Hide Article Text (OCR)
Original |sprs.FOB THE SPIBIT OF THE AUK.THE RETREAT FROM CHARLESTON.BT MAJ. IL LANSING BORROWS.ARTILLERY SERVICE, W. L.In the history of tbo present struggle for Southern Independence, there is, perhaps, no incident less known to the people of the South than the retreat of Brig. Genl. Henry A. Wise from Charleston. Yet in that retreat there occurred events, which, as well as the causes that led to it, and the fatal errors prior to it, are of great importance. Owing to this, the great struggle for possession is being made by the Federal forces in the Valley of the Kanawha; and had the intended campaign been carried out in the rugged mountains of the far West, there can be hi tie doubt, but that the powerful army of Rosen-crant,z would sooner or later have been annihilated. But the retreat of which I propose to write, turned iu a different channel the events of that portion of the array—and caused the plan of the Western campaign to be entirely changed.The Army of the Kanawha, as it was call-51 ed, was composed of a Brigade known as the r “ Wise Legion,” commanded by Brig. GenL11 Henry A. Wise, and a Regiment of VirginiaVolunteei s under the command of ColonelChristopher L. Tompkins. The latter not being under the immediate control of Genl. Wise, nevertheless acted with that Brigade, and submitted to the orders of that General.At the time which I propose to commence this narrative, the Head Quarters of Geul. Wise were at Charleston, the principal town of that portion of the country, situate ou the north bank of the Kanawha River some aix-ty miles from its mouth. The army left behind its entrenchments at Four Mile Camp under Tyler Mountain, four miles west of the town, Co!. Tompkins, while his regiment had advanced as far as the mouth of Poca-talice Creek, on the opposite side of the riv-Qe i er, twelve miles west. To cover the roar of ly i this army, a military post was established at 3n I Lewisburg in the couuty of Greenbrier, one *[ hundred miles exactly to tho South East.■hs A great error was the withdrawal of these ^ ® ; troops from Lewisburg. On Saturday, July 13th, a prereinptory order was forwarded to i9! Col. J. Lucius Davis, an officer of deserved •d renown and gTeat ability, then in command os- at Lewisburg, to move every man at once to •nd Charleston. Knowing the importance of the off! post, and that it was highly necessary to pre-*•» vent the ingress of Federal forces from tho er'! town of Summersville in Nicholas county, on» Col. Davis hesitated. But the orders being jr_ prereinptory and moreover brought by Col. b*- Croghan, another officer of great daring, ther*T'! order to march was given, to bo obeyed atra- . two o’clock the following morning.*— 1 Precisely at that hour, Capt. Mowry’scom-gj. 1 pany from Gooehland county, Ya., started upon the tedious march of an hundred miles and left the town. Close on his rear came ' Capt. Pollock’s Mountaineers; then Capt.I Pannill's Orange Minute Men, Capt Wingood field’s Jackson Avengers from Sussex county, in. Va.; while the rear was brought up by a coin-nes, 1 pany from the University of Virginia undereititfaitieKh.seis1011)Capt J. P. Crane, and a magnificent body of Cavalrv from Richmond, under Capt. Mag-ruder. Col.J. Lucius Davis commanded, assisted by his staff, composed of Capt Hutton of the Engineers, Mr. Chaocey as Aid, and the writer acting in the capacity of Adjutant This dreary march over the Muddy Creek, Sewell and Gauley Mountains thus commenced. At noon on Wednesday, the 17th, the column halted at Gauley Bridge, an important post then held by our troops to the number of 600. This bridge was over the Gauley River where its conflux with the New forms the Great Kanawba. It was situated in a tremendous gorge of the Gauley Mountains, sixty-miles from Lewisburg, and over don’t I it was the only one which connects the Eastern and Western counties for thirty miles,the gels ;ing all tellGodnewlaid, i ere, iray i anto a :ame f his ttherwerei bo- I the rivers neither of them being fordable.The halt here was not of long duration, tngel I the march being resumed early in the morn-jfore, ing with an addition of two more companies, lever one being the Texas Rangers under command as in, of Capt. MeLean. The march was kept up ngels steadily to Tompkin’s Ferry, nineteen miles le ba- east of Charleston, where a steamboat con-they veyed the troops rapidly down the river to sweet I their destination.d she In the meantime an engagement had oc-.s sit- curred at Scary Creek near the encampment play- of Col. Tompkins. This happened on thely { j 17th. Col. Newton, with a great number of^nnie. Federal forces, advanced on Col. Tompkins ooked who made preparations tor a vigorous stand, e, and The Federalists occupied a position on a high other, ridge at the base of which ran the creek above earth.’ mentioned. Col. Tompkins immediately to go drew up his men on a lower ridge precisely is and opposite to that of the enemy. The action I saw I soon commenced, and the riflad pieces of the was, 11 enemy threatened our forces with annihilation. We had four pieces of ordnance, three0 read I smooth-bored six-pounder tield-pieces, andgirl, in lone ten-pounder. Early in the engagement n what [the six pounders were found to be useless, on account of great defect in the bores, the shot ile, and I felling or. the side of the opposite hill, al-says of I though within common musket range ; to the1 scenes I ten pounder piece there was not an ounce of ere she 1 suitable ball. Recourse was had to a neigh-viihout [boring smith shop, and lose powder was rara-d such I med down and wadded, and on top of this h made I were placed horse shoes, chains, nails, andHow I every describable article of iron found in » which b acksmith shop, which could be placed i allthe within its bore. Immense havoc was beingi makes [made by this acatierinu fire, when the horse ith the I of Capt. Patton commanding the Kanawha dis be- I Rifle company becoming frightened dashed with his rider fearfully away; seveial lakinthis to be a flight, followed, until almost every company had descfeti* ded the ridge, and was in rapid retreat. Capt. McComas standing by his solitary ten pounder refused to retreat, as did several gallant companies who still poured volleys of ball into the midst of the enemy. The enemy, however, immediately commenced pursuit and dashed down over the creek. Hardly had they reached the creek when Capt. Patton resuming control of his fiery steed, rallied his men, and charged furiously at them. At the same time a tremendous shout was heard, and thundering down the creek through a thick glade charged CoL Clarkson at the head of a company of cavalry. The enemy threw down their arms and fled in confusion without firing a shot. Col. Norton, commanding the Federals, ww* taken, together with Cols. Woodruff, De Villier’s and Neff and Capts. Austin and Lord. The rout was perfect. Col. Norton was badly wounded as was Capt. Patton, who eommanded our forces.At this point turned the whole fortune of tho campaign. Colonel Tompkins, instead of pursuing and routing the enemy, retired to his entrenchment*. It was subsequently the confession of tho Federal Officer, that had the Confederates pursued their advantage, they could have driven thoir forces back to the Ohio River, and rescued the Kanawha Valley frecu their polluting touch. That this was no idle conjecture, will appear by being acquainted with the fact, that we had captured ail thair field officers, and it would have been nothiag more than a forced march to have driven them back to their homes.Ou Tuesday, the 23d, lha retreat commenced by the sending of all Commissary, Quarter master and Ordnance stores, towards the Gauley. Gon. Wise had received intelligence of the advancement of a number of Federal troops down the Summerville road, so as to cut off all communication between him and his supplies. By advancing down vrbatwas termed the Sunday road, the enemy could obtain an excellent situation on the summit of the Big Sewell Mountain, and resist any attack which could be made, if he had sufficient tinae to entrench himself. Gen. Wise saw his danger, aud an ignominious ratreat, made more so by the glorious victory at Scary Creek, the week previous, was oidcred.The Kanawha River at this time was navigable as far as Cannclton, a small place composed entirely of Coal Oil Works, ten miles west of Gauley Bridge. To this point the writer was ordered to the command of this post in charge of Ordnance Stores, together with a great quantity of Quarter Master Stores. Mr. Estill of the Commissary Department was put in charge of the stores of that department The Kanaw. ha Valley, a aWamboat, was accordingly loaded and started up the river at midnight of the 23d. The next morning the difficult passage through shoals and rocks was effected, and a numerous quantity qf wagons anviag been previously ordered to the place, the shipment of the stores commenced at once. Before night all tire ammunition and ordnance were safe at Gauley Bridge.On Wednesday night the retreat of the army proper commenced.The men were iu no good spirits, thinking the retreat the result of fear and impotency on the part of the commanding General. In fact, before the Gauley was reached, a fine body of cavalry under Oapt.Lewis diabauded, not having been legally mustered into service.—This was a great loss, and it was only under the greatest solicitations that its members who fell back before the enemy, was induced to become again a regular orgauized body. The troops passed Canaelton late on Thursday and reached Gauley Bridge on Friday.I have uow to relate an incident which happened iu this retreat, which, though important, is little known, if at all to the public.The particular* by some means were hushed up, but it is of too great importance to be summarily dealt with. The steamboat, the Kanawha Valley, after having unloaded returned to Charleston, aud on Wednesday night started back, loaded with the sick and hospital stores.With these was a guard of thirty men under Lieut. Hazlitt of Louisiana. As the boat slowly passed the toiling army on the bank, a shout was heard from the shore demanding the boat to stop. This demand was not obeyed, the guard on the boat not Knowing by what authority the positive orders they had were thus countermanded.