The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-12
parties, was taken for duty Oh the night of


| a surprise, which distinct and definite IN
/ structlons p operly executed would have
| avoided.
| 3. That the commanding officer erred
! In not advancing and strengthening his
! pickets beyond the usual limits under
1 the circumstances.
| 4. That the commanding officer exhib
| Tied upon the occasion decided GOODNESS
sod-poSsessiou aud personal courage, and
| eXelted himself as far as possible, 10 eticcj
a retreat III good order.
II. The Commanding General having
attentiVely considered tho pro cedlngS OF
the Court OF Inquiry in the foregoing case
concurs in the opinion expressed by the
court, In the statement of the facts de-
duced from the testimony.
These facts show, that the position al
Philippi was seriously threatened by a
superior ioroe OF the enemy, distant only
four hours march; that col, PorJerield
was aware of the danger of his position,
| and prudently prepared 70 eVacuaJe II.
His desire TO prevent the OcCUI alton OF
the town by the enemy was worthy OF all
praise; ana had he prudeuly sent back
his baggage and Ineffective men, arranged
measures 10 secure information OF the ad-
vance OF the enemy, he might safely have
retained ms position, and either given
battle or retired, as circumstances might
die ate. II does not appear from the
record OF the court, that any plan of de-
renee was formed but IL does appear, that
the troops retired without his orders, and
that the instructions 10 his advance
guard, were either mlScOncelYed or not
executed.
10 these circumstances must be attrlb-
uted the disaster that followed, and they
call for heavy censure upon all concerned,
The Com mmandIug General remarks with
pleasure upon the coolneSs, self posses
sion, courage and energy, displayed 10y
Col. POrteTfield at the moment OF attack !;
but he cannot eXhonerate himirOm blame,
IN not taking proper precautionary meas
ureS OeiOrehad. Yet in consideration Ofau
the circumstances OF the case, he does not
thln K IL necessary to do more than TO cX.
press the opinion of the court, in hope that
the said effects produced by the want OF
tOrethOugnt and vigilance, as exhibited
in this, viii be a lesson to be rcmem Oered
by the army throughout the war.
Ill. The Court of inquiry of which Col.
VIM. B. TalliaferTO, Virginia Volunteers
is President, is dissolved.
By UOmmadd of General Lee.
GEO DEAs, A. A. G..
From these proceedings the pubic
may see the extent to which blame may
properly attach TO me.
Gen. Robert s. Garnet WAS next sent
to this part of The State, with several Sc
lect regiments, and some artillery, from
Richmond, and took command on the
ing to about eight thousand men, was
well supplied in every respect, and had
with it a number OF experienced officers
General Garnett entrenched himself with
the greater part Of this army at the
western. .slopeof Laurel hill, about twelve
miles north of Beverly. He left Colonel
Pegrsm, with about fifteen hundred men,
on Rich Mountain, few miles west OF
Beverly, to secure his rear and keep
open his line of communication.
General Mcclellan menaced Garnetrs
front at Laurel Hill, gained and occupied
his attention, whilst at the same time he
turned Gsrnett's position at that point,
and moving around by Blckhannon
with the greater part OF his force, he
attacked and finally captured Peg.
rams command on Rich Mountain,
which also surprised and defeated Gar
nett at Laurel Hill, AS this success gave
Mcclellan full possession OF Gsrnett's
rear, his depot at Beverly aud bis only
safe line of retreat, Garnett broke up MS
camp ut Laurel Hill without delay, and
began his retreat over a narrow, circuit
Gus and unknown mountain by-TOad, by
which he hoped TO reach Monterey, u
point in his line east of the Alleghenies.
Had he been detained at Laurel Hill or
intercepted near Oakland, ss Mcclellan
had ordered, his entire command would
hardp have escaped capture. As it was,
the debris of his army arrived at Monterey
after the loss OF their commanding Gen
sral and few men killed in a skismsh,
besides all their baggage and munitions
Gen. Loring succeeded to the command
in this section in the latter part of July,
and fixed MS headquarters at Valley
Mountain, west of the Cheat and south OF
the Beverly. He was soon followed by
Gen. Lee, who established himself at the
camp Of Gen. Loring. After Garnett's
defeat, the Fedorals pushed forward to
the top of Cheat Mountain on the Stsun-
ton road, where they were strongly
fortified, and TO CrouCh's house, (Elk-
water, on the road leading south toward
uuntersville. Gen. II. r. jackson had
command of the troops on the east side of
the Cheat. Gen. Lo:ing had those on
the west side, composed of the new
brigades of Gen. DouelsOn, Gen. Ander-
son and Col. Gllham, with some cavalry
and artillery. This entire force, subject
10 the orders of Gen. Lee, numbered
about twelve thousand men, but consider
ably reduced by sickness.
After about months Prepsra-
ton, a plan for COM
biucd attack was formed, by which the
Federsls were TO be attacked st the same
hour, both on the mountain and IN the
valley below. The army was moved up,
and on the morning of the l2th OF
September each brigade occupied the
position which had been assigned 1t IN
the programme. But no attack was
made. The plan failing in one part
failed in all, and the army was with
drawn, having lost Col. John a, Wash
ington, aide to Gen. Lee, who was shot
by a picket concealed by the roadside
The blame for the failure to attack has
been by some attributed to Col. Bust. 1t
was certainly not the fault OF Gen. Loriug.
Gen. Lee then proceeded with the most
effective portion of his srmy TO the
Sewell mountain in Greenbrier county,
when united with the commands o!
Wise and Floyd, he had near ten
thousand men. Rosecrsns was encanped
on the top of the Sewell with
about five thousand men, as was alter
wards a,Certained. The two armies
lay within sight of each other ten days;
when Rosecrans, finding the danger OF
his position, made 8 hasty retrest, on the
night of the 5th of October. This was
first sscertained by there being no tents
seen on the Sewell the next morning.
Here the campaign ended.
For It's conduct and failure, General
Lee WAS severely censured by the press,
as well as by some officers OF experience.
They, perhaps, did not reflect upon the
difficulties in his way. He was IN hos
tile country No people made greater
sacrifices, or proved themselves better
soldiers, than those from Northwestern
Virginia, who took part with the South
in this contest, yet they were greatly in
the minority in their section. The Con-
federstes were also cut of, by hundred
miles of-mountain barriers, from their