Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/75

Rh miles, Cox himself directing operations from the top of the pilot house of the leading steamboat, while military bands on board enlivened this novel mode of campaigning. The movement was without opposition until the third day, when, at the mouth of the Pocotalico, some resistance was met from Wise's advance pickets, and Cox learned that the Confederates were in force some 12 miles further on, at Tyler mountain. Cox decided to await at Pocotalico the coming in of his flanking columns.

On the 16th the forward movement of the Second Kentucky (Federal) began at Guyandotte, a few miles beyond which, at Barboursville, a lively skirmish took place with O. J. Wise's advance cavalry pickets, which fell back, pursued by the Federals, to the force encamped near Scary creek, some 24 miles from Charleston, which, on the afternoon of the 17th, met and repulsed this pursuit.

After the engagement at Scary, the Federals crossed the river and encamped on the north side. The next day Wise attacked Cox's advance post with some 800 men of all arms under McCausland, forcing them to retreat to their intrenched camp near the mouth of the Pocotalico.

The retreat of Garnett's forces from Rich mountain and Laurel hill, and the advance of McClellan to Cheat mountain, thus threatening a movement on Staunton, or to the Virginia Central railroad, or to the Kanawha line at Lewisburg, induced the Confederate authorities to promptly reinforce the Northwestern army in McClellan's front, and to concentrate forces on the Kanawha line by withdrawing Wise toward Lewisburg and advancing Floyd from the valley in the southwest to the same line. Col. A. W. McDonald, in command of a large cavalry force at Romney, was ordered to march with his command to Staunton, and unite with the forces there concentrating. Gen. W. W. Loring was assigned to the command of the army of the Northwest.

Acting under discretionary orders, Wise abandoned Charleston July 24th, marching up the Kanawha; left Gauley bridge, which he burned behind him, on the 27th, and after a march of over 100 miles arrived at Lewisburg on the last day of the month, and located his camp at Hunger's mill, 4 miles west of that town.

These brief Northwestern Virginia campaigns, the first of the war and of barely two months' duration, ending