Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-03
Brilliant Achievement by MCNeilPs
Partisan Hangers.
BY OSWALD,

Banner Of he South.
Great battles, fought BY immense ar,
mics, force the attention and scrutiny OF
tbs world towards them, aud, however
stlpidly conducted, are the pets upon
which history bestows its admiration. a
d~i ytinguished man dies, and, forthwith all
thu writer's and poets in the land COM
m ,uce to sing praises over the dead. The
rSrest heroisms Of life performed by the
MODEST 0 fmen, seldom claim much stten-
tion from the press. Thepublic thirst for
excitement must be sstiated, and, as our
American world goes now, with large
drAughts, the quality being q secondary
or forgotten consideration.
Occasionally, however, q few gallant
spirits loom up before Us, in deeds OF Valor,
a. splendidly and dsringly accomplished,
that we instinctiYely turn to read OF and
admire them; and we recollect OF no met
deaf that occurred during the four fearless
va ,rs in which We wore the gray, that
comes 10 us with brighter memories than
thu one we now relate. 1t Is sketched eX-
sctly as 1t occurred:
odd McNeill' as be was fsmiliarly call
ed the first commander of the troop which
aft ,rgsrds bore his name, though q native
of Hardy county, Virginia, had Tor years
previous 10 the war, resided in Missouri,
! where. upon the commencement OF hostlll,
tiet in 1861, he organized 8 company OF
mounted rihemen, and at Carthage and
Lexington did good service IN behalf OF
his adopted State. In his Western career
he was singulariy unfortunate, having lost
| his eldest son, who was killed on picket
duey early in the war, and himself having
| bean. with another son, Jesse, captured
and confined in the military prisons OF
| Alton and St. Louis. They, however,
efs tied an early escape, and reached the
| Confederate lines in safety. ,
Having obtained authority at klcamond
in 1862. he set about raising and independ-
emit company OF partisan rangers, and IN Q
yer; short space OF time was in command
of "a gallant q band as ever drew blade n
fight. It was composed mainly OF Virgin
i'm, and Marylanders, but from nearly
every Southern State o representative
mi yht have bren found in lie ranks.
The daring achievements OF these Dor
der rangers soon made them famous as q
| terror and a scourge to the enemy and, as
| acknowledged champions Of the Western
! bo,der of Virginia, they became endeare6
10 the hearts of The people whom they en-
d ,yo-ed so jealousy to defend. In TINS
TTs-tsrn section Of the State, the counties
Of Hardy and Hampshire, hepWed IN ~
S;sb mountains which surround 1t IKE
A Grand smphithsster, lies the beautiful
and fertile valley of Aooreheld, was
tered in the South Branch Of the Potomac
AMI its tributaries. Here dwell an inde-
pendent, hospital race, who never IN the
darkest hour of trial and danger, swerVed
from their allegiance to the Old Domln-
ion and through her to the ~Coatederacy.
Among them, during the greater part OF
IN, war, the Rangers esmped, men n
horses being sustained upon theabundance
of their rich estates. Whils the wild fast,
uesses of the mountains near BY afforded
a c retreat when the oyerpoWerlng
numbers of the enemy rendered resistance
vain. Beyond this valley, and above the
narrow cap through which the river flows!
Il : another valley, smaller in extent, and
= ar its centre is the little village OF Re
ts,sburO. At the time Of which l write
0im yisaged var had left It's indehole
trace. Tbs deserted fort that sat like
forgotten grave upon the bull, the remains
oc DESTROYED fencing, the mutilsted houses
the blaeksned ruins Of temple dedicated
Z, God all s~peechlessly bore testimony o,
the ruin and wrong that ever accompanied
the march of the hired hosts OF despot'
power. ,os-
N the bitter wind, BY q dwelling on ID
niIl north Of the village, o solitary pick 9
vas walking to and fro, seemingly forget
ruI of the elemental strife around him
Silently pacing his beat, he watched ever!
avenue Of approach, turning asid'
5ut TO cast his eye upon his fsithtui stee,
6stspded close by. For miles to the mort
ard west 8 fine view was had OF the ROAD
leading to the enemys lines, until the.
disappeared in the distant ridges, while 7
tbe south below the village across to
river might be seen the smoke arising tro'
amongst the hills, where the rangers {
Mcneil and the haroes of NeWmark'
were encamped. In spite ct the P,ercin
cold, IS he paced the snowy beat, the Sc
incl would relapse ever and anon IN
reyerie; memory vas busy amid the pas
dis face grows bright and his eyes lash
he f.ncies the shouts Of victory, heard o
so many battle-6elds, when, with his col
~napions of tbs past, he welded the sWol
and hazArded all for freedom. Bot sno
A sadness spreads over his features, 81
his ewes beam with . mellowed light, as
thinks of the exhausted state OF the arm
and the snervated condition OF his suh'
ing country; and floating up before !
vision, come the death scene OF conrad
Loaf bat loved 50 well. he sees agar
the rocky pass and the old mill in VIII
Lens. the model soldier, bresthsd his Ia!
his brave young commander, Sheets, !
dead from his plungipg charger. and
most feels the fatal bnlles that struck dol
the gallant Harrison, while riding By !
: side; the chieitain, too. whose fortunes
} had lately followed, whose name wa
household yord, and the lame Of whose d
!. ing resounded through the END, the n