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Local Civil War Battles--Retyped

The following is the report of Maj.-Gen'l Sam. Jones, commanding the Confederate forces of the battle:
On the evening of August 23 I received information from Col. Wm. L. Jackson that Brig.-Gen'l Averell, U. S. Army, with a force estimated at over 4000 men, consisting of cavalry, mounted infantry and artillery, was in motion from the direction of Moorefield. So far as I could ascertain, General Averell was on a raid towards Staunton.

He had driven Colonel Jackson from Hightown and his camp near Huntersville, and the latter had fallen back to Gatewood's on Back Creek, on the road from Huntersville to Warm Springs. I had a few days previously ridden over that road, Colonel Jackson accompanying me part of the way, and from my own observations and his representations, believed that he could detain the enemy on that road long enough to enable me to send a force to his assistance or place it in the rear of the enemy.

I accordingly ordered the First Brigade of my command, Col, George S. Patton, commanding, to move by the Anthony's Creek road. I joined the brigade myself on that road on the 25th. On the morning of that day I received a dispatch from Col. Jackson, dated at 9 o'clock on the previous day, at Gatewood's. He informed me that he had driven back the enemy's skirmishers to his old camp near Huntersville. The tenor of the dispatch induced me to believe that he could not only check the opposing force at Gatewood's but could move up and join the First Brigade at the intersection of the Anthony's Creek road from Huntersville to Warm Springs. I dispatched him, informing him of the movement of that brigade, directed him, if possible, to join it at the junction of the roads above mentioned.

I have reason to believe that he never received my dispatch, and that it was intercepted by the enemy. While on the march on the 25th, information was received, which I deemed reliable, that the enemy had not only driven Colonel Jackson from Gatewood's but had forced him beyond Warm Springs. Still remaining under the impression that the destination of the enemy was Staunton, the First Brigade was ordered to turn off from the Anthony's Creek road and take a shorter route to Warm Springs.

After 10 o'clock that night information was received which satisfied me that the enemy had abandoned the pursuit of Colonel Jackson and that while the First Brigade was marching toward Warm Springs, General Averell was advancing from Warm Springs to Callaghan's. I immediately ordered Colonel Patton to return on the Anthony's Creek road in the hope of intercepting the enemy on the road from the Warm to the White Sulphur Springs.

By a night march our advance guard reached the intersection of the latter named road at the same instant that the head of Averell's column debouched from the defile through the Allegheny Mountains on the road from Callaghan's. General Averell endeavored to force his way through, but the First Brigade was quickly placed in position, when an engagement commenced, which, for five hours, was very warm and continued at intervals until dark. That night the troops occupied the same position that they had taken in the morning. The enemy made two vigorous attacks the next morning which were handsomely repulsed, when he abandoned his position and retreated towards Warm Springs. My cavalry and artillery were ordered in pursuit. For about ten or eleven miles the road passes through a narrow and thickly wooded defile. The enemy availed himself of the advantage offered to retard pursuit by felling trees across the road.
The report of General Jones shows his losses to be 20 killed, 129 wounded and 13 captured—a total of 162.


Battle of Droop Mountain

It was not thought proper to press the enemy vigorously on this day, in order to keep him as far as possible from Lewisburg, and not to permit him to be re-enforced from that direction, and to gain the advantage which would follow from the arrival at Lewisburg of the force under General Duffie from the Kanawha Valley. An attempt was, however, made to capture the force under Jackson by sending three mounted regiments to cut off his retreat.

The rapidity of the enemy's movements made this attempt unsuccessful, and he succeeded in reaching Droop Mountain, upon the summit of which he made a stand. My advance was withdrawn from the fire of his artillery and the attack postponed until the ensuing day. On the morning of the 6th, we approached the enemy's position. The main road to Lewisburg runs over Droop Mountain, the northern slope of which is partially cultivated nearly to the summit, a distance of two-and-one-half miles from the foot. The highway is partially hidden in the views from the summit and base in strips of woodland. It is necessary to pass over low rolling hills and across bewildering ravines to reach the mountain in any direction. The position of the enemy was defined by a skirmishing attack of three companies of infantry. It was thought that a direct attack would be difficult.

The infantry and one company of cavalry were therefore sent to the right to ascend a range of hills which ran westward from Droop Mountain, with orders to attack the enemy's left and rear. To divert the enemy's attention from this, the Fourteenth Pennsylvania and Keeper's battery made a successful demonstration upon his right. The remainder of the command prepared for action.

While these movements were progressing, the arrival of reinforcements to tl1e enemy was announced by the music of a band, the display of battle-flags and loud cheers of the Rebels on the top of the mountain. The attack of our infantry, n75 strong, was conducted skillfully and resolutely by Col. A. Moor. The guide who had been sent with him proving worthless, he directed his column, nine miles over the mountains and through the wilderness to the enemy's left, led by the flying pickets and the sound of his cannon. The intermittent reports of musketry heralded the approach of Colonel Moor to his destination, and at 1.45 P. M. it was evident from the sound of the battle on the enemy's left and his disturbed appearance in front, that the time for the direct attack had arrived.

