Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/271

Rh on the other hand of the loyal Virginians. Lieutenant Miller, of the Ninth Virginia (U. S. A.), reported that he was awakened by a shot, and saw the street full of "rebel cavalry, dressed in gray uniforms, yelling at the top of their voices." He went out of the back window and into the woods, and found on his subsequent return that all his comrades had been "gobbled" except those who were as lucky as himself. In Wyoming county, near where Floyd was stationed, in Tazewell, a daring cavalry raid was made by Captains Straton and Witcher, joining the companies of Chambers and Beckley at Horse Pen, and several skirmishes were fought, in which brave men fell, Straton and Witcher both being reported dangerously wounded.

Early in August, General Cox was still at Flat Top mountain" and Brook at Meadow Bluff, on opposite sides of the junction of the New and Greenbrier, before which lay Colonel Hayes near Pack's ferry, maintaining the communications of the two commands. Before him, about the Narrows, was General Loring with the Confederate forces. On August 6th, Col. G. C. Wharton with 900 men moved from Peterstown and made a demonstration against the outpost at the ferry, driving the enemy from their camp with considerable loss and destroying two flatboats. A week or two later General Cox was ordered to retire from the Kanawha with most of his troops, which were sent to Washington and thence to reinforce Pope on the Rappahannock, and Col. J. A. J. Lightburn, of the Fourth Virginia (U. S. A.), was left in command of the Kanawha, with headquarters at Gauley. The Federal force in the vicinity of Franklin and Moorefield had been previously withdrawn, and as soon as Lee was informed of Cox's orders by the capture of Pope's headquarters and letter-book at Catlett's Station, he requested that Loring be ordered "to clear the valley of the Kanawha and then operate northwardly, so as to join me in the valley of Virginia."