The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-04-27
FOR=ON||
YEARS AGO
THE REBEL RAID THROUGH NOR
GANToWN occURRED-A
RETROSPECTIVE
GLANcE-AN ACCOUNT CT THE
RAID AND MURDERS
s. PILLAGiNG
STORES AND STEALING HORSES
BORROWING EVENTS OF
THE CIVIL WAR
lMorgantown Post.)

(Morgantown Post.)
Forty-one years ago today (Wednes-
Ell raid on Morgantown.
The following is taken from the
Weekly Post of April &C. 1879:
Sixteen years ago the rebel force.
under command of Gen. Jones invaded
this section of West Virginia and oc-
scupied MorgantOwn- We are lndebt-
ed to Mr.. John b. Wiley for a copy of
the. Monitor Of May 9Th, 1853. a news
paper published in this town at that
time which gives an account of the
raid We publish. the account almost
entire, believing it to be OF great in
terest to the young men and women
especially who have grown up since
that time and desire to know any ad-
ditional items of local history with
which they are only partly informed.
The account will also brighten up
many scenes and incidents il the
minds OF our older citizens, and will
be preserved in the bound volumes Of
suI the Post as an important scrap of
momentous history in the life of our
5CSWl1 we ouDAhiI ~ Ni'iAooS 49, N.1>A
comment:
- On Monday morning, the 18th ult.,
several citizens of KingWood arrived
at our place, and reported that the
Rebels were encamped short dis
Stance beyond Kingwood and that
they numbered about 5000, as they
had counted about 500 camp fires. 1t
was court day and by 10 o'clock some
500 people were in town. AS soon as
heenews from Kingwood was: circu-s
lated, Mr.: Hagans, the President, and
Mr., Wagner, the Cashier, of the M.
&M,$Bank here, left with the funds of:
the Bank. Senator Wiley and other
prominent citizens also left. A meet
ing was called at the Court House,
and 1T was determined to send out
scouts on the different roads to- as
certain the number of rebels, and II
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 go out and reconpoitre and
discover, if possible, how large
force was coming, SO that we might
know what course to pursue, as if
! Inc TGDel 1OICe was ld1 sc dhy 4 SSiSt-
ance on our part would be perfect
folly, and only insure the destruction
of the town. After nearly an hour
spent by Col. Evans in trying to get
men to volunteer to go with him, he
got six besides himself, whose names
we take pleasure in putting before the
people that they may do them that
honor which their conduct deserves.
They were Col. Evans, j. J. jenkins,
Kinsey Fife, Evans D. Fogle, John
Pierpoint, who mounted, and started
to reconnoitre the kingwood pike
Holland and Hess were sent up the
cold Forge road, and Col. Evans and
his party, continued on the pike, ]. ].
Jenkins being sent a short distance
ahead of the rest of the party for the
purpose Of stopping man who had
gone in advance of the party Just as
Col. Evans and his party. were going
up rising piece of ground, the reb-
81 cavalry advance came in sight over
the hill with jenkins as prisoner be-
tween. jenkins, by raising his hat,
gave them sign by which they knew
the character OF the company he was
in It was but the work of a second
10 E-DOuLt lace run, ana SlOWh LIE I'LL
they came. like a thunder gust, close
1y pursued by the rebels who were
soon within seventy yards OF them
but they were soon at the bottom OF
the Kill, and on rising ground our
party soon left them far in the rear.
They We're pursued about two miles,
Fogle and Pierpoint leaving Evans
and Fife behind, owing to the superior
neetness Of their horses. Evans and
Fife dismounted' and led their horses
into the bursh on the roadside, 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
Jenkins escaped, took to the woods
and succeeded in gaining town before
the cavalry, as did also FoSle and
Pierpoint and also reported that they
a had been chased by the rebels. who
were nuEber1ess, and that they (the
rebels) were on the farm OF G. w.
Dorsey, only two miles from town.
The citizens nearly all commenced
leaving; those who had horses on the
road, and those on foot lied to the