The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-09-12
HOW KELLEY ESCAPED.
A STORY OF THE GETTYSBURG
CAMPAIGN.
While the Generals Little Army Lay
on Lees Flank ut North Noun
tain, the Rebel Council OF
War Was Planning
to Capture
Him.

to Capture
Him.
The late Gen. b. F. Kelley, "Ol
Ben Kelley as he was affectionatel
known by his men, was one Of th
silent heroes of the war. Msj. Davi
the army officer who has charge {
the publication of the rebellion ret
ords, told me that Kelley made les
history for the amount of fighting b
did than any general officer in tn
service.
Prudent, secretive, vigilant, Ger
Kelley committed little to papel
No telltale order ever betrayed hi
plans to the enemy. His instrue
tions always went by word of mout
through adjutants, and no CORES
pondents or other supernumerarie
were allowed in his camps. His re
ports scarcely showed which sid
licked, when he had been victorious
They were characteristic of the mar
terse, laconic, modest. In the forth
coming volume of war records, cover
ing some of Kelley's operation
along the Baltimore q Ohio railway
Maj. Davis will have to depend
largely upon the reports of the con
federate commanders for his history
The reports of Stonewall jackson
Loring and McCausland relate inter
esting experiences with Kelley's tel
thousand mountaineers along thu
upper Potomac and in the Shenan
doah.
From the beginning to the close o
the war Kelley operated in thu
mountains and performed service O.
prodigious value in keeping opel
the Baltimore q Ohio road, the grea
supply artery for the armies of the
cast: and he was the man also who
kept Stonewall jackson out of Pitts
burg. Early in the war jackson
conceived the idea of invading west
ern Pennsylvania, to ravage the rich
farming country ofthe Monongahels
Valley, to burn Pittsburg and to de
stroy the great United States arsena
there. 1t became his hobby, and
every movement of his up to the be-
ginning of 1862 looked to that end
The repulse and rout of Loring, com
handing 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 hnmil
alton that caused the tronble between
Jackson and the confederate secre-
tary of war which came so near los
ing Jackson to the confederacy.
Jefferson Davis, Gen. Lee and Gov.
Letcher patched up a peace and
Modified jackson only after the
greatest difficulty.
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 attachments of the, com
mands of General B. f. Butler and
Colonel afterwards GENERALLY 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 a beautiful
Sunday morning, Kelley at the
head of a small brigade of Virginia,
Ohio and Indiana troops, attacked
and routed a Confederate force Of
1000 under Colonel Porterfeld, al
Philippi, W. Va. 1t was here that
Kelley was shot through the lung by
a Confederate quartermaster named
Simms, the first Union soldier
to fall on the field with Confederate
lead in him. And thus fell desper
ately wounded the first volunteer Of
ficer to receive a commission from
President Lincoln, and the organizer
of the first Union regiment mustered
in south of the line.
About three months ago Genera
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 it was that he passed away
in the peace of home, attended by
an affectionate wife, surrounded BY
kinsmen and neighbors. His en-
vironment was ideal for the parting
scene.
A short time before his death
had long talk with him. He wa.
then on what he called his last
march, and he spoke calmly of the
final halt. He was eighty four, ant
he felt that his time had been drawn
out longer than could have been ex
pected, shot and slashed to pieces az
he had been In this conversation
he told me q story of the war, which
he said he had related to but one
other person, and that was Presiden
Grant. It was to keep faith with :
Virginia lady who was the principal
agent in the dramatic episode tina,
he had been silent. But the lady is
dead, and now the old general il
gone. /, therefore, feel at liberty t,
repeat the story.
just after Gen. Kelley received
orders from Halleek to concentrate
his 10000 men on the north side o
Potomac within striking distance, t,
the westward, of Lees retreat. l
was then hoped that Meade might b,
able to follow up the repulse by al
attack and Kelley had orders to ad
yaree with his veterans and attacl
Lees flank when he heard the frs
gun of Meade's action with the re
treating confederates. For thre
days his force lay on its arms alon!
the crest of South Mountain, anxious
ly awaiting the signal. 1t wa
known that Meade and Lee had bee
in close quarters four or five day
and the thunders of battle were ex
peeted any moment. Kelley's veteI
ans were wrought up to the fightin
pitch, and were literally spelling t
get at the "Johnnies." This wa
especially so of Mulligan's famou
Irish brigade.