The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-05-23
BATTLE OF RICH MOUNTAIN.
TIE Brilliant Flank Movement by Which
the Victory Was Gained.


Editor National Tribune: The state
ment of Comrade Stimmel with regard
to the battle of Rich Mountain, July
IL, 1861, is in some respects so much
at variance with the facts that l deem
It but just to make a correct statement
through the columns of The Nationa
Tribune. Comrade Stimmel says Gen
Mcclellan sent Gen. RosecranS witt
the 18th Ohio and Sd Ind. to make 6
detour of about 10 hours and open the
attack in the rear. This does great In
justice to the gallant Sth, 10th, anG
18th Ind. regiments, who, with the 19tl
Ohio composed the eXpeditionary force
The Sd Ind. had no part or lot in the
affair whatever. The entire force max
ing the detour to gain the rear of the
Confederate position was In round
numbers 1,917, rank and file. 1t i:
not my purpose to further correct other
immaterial mistakes contained in Com
rade Stimmers article, but the rea
importance of the engagement at Rich
Mountain has not been given due
weight by historians, though the Off
cial records are profuse in the demon.
stration of the fact that the immediate
results of the capture of the Confed-
crate camp with upwards of 500 mer
compelled the abandonment of theil
whole defensive line along the Laurel
Range OF MOuntdlnS, anu uitiIidteis
compelled the practical abandonment
of the western part of Virginia to the
Union forces. Camp Garrett was To-
Gated at the foot of the western slope
of Rich Mountain, and the Buckhan-
non and Beverly Turnpike past thru
the camp in an easterly and westerly
direction and the Confederate fortifica-
lions extended north and south on
either side of the pike. The immediate
Of ha he
fly timbered, except a space of probably
800 yards, where the trees had been cut
down as means of obstructing adj
vance to the works in case of attack.
The garrison consisted of 1,400 men,
four pieces Of field artillery and a
squadron of cavalry. The position and
the defensive works made a direct
front attack a difficult and hazardous
proposition. From the Confederate camp
the Pike, In the direction of Beverly,
for a distance of about one and half
miles, was a continuous upgrade until
summit of Rich Mountain was reached,
this point being known as the Pass"
from which the Pike reached the gen.
sral level of the ground upon which, six
miles eastward, stands the village of
Beverly. Upon the arrival of the Fed
sral forces in the Valley of Roaring
Creek, about one mile from the Con-
federate works, Camp Garnett, armed
reconnaissance developed the difficulties
Of direct front attack on the Confeder-
ate works, and route over the noun
tains was sought with view of gain
ing the rear. by q portion of the Fed
sral force, when an attack on the rear
was to be q signal for an attack in
front. A citizen whose home was To-
Gated on the Pass above mentioned.
and who was familiar with the noun
tains in that vicinity, undertook to act
rs guide. and on July 10 Gen. Rose
Grams was ordered to hold the brigade
In readiness to move at daylight on
the 18th, to make the detour around
the left Of the Confederate position, and
attack him in the rear according to the
aforesaid plan. Accordingly at day
light on the 18th the brigade, with the
exception of about 80 per cent of each
regiment, which was held in camp, be-
gan the march, which. to say the least.
was arduous. irnpeded by laurel thick
cts, rocks, steep ascents and descents,
and unbroken wilderness covered with
q thick coating of mountain tea the
all obstacles, however, about 1880 p. m.
We arrived at point about one mile east
of the "Pass' and struck by-road
when severe thunder storm broke
upon US, OBTAINING us for half an hour.
The Confederate commander, having
knowledge of an unusual stir in our
camp on the night of the 10th, became
apprehensive of an attempt to gain his
rear, and sent force to hold the Pass
1t had been arranged that Rosecrans
should communicate with Mcclellan
hourly by courier, and one of the cour-
iers SO sent, by mistake took the road
leading to the Confederate camp and
was wounded and, of course captured
From him the rebs learned that a force
e
Col. Pegram, the Confederate COM
mander, was unable to ascertain from
his prisoner what flank of his position
was being turned. but the courier was
q. K. on the point that the thanking
force consisted of six regiments. Act
ing on this information, the Confederate
sent further forces of infantry and
artillery. with a company of cavalry,
TO the Pass The whole force accord
ing TO the Confederate reports, was $50
men. The Pass was fortified by the
erection Of breastworks built of stone
with timber on top. which was suffi-
Gent for protection against musketry.
1mme diately in the rear of the breast
works a rugged peak of mountain rose
to the hight of about $50 feet. The
right rear of the position was COM
paratively level. covered with a thicket
of small growth, and on this right was
a dense thicket of trees of large growth
extending southwark to the Pike and
westward TO the main position. In
front of the breastworks, however. the
ground was cleared of brush and Tim
Der. and sloped gently to the Pike. and
close TO the Pike was small rudely
built stable nearly opposite the center
of the breastwork. The rain having
ceased, and The troops all having ar
rived in proper order, the final advance
was made on the by-road mentioned
above, the 10th Ind. in advance, one
company as the advance guard. AT a
point about one-fourth mile from the
Pass a Confederate picket fred on the
advance guard and killed a Sergeant
and badly wounded Capt. Miller, of the
10th Ind. Pressing on, however, we
reached a point nearly opposite the
enemy's works. where we halted while
Gen. Rosecrans planned for the attack
on the unexposed position in which we
found our friends, the enemy The
General having made observations, di-
rected Col. Beatty, 18th Ohio, TO form
in column by company and advance the
first company TO a certain tree indi-
Gated, and esch following company to
simply change direction by the LETT
flank on reaching the immediate rear
Of Co. A. This formation placed the
18th directly i'm front of the enemy's
works. The sth Ind. passed our right
hank and proceeded to the position on
the extreme right, the 10th Ind. follow
ing and joining the left of the Sth, and
the left of the 10th joined the right of
the 18th. Oddly enough, the enemy
did not fire shot during the time &C.
cupied TO make the formation I have
described. but as the 10th halted in
the position assigned, Col. Manson gave
command to fire by companies and the