The National tribune., 1907-04-25

NepuIIi TIE piluStS do lie WCit anu
leaving guards for them, Col. Kelley
reached Buffalo Creek on the evening
of May 81, and Col. Porterfield, seeing
the impossibility of opposing him, re-
tired and took post at Philippi, a viii
lage in Tygart's Valley, a branch of the
Monongahela, and about 16 miles from
Grafton. Philippi is the County-seat of
Barbour County. Porterfield burned
two bridges before Kelley, but these did
not much retard his advance.
Gen. Morris arrived at Grafton June
2, and found Col. Kelley preparing to
follow up Porterfield with six compa-
MES of his own regiment and nine OF
the 9Th Ind, commanded by Col Mil
roy Gen. Morris took command, and
after a consultation with Col. Kelley
arranged a plan for capturing Porter
fields forces. Kelley was given six more
companies from the 10th Ohio, and or
dered TO go eastward on the railroad
about six miles. and then march direct
ly towards Philippi, aiming to reach
that place at o'clock the next morning.
Another column. under Cob Dumont.
18th Ind, was ordered to go by rail to
Webster with eight companies, where
he would be joined by Col. Steedman,
with five companies of the 18th Ohio
and two field pieces. and Col. Critten-
den, with six companies of the 9Th Ind.
They were to march upon Philippi from
the other side, aiming to reach that
place at the same time that Col. Kelley
did. The movement was well planned,
but a heavy rain storm and ptchy dark
ness interfered to prevent its proper
execution. Col. Dumont's column was
accompanied by Col. +. w. Lander,
afterwards General commanding in
West Virginia The raw militiamen
forged on with the greatest gallantry
and perseverance thru the beating rain
al
ley had to march % miles and Dumont
IL miles.
Col. Dumont's column arrived on
time, and was discovered by a woman,
who fired a pistol twice at Col. Lander
and then sent her boy to alarm Porter
field. Dumont went into position on the
ridge, with his cannon commanding the
village, the bridge over the river and
the enemy's camp, quarter of a mile
distant, and opened fire. Porterfield
had apprehended some movement Of
this kind, and had been preparing to
evacuate. but had not carried out his
plan. His pickets were inefficient and
his men were sleeping in their quarters
when the report of Lander's cannon
rudely awakened them. All was con-
fusion and excitement, but Porterfield
showed much calmness and courage and
managed to make sembiance of an
orderly retreat, tho it was necessarily a
very rapid one.
Kelley had not yet arrived, but was
not far off. The report of Lander's
cannon put new life into his exhausted
men, and they pushed forward in time
to catch sight of the flying Confederates
and join in the pursuit. with Kelley. in
the lead. AS he dashed up to q. flying
vehicle to stop it the man in the vehicle
shot him thru the breast with pistol.
making, it was supposed, a mortal
wound. The man who fired the shot
was captured, and proved to be Capt
Wiley, Porterfield's Quartermaster. who
had papers of much importance. KEEL
ley's men wanted to execute him, and
were with difficulty restrained.
There was a great deal of promiscu-
Gus firing, and Mcclellan officially re-
ported that quite number were killed
and wounded This however, was of
the inaccurate character of many of
the reports of that early period. Col
Kelley was the only man on our side
wounded an9 the only one on the Con-
federate side was Mr.. Hanger, now
engaged in the manufacture of artifi-
cial limbs.in Washington, ID. C.. At the
first scattering shots he took refuge IL.
a hay NOW, and then as the cannon con-
tinued firing concluded to seek a still
safer place. but as he was climbing down
a cannon shot took off his foot.
A considerable amount of arms, am
munition, medical and other supplies
was captured.
Porterfield withdrew his men to Bev-
erly, the Capital of Randolph County,
some % or 80 miles farther up Tygart's
Valley, and Col. Dumont recalled his
troops from the pursuit and put them
into position at Philippi.
Col. Kelley was promoted to Briga-
der General for his part in the affair.
The action at Philippi had an i'm
portance absurdly out of proportion to
It's actual fighting. 1t was the first col
lision in West Virginia, and it's result
greatly heartened the Unionists and
dispirIted the Confederates. The Union
papers all over the country made much
of it, and the campaign for the redemp-
ton of West Virginia opened most aus
piciously.
ITO ha continued