Saint Mary's beacon., 1900-08-16

at Independence. and next morn.
ing united with the main body.
A DESPERATE UNDEKTAKIxG.
Returning to Morgantown, Gen.
eral Jones crossed the river and
began q night march in the direc.
ton Of Fairmonnt, before which
be arrived about 8 o'clock next
morning. A body of 400 infantry
was posted here, and drawn np in
field surrounded by high fence.
A demand for their surrender was
met with refusal, when the Firs.
Maryland waslordered to charge.
1t vas q desperate undertaking un-
der the circumstances, as the fence
intervened but nevertheless the
boys responded to<f1r1 1erder With Q
yell as thes dash ard. The
enemy withheld nptil the
crates were wards,
'whss nusket schsrged.
and. s. TO say. terrific 4ire
killed 90 horses and 81 one. man,
young Myers, frederick, not
another man being struck. Before
the Federal infantry could reload
their guns, the fence was pulled
down and the Confsderates were
upon them when they surrendered.
From Fairmouat General Jones
moved upon Clarksburg, but find-
ing that place strongly defended, it
was flanked by way of Bridgeport,
where sixty men were captured.
On the I'd day Of May the col
umn reached Buckhannon, after
several days Of rapid riding, which
was only made possible by contin-
ually changing the broken-down
horses for fresh ones found in the
country.
On the 9Th, the command moved
in the direction of Parkersburg,
and at daybreak on the 9TH struck
the railroad at Cairo, where so in
fantrymen were captured. After
destroying the railroad bridge at
this point General Jones moved
some sixty miles fnrther, having
made q march Of eighty miles with
out moving saddles.
THE ATTACK ON OIL CITY.
Bright and early on the morning
of che 9Th, the troopers we're awak-
ened from their second slumber by
the blasts of the bugle, and after
partsking of hasty breakfast the
march was resumed in the direction
of Oil City, w. Va, the object be-
ing to destroy the immense quanti-
ty of oil known to be there.
The appearance of the Confed- :
crates in that section was a COM
plete surprise, or else much Of the
oil could have been removed and
saved, as it had been pumped into
barges preparatory to being taken
away and barreled. Three hundred
thousand barrels was the quantity
estimated to be on hand, aud i'm
mediate preparations we're made to
light torch that seemed as though
it would illuminate the world. 1t
was after dark when the works were
touched of, and then came the
barges. 1t is doubtful il such q
scene as followed had ever been
witnessed by human eyes. I'm
mense volumes Of dense slack
smoke and lurid flame mounted
high in the air, presenting a scene
indescribably grand. The burning
boats were cast of from their moor.
ings and foated down with the cur.
rent, enveloped in smoke and flame,
aud as the oil ran ont and covered
the surface Of the water the river
for miles presented the appearance
of sea of liquid FIRE. Fascinated
by the awful scene the raiders watch.
ed the confiagration for hours.
But this same beacon served to
warn the enemy of the presence oi
the bold invaders, and it behooved
them to be up and away. The
alarm had spread in every direction
by this time, and large bodies ol
troops we're hurrYing to intercept
them.
Passing rapidly through DeKalb
Glenville and Duttonville. gather.
ing great herds Of livestock as theI
went, General Jones turned hiI
face homeward. Across Elk River
through Somerville and over th'
almost perpendicular Flat Tor
Mountains, on they sped; aud so
day by day, the march continued