what seemed the roar OF battle al the
fond, had come down Stewards Run
upon the double quick. Together the
two companies were ordered to the hill
aide, where one company OF the Third
Ohio wns yet in position, there TO pass
the night. TWAS evident that Lee had
given up all Intention OF making an
attack that day. .-f
The suns last rays had Just faded
from the nelghboring hill.Iops when
the troops at the ford heard a trpmen.
dous cheering proceeding from camp,
aud so loud and long continued that
tho rebels must have heard II likewise,
and wondered ut It's meaning. Soon a
hOrseman WAS seen to shoot out from
behind the iutrenchments and dlsh
along the turnpike at full speed. Al.
MOST standing up in his stirrups, he
was waving his hat wildly. Victory I!
Carnisex Ferry had beeni fought aud
wonl
1nspIriting though these tIdIngs were,
there was much 10 occasion an xIeLy In
the attitude OF affairs Immediately
around Elkwater. All communication
with the summit had beOn cut or since