Pictorial history of the war for the Union, volume 1 (of 2) : $b A complete and reliable history of the war from its commencement to its close ... together with a complete chronological analysis of the warStephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
History
Pictorial history of the war for the Union, volume 1 (of 2) : $b A complete and reliable history of the war from its commencement to its close ... together with a complete chronological analysis of the war
Stephens, Ann S. (Ann Sophia)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Governor Wise, on hearing of the death of General Garnett, and the
defeat and dispersion of his army, commenced a retreat up the Kanawha,
cautiously followed by General Cox. He intended to make a stand at
Gauley’s Bridge, at the junction of Gauley and Kanawha rivers, and had
erected defences for that purpose; but in consequence of the
demoralization and desertion of his men, and learning that General
Rosecranz had dispatched a large force to intercept him, he fled without
fighting, on the 28th of July, destroying the bridge to cut off his
pursuers. He left behind him a thousand muskets, and a quantity of
powder, which were seized by General Cox. Early in the month of August,
General Floyd was reinforced by fresh troops from the eastern section of
the State, while Jackson was also advancing with a new army to attack
the position of Rosecranz at the Cheat Mountain Pass, and General
Loring, another rebel commander, was marching towards Huttonsville to
act in conjunction with Jackson’s forces.
SURPRISE AT CROSS LANES.
On the morning of the 26th of August, the Seventh Ohio regiment, Colonel
Tyler, attached to General Cox’s brigade, had just encamped at a
position in the mountains called Cross Lanes, near Summersville, about
twenty-four miles from Gauley Bridge, and eighteen from Twenty-mile
Creek, where the main body of General Cox’s forces were.
While at breakfast they were surrounded and attacked in front and on
both flanks simultaneously, by a rebel force of three thousand infantry,
four hundred cavalry, and ten guns. Colonel Tyler’s men were immediately
formed for battle, and fought bravely, though in an almost hopeless
position. The enemy proving too powerful, the Colonel dispatched an
orderly to the baggage train, which was coming up, but three miles
distant, and turned it back towards General Cox’s camp, where it arrived
in safety. The regiment met the advancing foe with desperate valor, and
finally succeeded in cutting their way through the superior force by
whom they were encompassed, Lieutenant-Colonel Creighton capturing the
enemy’s colors and two prisoners in their progress. The ranks were much
broken, and companies B, C and I suffered severely. The line was soon
formed again, and prepared for a renewal of the attack, but they were
permitted to make good their retreat without further molestation.
Captains Dyer, Shurtleff and Sterling, Adjutant De Forrest, Lieutenant
Narrent, and Sergeant-Major King were killed. The total loss is reported
at fifteen killed, forty wounded, and thirty prisoners. The loss of the
enemy is not known, but could not have been less.
BATTLE OF CARNIFEX FERRY.
SEPTEMBER 10, 1861.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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