J. D. Cox to ALBERT TRACY, Hdqrs. Mountain Department, May 21, 1862

Camp Flat Top, May 21, 1862.

Sire: I have the honor to submit to the commanding general the following report of the movements of my command on the 16th, 17th, and 18th instant, and the affairs in which they were engaged:

On the evening of the 15th Colonel Scammon’s brigade was at Adair’s, near the mouth of East River; the main body of Colonel Moor’s brigade was at French’s, 4 miles above Colonel Scammon’s camp, where the road from Princeton to Pearisburg meets the Cumberland Gap road. A detachment of four companies, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Von Blessingh, Thirty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was at the crossing of the Princeton and Wytheville road, with orders to extend their reconnaissance to Rocky Gap and up the Cumberland Gap road as far as possible. A detachment of four companies of infantry and one of cavalry were at Princeton, where I had my headquarters, awaiting the completion of the telegraph to that place, my arrangements being completed for transferring my headquarters to Adair’s the next day.

On the afternoon of the 15th Colonel Moor threw a party of two companies of infantry, under Capt. E. Schache, Twenty-eighth Ohio Volunteers, across East River Mountain from French’s to reconnoiter the position of the enemy near the mouth of Wolf Creek. They found an outpost of a cavalry company 8 miles from the mouth of the creek, ‘which they attacked and routed, killing 6, wounding 2, and taking 6 prisoners. None of our men were injured. The main force of the enemy was found to be encamped above The Narrows of New River and about the mouth of Wolf Creek, variously reported from 5,000 to 8,000 men.

About noon of the 16th Colonel Moor reported that the detachment on the Wytheville road had a skirmish with 1,500 of the enemy there, killed 3, and retired without loss in the direction of I’rench’s; also that

General H. Marshall was reported to be advancing from. Tazewell Court-House with 2,500 men. I immediately dispatched an order to Colonel Moor to leave half a regiment at French’s and march rapidly with the remainder of his force to the Wytheville Cross-Roads and hold them at all hazards. Meanwhile I kept patrols active on our right and front to ascertain the enemy’s movements in those directions. Colonel Scammon reported the enemy still in force in his front, and no apparent change except he was in receipt of reports of considerable re-enforcements reaching them. About 2 o’clock p. m. a cavalry patrol on the Wyoming road 5 miles from Princeton was fired into by a party of the enemy’s horsemen. Two companies of infantry and part of the troops at Princeton were immediately sent out, under Major Ankele, Thirtyseventh Ohio Volunteers, to feel the force of the enemy advancing in that direction. It soon became evident that the force which had been met by Colonel Moor’s detachment at the Wytheville Cross-Roads was advancing by the Wyoming road, having made a detour to their left to reach it. They advanced cautiously, and were firmly and gailantly met by Maj. F. E. Franklin, Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteers, and Maj. Charles Ankele, Thirty-seventh Ohio Volunteers, with the detachments of those regiments which garrisoned the post, and Capt. Frank Smith’s troop First Ohio Cavalry. Our troops behaved with great steadiness, retiring slowly from point to point as they were outflanked by the superior numbers of the enemy, and maintained the unequal contest for more than three hours.

About 5 p. m., suspecting, from my examination of the advancing force of the enemy, that the principal body of Marshall’s command had passed the Wytheville Cross-Roads, I gave orders to Major Franklin to hold the town as long as possible, and if driven from it to retire by the road to French’s, sending back to stop trains advancing by the Raleigh road, and then moved my headquarters and baggage upon the Frenchville road, and proceeded immediately to Colonel Moor’s headquarters. I there found that, owing to the difficulty of the roads and slowness of communication, he had not yet been able to carry out the order to move his command to the Wytheville Cross-Roads, but had sent to LieutenantColonel von Blessingh six companies of infantry, under Major Bohlender, Twenty-eighth Ohio Volunteers, making the force at the Cross-Roads ten companies of infantry. I immediately ordered the remainder of his command under arms, consisting of three half regiments—the Twentyeighth, Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-seventh Ohio Volunteers, and a section of Simmonds’ battery of artillery—and put them upon the march for Princeton. I ordered Colonel Scammon to move up half a regiment to French’s for the night, and to follow at daylight with his whole command, to join me at Princeton. The detachment under LieutenantColonel von Blessingh was notified that, should the enemy appear at Princeton by daylight, he was to move forward from the Cross-Roads in that direction and endeavor to take them in the rear by a simultaneous attack, 7

I arrived at Princeton at daybreak of the 17th and immediately led forward the whole of Colonel Moor’s command upon the place. The enemy made no resistance, but retired before us to the wooded range of hills south and west of the town. We attacked and drove them with considerable loss about the distance of a mile to a strong position commanding both the Wytheville and Wyoming roads, and where they could only be reached by ascending a steep ridge heavily covered with timber, where they had also placed a howitzer battery. On the left of their position they had a rifled 10-pounder and smooth 6-pounde?

