The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-19

MINK JOHn DhlIey tnOuIu Ue eleCleu
door.keeper OF the next House OF Repre-.
sentAiives by a unanimous vote" Inas.
much us we are mRtler.oi-fact kind OF
people, and the public has never been ia.
vored with n correct account OF the Nc.
Neill raid on Cumberland, and the cap.
ture Of Generals Crook and Kelley, /
propose, Mr.. Editor, to give you a simple
statement Of facts Of the affair, from my
own personal knowledge.
On the morning Of the 10Th Of February
1865, my gallant Comrade in arms, John
u. Fay, passed through the Federal lines
TO his home at Cumberland, which at that
time was occupied by some seven or eight
thousand Federal troops, commanded by
Gems. Kelley and Crook. Learning the
situation Of affairs, and finding their pick.
cts careless, and the officers commanding
making their headquarters at the various
hotels in the city, instead Of with their
men, as we oil the Confederate army were
used to, the thought occurred to him
that they Crook and Kelley could be
easily captured. Heso reported to Capt.
Jesse Mcneil, who favored the suggestion
and acted Immediately by calling his com.
mand in line and asking for volunteers to
go with him on perilous scout, not vouch.
ing for their safety from capture, or even
death in the event Of being taken prison.
ers. Forty.seven Of that brave little band,
pardon the remark from one Of the party,
stepped to the front, and on the morn
ing Of the Goth started for Romney, not
one save few, knowing were we were
going; on the evening OF the Goth we
CampCd at Hampshire county poor.house
and dispatched courier back for com.
pany Q-the name given TO those left in
camp-for twenty Yankee over.coats. BY
ttffg time the place Of our destination got
out among the boys, and cheer after cheer
echoed and re.echoed over the mountains
and hills bordering the beautiful South
Branch valley. The order came to march;
after starting we halted and fed our
horses and had supper at Hanging Rock,
few miles east Of Romney; at dark we
crossed over the mountains 10 Patterson's
creek, 1anking the Short Gap route,
which was blOckaded by falling timber,
thence over the mountains lying between
Patterson'S creek and North Branch Of
Potomac, by bride paths, through snow
and ice, some twelve inches deep. We
arrived at Mr.. 4. Seymour's, kind fam.
lily living near the river, where Capt. Nc.
NeiIl was presented with a new pair Of
cavalry boots, one Of which, together
with a blanket, belonging 10 the writer,
'waA lost near the house Of our friend, Mr..
Samuel Brady. We made short halt al
the railroad crossing, and Capt. Mcneil,
not getting the information he expected
from certain Waterman on the
road, hesitated whether 10 proceed
or not. The gallant Fay rode up
to Captain Mcneil and said: "Give
me the pick Of two Maryland boys
and l will make the capture" The
young captains pride was touched, and
all he said was: "Boys will you stand
by me-" 1t was answered quickly, I'VE
would, through every emergency" We
were nearing the pickets, and as we
silently, in single file, crossed the rail.
road. each and every man had "God
bless ye, byes," from q true.hearted son
Of the Emerald Isle. We then made a
dash for the outside pickets, were halted
and commanded 10 give the countersign,
which was replied TO by a shot from the
captains revolver and IN easy capture Of
the pickets, forcing them to give us
the countersign Of the night, which was
"Muddy Branch" We passed on through
the reserve pickets at different points,
entering the city at three o'clock on the
morning Of the 2lst Of February, 1865;
rode up Baltimore street; halted in front
OF what was then called the Barnum
House, headquarters Of General Kelley,
detailing three men TO go TO his room;
at the same time three men were de.
tailed TO go TO the Revere House,
headquarters Of General Crook.
The twenty men wearing Yankee
overcoats, aCting.as advance guard in and
rear guard going out, were detailed to en-.
gage the attention OF the Federal guards
and railroad men on the s;reetS, while
John b. Fay, in charge Of few men, was
sent TO the Government stables, with strict
orders TO secure the favorite charger,
PhilliPpi, presented to General Kelley,
by citizens OF Wheeling as a token Of
regard for little wound the General got
at Phillippi, in West Virginia, and as
mapy more as would mount the prisoners.
The Revere House, headquarters OF Gen.
eral Crook, was kept during the winter
season by Mr.. John Daley, father Of
James Daley, my comrade in arms, who,
like myself, was high private in the rear
ranks. Alter securing our brace Of Gen.
erals We started down the tow.path OF
the Chesapeake & Ohio canal, making
better time than any mule that ever tread.
ed between Cumberland and Georgetown.
Alter crossing the river into Virginia,
some three miles, we heard the firing OF
the Slgnnl-gun, and as boom after boom
rang out on that keen frosty morning
We knew we would be hotly pursued; put
spurs to our horses, and reached Romney
at sunrise, with Captain Harris Federal
cavalry in hot pursuit, overtaking US
some two miles south Of Romney, where
they were repulsed by our rear guard
after few shots were exchanged; Think.
ing we were out Of danger we marched
more leisurely, until we reached the vi.
cinity OF Mooretield, where we were in
tercepted by some two hundred and fifty
or three hundred Federal soldiers from
New Creek; Evading their pursuit by cir.
cuitOus mountain paths we reached the
summit OF Howard Lick mountains, and
being reinforced by company @ we pre-.
pared for battle; the enemy failing TO
make an attack we sent out our scouts
and found they had given up the chase at
Moorstield, leaving US their kindest re-.
CARDS, saying that we had only got our
old quartermaSter Kelley, and Gen.
Crook WAS new man in command, OF
whom they knew very little; We found
during the night some FIVE hundred
cavalry under command Of General Gus.
ter closing in on us from Winchester.
So we took up our line TO march
up the South Fork, some len miles, where
We camped the remainder Of the night,
Clusters cavalry abandoning further pur.
suit. On the following morning, Feb.
tnary "2-Wushington's bir,hday-aiter
ride Of nearly one hundred miles from
the time we left Hanging Rock, without
food for ourselves and horses, no camp.
fires, in snow six inches deep, with no COW
ering but our saddle blankets and the
hlua nannNy nhn1n a.. ,,,. 80 4 -