Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09

great arsenal 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, commanding
his advance, at Romney, w. Va, October
~, 1861, by Kelley, was q bad setback for
the Invasion scheme, and jackson was sum-
marily ordered to fall back to Winchester.
It was this humiliation that caused the big
fuss between Jackson and the Confederate
Secretary of War, which came so near los
ing Jackson to the Confederacy. Jefferson
Davis, General Lee and Governor Letcher
patched up a peace and Modified jackson
only after the greatest difficulty
1t is generally understood from the war
histories that the first set field action of the
Rebellion was at Big Bethel Church, Vir-
ginia, June 10, 1861, between detachments
from the commands of General B. T. Butler
and Colonel afterwards GeneraD A. p
Hill; but this is an error, due mainly to the
secretiveness and modesty of General Kel-
ley, for Just one week before Big Bethel, on
beautiful Sunday morning, Kelley, at the
head of small brigade of Virginia, Ohio
and Indiana troops, attacked and routed a
Confederate force of 1900 men under Col
onel Porterfeld, at Phillippi, W. Va.
WOUNDED IN THE FIRST BATTLE.
It was here that Kelley was shot through
the lungs by Confederate quartermaster
named Simms, 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 commits
sion from President Lincoln, and the organ
izer of the first Union regiment mustered in
south of the line.
About two months ago General Kelley
was moved from Cumberland to his beauti-
full country place, Swan Meadows, near
y Oakland.
A short time before his removal, had
long talk with him. He was then on what
he knew was his last march, and he spoke
calmly of the final halt He was "a, and
he felt that his time had been drawn out
longer than he could have expected, shot
and slashed to pieces as he had been. In
this conversation he told me thrilling war
secret, which he said he had related to- only
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 always kept it
to himself But the lady is no more, and
now the old General is gone. I therefore
feel at liberty to repeat the story.
HOW LEE GOT AWAY.
Just after Lees defeat by Meade at Get
tysburg, in the second great Confederate in
yasion of the North, General Kelley re-
ceiyed orders from Halleck, the Command
ing General at Washington, to concentrate
his army of 12, 900 men on the north side of
the Potomac, within striking distance of
Lees retreat. -
Lee crossed the Potomac and escaped to
galvanize the Confederacy into nearly two
years more of life.
Kelley had orders to advance from the
West with his veterans and attack Lees
flank when he heard the first gun of Meade's
action with the retreating Confederates
For three days Kelley's force lay along the
crest of South Mountain anxiously awaiting
the signal It was known that Meade and
Lee were in close quarters, and the thunders
of battle were expected at any moment
The veterans were wrought up to the hight
ing pitch, and were literally spelling to
get at the Johnnies. This was especially so
of Mulligan's famous Irish brigade. The
morning of July IA, General Kelley, unable
longer to stand the suspense, sent out
scouting troop from the Ringgold Cavalry,
to find out why General Meade had not de-
livered battle, and he was both amazed and
disgusted when the troop came in three
hours later with the information that during
the night Lees army had crossed the Po-
tomac.
BETWEEN TWO REBEL FORCES.
Kelley Immediately marched without
orders to Williamsport, thinking he might
catch belated brigade or two, and he
captured lot of stragglers and property
that had been left under guard to be carried
over later. An order reached him here from
General Halleck to proceed to Cherry Run,
seven miles above, cross the river and
harrass the enemy's right flank. This order
came near losing the whole of Kelleey's
force to the enemy, for Ewelis corps, after
crossing, had gone 10 or II miles up before
striking back into the country, and Kelley's
crossing at Cherry Run placed him, not on
the enemy's right wing, but between two of