The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1868-12-03

But feel a great interest, personal,
it may be-, in tho well being and al
yancemeDI Of Cap'oin Ford. besides
having the most unlimilei confidence
in his capacity, energy and loyalty.
| have the honor TO be General,
Most respectfully your obt sev't.
B. R. COWAN,
Paymssler U. s. A.
Brig. Gen. Z. P ScAmos.
Commanding Kanawha Div.
Charleston, West Va.
And the Gallipolis journal Of April
9'h, 1868 in speaking of this affair said
"NO loyal citizen can look ct the efec!
of the murdetoua ERE poured into the
Government steamboats, Victor No. 9
and General Meigs, By Jenkins guer.
illas on the KanUahu, last Sunday week,
without saying how narrowly our town
escaped destruction and how many hep.
Py homes might now be the scene of
dosolAtiou and mourning.
"But to the loyal, law abiding, pence,
ral lover Of his country more lLan bis
party, every bule! bolosin tb0se boats
conveys al idea Of terrible import
That they Designed to capture but not
destroy the boats, ia evident from the
fact that their FIRE was directed from,
aud no! at the machinery of th9 boats.
They knew that a shot in the steam hea.
tor or pipes would cfF5c'usly deprive
them Of using shcm as transports.-
When captured, TO steam directly 10
Galiipolis was the work Of lew hours.
Point Pleasan would then have proba-
bly, escaped pIundcr, not from choice,
but from fear Of giving tho ciusens Of
GalliPolid notice Of their danger. No
one can deny thnt 10 case of capture,
these boats loaded with lheso cowardly
essOssins might have landed at our wharf
unmoestel, AMI commenced their work
Of destruction before any effort could
have been made to oppose them. The
delay in sending relief to the Point eau
sed by lack of system and want Of a
commander, furnishes proof of how sue.
cacsTuIIY the enemy might have been en-.
counterel by an unllmOd and af'tighled
people, eucumbcr0i rs we maniresIy
would have been, by those whose pro
cliyiies would have favored surrender
of the place,
In view ofalI these facts the import.
Hncc to our citizens Of those boots esca
ping capture can hardly be ovcrrsled -
And to whose courage and daring is
their escape owing? To Captain Ford
and those under bis command"
And in our issue ofApril 81, 1868,
just four days after this occurrence, we
spoke as follows;
"ooly by contemplating the probable
results Of EurroGdor. can we properly
estimate the value of tho service render
ed by the intrepid Captain. Had he to
insure safety, given up his boat, the en-
envy would have filled her with troops
and surely capturGd the Gen. Msigs.-
following in her wake-and all things be-
ing in readiness, made decent upon this
place,-then all unsuspocins Of danger,
taken by surprise ouT little band of
soldiers, parolcd those in hospital, capt.
ured part and burned the rest of the gov.
ernment stores, nni then re- embarked
aud attacked Galipolis with similar re.
SUITS md, if not apprised oftheir Op.
proach, would doubtless burned that
tourishjng town, and thence continued
their journey down the Ohio and up the
Guyan, then, Abandoning and burning
the two steamers, beIook themselves,
with their portable pluudor, to their
mountain fastness, beyond danger OF
successful pursuit.
DWELL may we shuddcr, 10 rejecting
how imminent was destruc,ion--lh least
Iimility or irresolution in Captain F.
and all Government property and forces,
both a. this place and Gallipolis, would
IN all human probability, have been cap.
Iured, and what else--none can tell"
We chronicle these paten; facts, from
gratitude to the unOssuming Csptoin;
aud trust that our Congress will loose no
time in giving him that substantial re-
ward, which hs is entitled to, above oil
others, who served the government 10
the capacity that he did.
DIVIDING NEW YORK