W. S. ROSECRANS, qu eic ite i E to ; Ln Ls Rj Nl, November 13, 1861

Camp Gauley Mountain, November 13, 1861.

Your No. 32, dated 2 p. m., just received. The commanding general does not think the rebels have entirely gone, but what their force may be is unknown. General Schenck, with his entire brigade, comes over to-night to re-enforce you. Being the senior, he will assume command until the commanding general comes over. You will therefore report to him, and, after stating fully the position of everything, aet under his orders. The general understands you have ordered the — force from Cassidy’s Mill Its withdrawal is in fáce of his express orders for its occupation, and what seems to him a plain military – advantage requires something more in explanation than has been reported to him to justify it, which he awaits. He does not wish to – attack Floyd by the front only, but if we can get his left flank and – rear we shall succeed in crushing him.

Brigadier-General BENHAM.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT WESTERN VIRGINIA, , hae : Camp Gauley Mountain, November 13, 1861. :

Your 33 received at 7 p. m. This goes by Miller’s Ferry. Regret . that the detachment at Cassidy’s Mill was not pushed forward towards

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: Fayette. Your idea that the rebels may be sleeping is a good one,

and strikes me favorably. Much will depend whether you shall pursue them on the condition and strength of your troops and the provisions you have. Of these things I know nothing. A question of pursuit is therefore left to your discretion. You can now send by Miller’s Ferry, which will much shorten the line of communication. 1 shali start for Fayette by 8 to-morrow morning, and hope to hear from you whatever you deem proper before that time. General Schenck with his entire brigade is already in camp at Huddleston’s. If, therefore, there were a chance to overtake the flying foe, your support is certain. You have more than one-fourth as many troops as the retreating foe.-

Brigadier-General BENHAM, Fayetteville.

[Addenda.] NOVEMBER 12, 1861. Brig. Gen. R. C. SCHENCK, Camp Ewing, W. Va.:

The commanding general directs you to break your camp at Ewing tomorrow morning and proceed with your command across the river at Gauley Bridge to the Cotton Hill. The troops should have two days’ rations in their haversacks. Their baggage*hould follow under com-

. mand of the rear guard, which may be composed of your advanced pickets.

You will order Captain Mack to report to Colonel McCook for temporary duty. West’s cavalry will come down and encamp at or below Gauley. The troops should move early, and get, if possible, past MeCook’s camp before the fog gets off the river. Colonel McCook will remain in command of the troops covering the position on this side. Give orders to have all the material that can be saved brought away from Townsend’s Ferry. If the boats can be hidden for a few days, I think they may be hidden as well as the pieces for the bull-boat. This is on the supposition that we cannot cross at Townsend’s Ferry, while we know we can cross down here.

provided with the necessary help and give the necessary directions.

JOSEPH DARR, JR., Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

NOVEMBER 13, 1861—9.45 p. m. Brig. Gen. R. €. SCHENCK, Camp Huddleston, W. Va.:

Your dispatch of 8 p. m. received. You will probably not be required to advance much farther. Fayette Court-House is ours. , Benham has orders to consider the condition of his men and use his discretion as to pursuit. The last of the rebels passed Fayette at daylight this a.m. You will hear from him during the night if he can find any one; if not, send for sledges—that is, stone-hammers, picks, and shovels— and put pioneers on the road to repair it.

Brigadier- General, U. S. Army, Commanding. er NOVEMBER 14, 1861. Brig. Gen. R. ©. SCHENCK (care of Colonel McCook):

Your dispatches received, inclosing one from General Benham. Commanding general’s opinion of the pursuit is, that all that could be

accomplished could have been done by General Benham’s force. Commanding general fears your troops will suffer. Colonel McCook has been ordered to clear out Miller’s Ferry road. Everything will be done to help you. In case of necessity you will have to come down to Dickerson’s and get some from McCook. Your tents will be taken over the river and pitched near Huddleston, to which camp you will return as soon as you get advices from General Benham, showing, as I doubt not they will, that no advantage is to be gained by carrying your men farther, beyond the reach of subsistence. JOSEPH DARR, JR., Acting Assistant Adjutant- General.

NOVEMBER 15, 1861. Brig. Gen. R. O. SCHENCK, Camp Union: The commanding general, without having any means to judge of the propriety of ordering the troops back from towards Raleigh, presumes that you acted with sound discretion.

Report of Brig. Gen. Jacob D. Cox, U. S. Army, of skirmishes at Blakes farm, November 10-11.

