Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 2.djvu/274

64 and in a few minutes the command was formed on the crest of a gentle eminence and the banners of the Southern Confederacy floated over the soil of invaders. As our flag was unfurled in the splendors of an evening sun, cheers upon cheers arose from the men, and their enthusiasm was excited to the highest pitch."

General Jenkins made a considerable march in Ohio, and surprised the inhabitants, who begged in abject terror that their homes might be spared from the torch, by committing no depredations, assuring the people that though many of his soldiers were homeless and their families in exile because of such warfare in Virginia, he did not represent barbarians, but a civilized people struggling for their liberties. On more than one occasion, also, he was gratified by the friendly waving of handkerchiefs, and "shouts for Jeff Davis and the Southern Confederacy." Recrossing the Ohio at Racine, he made a demonstration against Point Pleasant, proceeded to Buffalo, crossed the Kanawha, advanced to Barboursville, and thence returned down the Guyandotte valley to Wyoming.

Lightburn's command in the valley consisted of two Ohio regiments at Raleigh Court House, two companies of West Virginia cavalry at Camp Ewing, 10 miles in advance of Gauley bridge, four West Virginia companies at Summersville, and the remainder of the Ninth and Fourth infantry and Second cavalry, West Virginia Federal troops, at different points from Gauley to Charleston. He soon began concentrating upon hearing of Jenkins' movements, and the force at Raleigh fell back to Fayette. Loring advanced with a little army of about 5,000 men, organized as follows:

ARMY OF WESTERN VIRGINIA.

Maj.-Gen. W. W. Loring commanding. Maj. H. Fitzhugh, chief of staff; Col. C. E. Thorburn, chief of ordnance; Capt. R. L. Poor, chief engineer; Surg. John A. Hunter, medical director.