The Second, Third and Eighth West Virginia dismounted, were moved in line obliquely to the right up the lace of the mountain, until their right was joined to Moor's left. The fire of Ewing's battery was added to that of Keeper's. At 3 P. M. the enemy were driven from the summit of the mountain upon which they had been somewhat protected by rude breastworks of logs, stones and earth. Gibson's battalion and one section of Ewing's battery were at once ordered to pursue the routed Rebels. Fragments of each regiment were already eagerly in pursuit.

The horses of Second, Third, Eighth and Fourteenth were brought up the mountain as soon as possible. The infantry pushed forward, and as soon as details had been made for succoring the wounded and burying the dead, the entire command followed the enemy until dark. It appeared from the reports of prisoners that the enemy's force had consisted of the Fourteenth Virginia Cavalry, Twenty-second Virginia Infantry, Derrick's Battalion, Edgar's Battalion, Jackson's Brigade and seven pieces of artillery; in all about 4000 men. His loss in killed and wounded was about 250, one piece of artillery and one stand of colors.

Several men of my command reported having seen and measured two other pieces of artillery abandoned by the enemy and secreted by the wayside. Time was not had, however, to look after them. I did not desire to reap more than the immediate fruits of victory that evening. It was yet twenty miles to Lewisburg, and I hoped that by letting the enemy alone during the night, he might loiter on the route and be caught the next day between my command and the force expected from the Kanawha Valley. As we went down the mountain the following morning, we could see the smoke of several camp fires along the mountains to the eastward, showing that the enemy had been somewhat dispersed.
On the 7th I moved rapidly forward over an excellent road toward Lewisburg. The Fourteenth, which was in advance, reached that place at 2 P. M., and found Gen'l Duffie with four regiments and one section of artillery already in possession of the town. He had reached it at 10 P. M., capturing a few stragglers and such material as the enemy had been unable to remove in his flight. I learned that a small portion of the enemy's main hocly had passed through Lewisburg in great disorder early on the morning of the 7th on their way to Dublin. I also learned that Gen'l Lee had promised Brig.-Gen'l Echols ample re-enforcements at or near that point. I determined to move with my whole command to that place, and accordingly set out on the morning of the 8th. After proceeding a few miles, a formidable blockade was encountered through which it was necessary to cut a passage. General Duffie reported his command as unfit for further operations, as his infantry had but one day's rations and was so exhausted as to be able to march only ten miles per day.

My own infantry was encumbered with the prisoners, captured property and material. I therefore ordered General Duffie to retire to Meadow Bluff, and Colonel Moor, with the Twenty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Tenth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry and Keeper's Battery to return to Beverly, taking with him all the prisoners and such of the wounded from the battle of Droop Mountain as could be transported. Colonel Moor brought from Hillsborough fifty-five of our own and one Rebel wounded. He left w1th those who were too badly wounded to bear transportation. Assistant Surgeon Blair, Tenth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, and supplied them with all the rations, hospital stores and medicines which could be spared. His command reached Beverly on the 12th, bringing with it all the prisoners, property, etc., which had been captured up to the arrival of my command at Lewisburg. With the cavalry, mounted infantry and Ewing's battery of my command, I moved via White Sulphur Springs to near Callaghan's, passing through the battle ground of Rocky Gap on my way. At White Sulphur I retook the wounded of my command who had been left after the battle of Rocky Gap in August last. At Callaghan's on the morning of the gth I learned that General Imboden, with from 900 to 1500 men, was at Covington on his way to re-enforce Echols at Union.
Not deeming his command of sufficient importance to delay my march, and knowing the impossibility of bringing him to a fight, I sent two squadrons of the Eighth West Virginia Mounted Infantry, under Major Slack, to drive him away from my line of march.

This was accomplished after a sharp skirmish, in which Imboden was reported wounded, and one lieutenant and twenty men of his command were captured.
From Callaghan's I moved by Gatewood's up the Back Creek road to Franklin; the main body of the command moved through Monterey and joined me about eight miles beyond that place. At Hightown I met Colonel Thoburn, with a brigade of infantry and two pieces of artillery, whom I directed to return to Petersburg. My command reached Petersburg on the I3th where it was supplied with rations and forage. On the I7th I arrived at New Creek, bringing with me about 150 captured horses and 27 prisoners, exclusive of those which were sent from Lewisburg with Colonel Moor. Several hundred cattle were captured on the march.

Since leaving Beverly, seventeen days, we marched 296 miles, a part of the time suffering intensely from the cold, constantly subjected to the hidden attacks of bushwhackers, and having fought one of the most gallant and triumphant little battles of the war.

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