HEADQUARTERS KANAWHA BRIDGE, > Gauley Bridge, November 13, 1861.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 10th instant I ordered Colonel De Villiers, of the Eleventh Regiment Ohio Volunteers, to take 200 men (being all of his regiment fit for duty), and after reconnoitering the mountains skirting New River on the other side to occupy and hold the crests, if possible, so as to prevent any further attempts on the part of the enemy to destroy the ferry at this place from the battery lately held by them opposite to us. At the same time I ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Enyart, commanding First Regiment Kentucky Volunteers, to cross the river below the falls with 200 men, and occupy the mills, the spurs of the mountains near there, and reconnoiter the Fayette road, and hold, if possible, the position lately occupied by the enemy’s guns opposite the First Kentucky camp. Colonel De Villiers threw over at first a party of 40, of which half. was sent along the hills down the Kanawha from the crossing place, a few rods above the bridge piers, where I had previously established a ferry capable of crossing 500 men per hour. The other half of the party the colonel conducted himself along a path by the river side under the cliffs to a ravine leading up to the Blake farm, about 1 ` mile up New River. At Blake’s farm some 50 or 60 of the enemy were –

discovered and immediately attacked. Being surprised, they were driven into the woods upon the hill-sides above with the loss of several killed, who were dragged away’in sight of our men. The enemy was immediately re-enforced by about 200, and the advanced party of the Eleventh retired to the margin of Blake’s farm, where, by stationing themselves behind a fence at the edge of a ravine, they were able to hold the rebels in check until the remainder of the party of the Eleventh

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‘arrived. The enemy was then driven back up the hills, and ‘our men – * took a lineof defense leading diagonally up the hills from Blake’s hous

“to the crest above the battery opposite this point. _

.. Shortly after dark six companies of the Second Kentucky Regiment

“had érossed the river by my order to re-enforce Colonel De Villiers.

_- Theenemy seemed to be collecting forces on the ridge, and about 9 < o'elock the left wing of the Eleventh, under Major Coleman, was driven

“back from Blake’s farm about a quarter of a mile, but, upon being rè-

“enemy and reoccupied his former position. Meanwhile the enemy made a, Succession of attacks upon the remainder of our force, which was pushing its way up to the mountain crest along the whole line from Blake’s to the Kanawha, and a brisk skirmishing fight was kept up until after midnight, when we had secured the ridge as far as Blake’s.

` During the day the party from the First Kentucky Regiment had occupied the other side of the Kanawha from the mouth of the Fayette road up to the positions of the Eleventh Ohio, and pushed a scouting party a mile up the road towards Fayette, reconnoitering the mountain sides without finding the enemy. Ã ;

At daybreak of the next day (the 11th instant) Colonel De Villiers, being ordered by me to push the enemy still farther back towards Cot-

-ton Hill, collected the larger part of his force and drove in the enemy’s piekets on the mountain ridge in his front, and pushed steadily along the crest up the New River. The enemy, several hundred in number, kept up a scattering, skirmishing fight as they retired, but made no persistent stand. As the advance party, under Colonel De Villiers (consisting at this time chiefly of’ the Second Kentucky Regiment), approached Cotton Hill the enemy was seen moving their baggage train over the hill along the Fayette turnpike from their camping ground «above Huddleston’s, 14 miles from the Kanawha, where the scouts had reported a camp of two regiments the evening before. The advance of «ur men was stopped before reaching Cotton Hill, as I was satisfied the «enemy was greatly superior in number to Colonel De Villiers? party, and ithey seemed to be retiring with the supposition that his force was only ‘the advance guard of a larger body following him. I therefore thought it unwise to have him descend from the wooded ridges and reveal the ;smallness of his command.

. During the afternoon of Monday, the 11th instant, a second party ífrom the First Kentucky Regiment, of 150 men, under Major Leiper, ifollowed the enemy up the Fayette turnpike, crossed Cotton Hill, and took up their position at Laurel Creek, where they remained till evening, then retired half a mile, and remained until General Benham’s brigade

¡reached that point, at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon of Tuesday, the 12th, the enemy being in force at Dickerson’s, some 2 miles beyond. In the fighting upon the New River Mountains our men distinctly saw from 20 to 30 of the enemy dragged away dead or badly wounded. Only 1 dead body of the rebels was found by our men on the ground next day. Our own loss was 2 killed, 1 wounded, and 6 missing, all of – the Eleventh Ohio Regiment, besides several contusions received by men who fell accidentally in climbing the rocks. The missing are supposed to have been taken prisoners, being a small post stationed on the ridge near where the enemy made a brisk attack about midnight of the 10th. The whole ground is exceedingly difficult to climb, the mountain sides – being very rocky, and in many places almost perpendicular, and the – most determined bravery and perseverance were evinced by the troops

214 – OPERATIONS IN MD., N. VA, AND W. VA. (Cmar. XIV.

in scaling the heights in the presence of an enemy who held the ridge ‘and were perfectly familiar with the paths.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, PR

J. D. COX, Brigadier- General.

Commanding Department Western Virginia, Gauley Mountain.

[Inclosure.]

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