Cuar. XXIV.) ACTIONS AT WOLF CREEK, ETC. 507

cannon. During the attack in front made by the rest of the command the detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel von Blessingh, marching by the Wytheville road, attacked the enemy’s right, but finding the position exceedingly strong and held by greatly superior numbers, they Eine and subsequently joined their brigade by a detour to their right.

From prisoners taken during the engagement of the morning we learned that General Williams had joined Marshall, and that the force before us consisted of two brigades—considerably more than double our numbers. This being abundantly corroborated by other information, I did not think it prudent to push the attack farther, but took my position on the outskirts of the town, and awaited the arrival of Colonel Scammon’s brigade.

Toward evening Colonel Scammon’s brigade arrived. He brought reliable information that the brigades of Generals Williams, Heth, Marshall, and Floyd were united in our front, numbering from 12,000 to 15,000 men; that their movement had been made in the expectation of throwing their principal force in our rear, moving by our right flank on the Wytheville and Wyoming roads, whilst we moved toward our left in the direction of Frenchville and Pearisburg. He also found that-the force at The Narrows had promptly followed him up, occupying French’s after he left that place, and throwing out outposts quite near those stationed by us on the Pearisburg road. Later in the night

‘the officer of the day brought information that the artillery of the enemy was moving upon the Wyoming road toward our rear by the right, and this information later, taken with that before received, determined me to retire to this position till I could secure my trains, get forward supplies in safety, organize the transportation just arriving in the valley, and fully learn the movements and new force of the enemy. The movement was made at 3 o’clock in the morning of the 18th, and accomplished with the most perfect order and without the least accident.

Upon learning our movement, I am informed that the enemy’s left wing abandoned the Wyoming road and turned off toward Tazewell Court-House. For two days prior to their attack on our lines communication had been interrupted and annoyed by small parties cutting the telegraph wires, firing upon messengers and trains. My belief is that the concentration of the enemy’s force must be temporary only ; that they have drawn in all within reach in the hope of making a successful attack upon this portion of my command, and, having been foiled, that they will separate to guard other points than those immediately in my front. In my present position I feel entirely secure, and am making arrangements to open all communication with Colonel Crook’s brigade by way of Pack’s Ferry, Palestine, &c., to Lewisburg.

The reports of killed and wounded are forwarded herewith. The conduct of my command has been everything I could desire, and all the movements made with system and precision. The behavior of the

,detachment at Princeton, under Majors Franklin and Ankele, when ‘the attack began, is peculiarly deserving of praise. They continued the defense of the place, retiring slowly from point to point for a period of six hours, and did not retire from the village until after dark.

I beg leave to call the attention of the commanding general to the fact that the character of this mountain country and the net-work of roads and paths in it is such that no advance movement can be made with entire security to the line of communication without leaving strong detachments at important posts along the line. To do this with my

present force would leave an entirely inadequate command at the front. It is quite important that the force in this district should be enlarged enough to enable us te concentrate at least the whole present command in front unweakened by detachments guardiny the rear.

As far as we have examined the country it seems to be almost wholly stripped of forage of every sort. This will necessitate an arrangement of transportation in view of this fact. Our movements have been valuable to us as a reconnaissance of the country, and I am very confident a few days will enable us to take the aggressive with increased advan tages for success.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Col. ALBERT TRACY, Hdqrs. Mountain Department.
The later reports showing that the casualties have been overestimated in first report received, I have ordered them entirely revised,
and will forward in another inclosure,
Return of Casualties in Col. Augustus Moor’s brigade, District of the Kanawha, in the
engagement at Princeton, W. Va., May 16-17, 1862.*
Killed. Wonnded. Missing. a a d