Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-08-14
From the Philadelphia Times.l
HOW KELLEY ESCAPED.

The late General IS. +. helleE,
"Old Ben Kelley as he was affec-
tionately known by his men, was one
of the silent heroes of the war. Ma
jor Davis, the army officer who has
charge OF the publication OF the re-
bellion records, told Inc that Kelley
made less history for the amount Of
fighting he did than any general Of
ficer in the service.
Prudent, secretive, vigilant, Gener-
al Kelley committed little to paper.
No tell-tale order ever betrayed his
plans to the enemy. His instructions
always went by word of mouth
through trusted adjutants, and no
correspondents or other supernumer-
aries were allowed in his camps. His
reports scarcely showed which side
licked, when he had been victorious
They were characteristic of the man.
terse, laconic, modest. In the forth
coming volume of war records, cover
ing some Of Kelley's operations along
the Baltimore and Ohio Railway
Major Davis will have to depend
largely upon the reports OF the
Confederate commanders for his his
tory. The reports Of Stonewall Jack
son, Loring and McCausIand relate
interesting experiences with Kelley's
ten thousand mouptaineers along the
upper Potomac and in the Shenan-
doah.
From the beginning to the close OF
the war Kelley operated in the
mountains and performed service OF
prodgious value in keeping open the
Baltimore and Ohio Road, the great
supply artery for the armies of the
East; and he was the man also who
kept Stonewall Jackson out Of Pitts
burg Early in the war Jackson con
ceived the idea Of invading Western
Pennsylvania, to ravage the rich
farming country OF the Monongahela
Valley, to burn Pittsburg and to de
stroy the great United States arsenal
there. 1t became his hobby, and
every movement of his up TO the begin
ming of 1862 looked to that end. The
repulse and rout Of Loring. command
ing his advance, at Romney, w. Va,
October 81, 1861, by Kelley was bad
backset for the invasion scheme, and
jackson was summarily ordered TO
retreat to Winchester and pass the
winter. 1t was this humiliation that
caused the trouble between Jackson
and the Confederacy. Jefferson Da-
Wis, General Lee and Governor
Letcher patched up peace and molIi-
fed jackson only after the greatest
difficulty.
THE FIRST ACTION OF THE WAR.
1t is generally understood from the
war histories that the first field action
OF the rebellion was at Big Bethel
Church, Va, June 10, 1861, between
detachments Of the commands OF
General b. +. Butler and Colonel
(afterward GeneraD a. p. Hill; but
this is an error, due mainly to the
secretiveness and modesty of General
Kelley, for just one week before Big
Bethel. on u beautiful Sunday morn
ing, Kelley, at the head OF a small
brigade of Virginia, Ohio and lndi-
ana troops, attacked and routed a
Confederate force Of 1900 under Col
onel Porterfield, at Phillippi, w Va.
1t was here that Kelly was shot
through the lungs by Confederate
ouartermaster named Siinms, the
first Union soldier to fall on the field
with Confederate lead in him. And
thus fell desperately wounded the
first volunteer officer TO receive
commission from President Lincoln,
and the organizer OF the first Union
regiment mustered in south OF the
line.
About two months ago General
Kelley was moved from Cumberland
to his beautiful country place, Swan
Meadows, near Oakland. The old
war hero knew that his end was near
and he wanted to die at the Meadows,
the place he loved best. And here 1t
was that he passed away, in the peace
Of home. attended by an affectionate
wife surrounded by kinsmen and
neighbors. His environment was
ideal for the parting scene.
A short time before his death / had
a long talk with him. He was then
on what he called his last march, and
he spoke calmly OF the final halt.
He was elghty-four, and he felt that
his time had been drawn out longer
than could have been expected, shot
and slashed to pieces as he had been.
In this conversation he told me
story OF the war, which, he said, he
had related to but one other person,
and that was President Grant. 1t
was TO keep faith with Virginia lady
who was the principal agent in the
dramatic episode that he had been
silent. But the lady is dead, and
now the old generals gone. l, there
fore, feel at liberty 10 repeat the
story.
FOLLOWING LEE's RETREAT.
Just after General Kelley received
orders from Halleck to concentrate
his $4,000 men on the north side Of
the Potomac within striking distance
TO the westward, OF Lees retreat. Ii
was then hoped that Meade might be
able to follow up the repulse by al
attack and Kelley had orders to ad