—A second shout was heard, followed instantly by a pistol shot acTtfn the bows of the boat. More steam was put on, which occasioned another shot from shore, which struck the pilot house. The guard on the boat returned the fire, which no sooner was opened than returned briskly lrom the bank. By the aid of the officers, however, this murderous affair was ended alter an exchange of over one hundred ihots, and the boat hastened on its way. But the sequel was to follow. Two shots had taken effect on the boat instantly killing a man named Your.g from Rockbridge co., Ya,, aQd mortally wounding another, both sick men ! Fifteen were wounded on shore.The dead were decently interred at Cannelton, while the wounded followed on after the army in two ox carts with undressed wounds /The retreat now took the semblance of a confused defeat. Companies and Regiments were hopelessly mixed. Officers knew not where to find their men, every surgeon had gone on to the place of rendezvous, Gauley Bridge, and nothing could be naore confused and disgraceful than this flight from Charleston. The General had gone among the first, accompanied by his aids and secretaries, in a light carriage, and was in the lead allthe way! The poor wounded men, half-starved and almost fainting from their wounds, reached Cannelton on the on the evening of the 25th. Medical attention was out of the question, and the rough doctoring of an unsophisticated youth, the only attention they received to their sufferings. There is certainly something surrounding this retreat which ought to be, in the name of justice and humanity, investigated, and the public may rest assured that the reason why the particulars of it are withheld is, tha* there is great and condemning blame lying on the shouldera of those who should make them known. The murdering of two men, the wounding of fifteen others, the disgraceful confusion of an army of 5000 men pursued by an enemy, the more than disgraceful abandonment of the post at Cannelton, are things which demand an examination, and sooner or later it must come.The army reached Gauley Bridge, and were comparatively safe on Friday the 25th inst., but this did not end the affair. The enemy was advancing briskly to engage Wiso beiore he could croes the Gauley. There was a post at Cannelton, ten miles off; that was left to shift for itsstf. The abort episode which follows i» a personal one,' and must, therefore, be considered as autnentic. Orders of the most peremptory character had been issued to the Commandant, not to leave until everything bad been sent t« Gauley Bridge. The wagoners who had transported the stores up to Saturday morning became terrified at the near approach ot the entaiy, whe that night had encamped four miles from the post and deserted, leaving a quantity of Commissary and Quartermaster Stores without transportation. Cog-j nizant of the fact, it was the object of Gen. W ue to burn the bridge,• and thus shut off all communication, in fact all travel between the dif-i ferent sections of the country. I he Commandant became alarmed foi | the aafety of his gallant guard who had been detailed to assist him. No wagon* or orders arriving, and the enemy steadily advancing, about 10 o'clock he ordered a gieat quantity of lead pipe to be sunk I into the river, and a number ol buckets, brooms, etc , together with j some Commissary stores, to be hid in the coal mines at the b p of the mountain; and an hour later to the music of the enemy's drums and fife*, burned from the village on the road to Gauley Bridge. Tbia little band reached and crossed the bridge fifteen minutes before it was enveloped in flames, alter a painful march ot nearly three hour*.The abandonment of this post was the cause of some little trouble between the departments of the Quartermaster and Adjutant GenereL There is no doubt but that it was a dastardly and cowardly imposition upon a soldier's honor. The Commandant had been ordered preremplonly to the Gauley, yet no sooner had the promulgation of this order arrived at a place of safety on the other side of the river, than all thoughts of this little band were dismisaed from their minds. Fifteen minutes later and its fate would have been decided in another manner. Before leaving the post, however, it may be interesting to add that the steamboat lying at the wharf was burnt to the water’s edge to prevent it from falling inlt;o the hands of the enomy.A week later the army eutered Lewisburg and was safe. This ended the re reat from Charloton, which it in every particular was known—now only known to a very few—would juatiintbly exasperate the people of the South.
Newspaper Details
Spirit Of The Age
Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Wed, Oct 30, 1861
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Brad B.
USA 01 Oct 2021
Other Publications Near Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh Daily Confederate
Raleigh North Carolina Standard
Raleigh Register and North Carolina Weekly Advertiser
Raleigh Oak
Raleigh Twig
