The National tribune., 1910-09-01
THE PROVO HEADouA RTERs AT COLD HARBoR.

Reams's Station, but the enemy had
done his work before he reached that
place
There was a strong question as 10
whether the damage done by the cav
airy on this raid compensated for the
losses it had sustained. The so miles
of railroad which had been destroyed
were quickly repaired by the Confeder-
ates, and made serviceable in the work
of bringing forward supplies.
Misfortunes i'm the Valley.
Gen. Hunter who had succeeded ST.
gel, had been brilliantly successful over
the enemy in the Shenandoah Valley,
and had gotten so near Lynchburg as to
seriously alarm Gen. Lee for the safety
of that all-important depot. As before
stated, Gen. Breckinridge vas hurried
forward to its defense, and then fol-
lowed by Early's whole corps. Gen.
Hunter had encountered Gen. VIM. f.
Jones at Piedmont, June D, and utterly
defeated him, killing him, routing his
force, capturing 1900 prisoners and
three pieces of artillery. On June
Hunter formed a junction with Crook
and Averell at Staunton, and pushed on
toward Lynchburg, finding that Breck-
inridge had arrived there before him.
A careful reconnaissance showed that
other troops were coming in on every
train. Hunters supplies were nearly
exhausted, and he was quite short of
ammunition, so that he did not think il
prudent to attack, as he wished, and de-
cided to return. With the strong force
which he knew was coming up from
Richmond on his flank, he feared to at
tempt to retreat by the way of the VAL
ley lest this force should be thrown
thru the gaps in his rear and cut off his
retreat. He therefore decided to turn
to the left and reach the valley of the
Great Kanawha, expecting to find at
Meadow Bridge abundant rations and
ammunition. The 100-days men, who
had been left to guard these, had, how
, ever, been stampeded by the Confeder-
ates, who carried off what stores they
did not burn, so that Gen. Hunter was
deprived of these, and his men suffered
the greatest hardships and privations
before they could reach their supplies
some distance down the valley of the
Kanawha.
The worst feature of this movement
was that 1t took Gen. Hunter from his
position of guarding the Shenandoah
Valley, and left it open for another raid
against Washington and the North. Lee
was prompt 10 see this opportunity, and
sent orders to Early TO advance down
the Valley, threatening Washington
which might possibly draw back to the
defense of the Capital the most if not
all of the force then confronting him.
EarIy's Raid.
With some 13, 600 or Il 900 hardened
veterans able to make astonishing
marches, Early swept down the Valley
almost without resistance until he
reached Martinsburg, July 3. The road
over which he had passed was the one
well beaten by Lees army in its two
great raids and by scores of other in
cursionS across the Potomac.
After his defeat at New Market Gen
Sigel had been left in command of tn.
small force in the neiShborhocd of Har-
per's Ferry. He at once drew this to-
gether, and sought the secure shelter OF
the crest of Maryland Hights. He did
not repeat the blunder which had be.
fore been made of Attempting to hold
the town of Harper's Ferry and bloch
that gateway. The misfortune abou
Sigel was that he had been constantly
apprehending raids down the Valley
and. like the boy who had raised the
false alarm Of wolf SO often, was mo-
believed when the wolf really came
No one in Washington thought of an.
other incursion until Early was actually
across the Potomac and marching bS
the way of Hagerstown on Frederick
which he reached on July T. In the
meanwhile Hunter was working hi:
slow way over the sandbars the ripple,
and other low-water distractions in tn,
Kanawha, hundreds of miles from
where his force was keenly needed.
(To be continued.)