Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-07-16
A REBEL RAID.

The MorgantoWn W. va New DO
minion of recent date republished from
paper published in 1868 an account
of the rebel raid upon that section Of
West Virginia during the Civil War.
We have no doubt that some of the
Confederate veterans of this county
will recall the incidents and will smile
at the excitement their presence cre-
ated. The article is as follows:
On Monday morning, April q,
1868, several citizens of Kingwood ar
rived at our place, and reported that
the rebels were encamped short dis
tance beyond Kingwood, and that they
numbered about 5000, as they had
counted about 500 camp fires. Itwas
court day, and by 10 o'clock some 500
people were in town. AS soon as the
news from Kingwood was circulated
Mr.. Hagans, the president, and Mr..
Wagner, the cashier of the NJ. & NJ.
Bank here, left with the funds of the
bank. Senator Wiley and other
prominent citizens also left. A meet
ing was called at the courthouse, and
it was determined to send out scouts
on the different roads to ascertain the
number of the rebels, and if there
were not over 100 of them, it was the
determination of our citizens to resist
and defend the town. Col. James
Evans proposed to be one of ten men
to 90 out and reconnoitre and discov-
er, if possible, how large a force was
coming, go that we might know what
course to pursue, as if the rebel force
was larger any resistance on our part
would be perfect folly, and only in
sure the destruction of the town.
Alter nearly an hour spent by Col.
Evans in trying to get men to volun-
teer to go with him, he got six besides
himself, whose names we take pleas
ure in putting before the people, that
they may do them that honor which
their conduct deserves. They were
Col. Evans, ]. J. Jenkins, Kinsey Fife,
Evans D. Fogle, John Holland, Peter
Hess and Sylvsnus Pierpont, who
mounted, and started to reconnoitre
the Kingwood pike. Holland and
Hess were sent up the "Old Forge"
road, and Col. Evans and his party
continued on the pike, J. J. jenkins
being sent short distance ahead of
the rest of the party for the purpose
of stopping man who had gone in ad-
vance of the party. Just as Col. Ev-
ans and his party were going up a
rising piece of ground, the rebel cav
airy advance came in sight over the
hill with Jenkins as a prisoner be-
tween them. Jenkins, by raising his
hat, gave them a sign by which they
knew the character of the company he
was in. 1t was but the work Of a
second to bout face, run and then
down the hill they came like thun-
der gust, closely pursued by the
rebels, who were soon within seventy
yards of them, but they were soon at
the bottom of the hill, and on rising
ground our party soon left them far
in the rear. They were pursued about
two miles. Fogle and Pierpoint leav-
ing Evans and Fife behind, owing to
the superior Aeetness Of their horses.
Evans and Fife dismounted and led
their horses into the bush on the road
eide and watched the advance pass
them, and then entered the woods and
took to the river, which they crossed
some distance above Morgantown.
During the chase after this party, Jen-
kins escaped, took to the woods, and
succeeded in gaining town before the
cavalry, as did also FOgle and Pier
point, and reported that they had been
chased by the rebels, who were mum
berless, and that they (the rebels)
were on the farm Of G. ". Dorsey
only two miles from town. The citi-
zens nearly all commenced leaving
those who had horses on the roads
and those on foot fed to the hills
About l o'clock two rebels came into
town with flag of truce, and were In.