Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/91

 Narrative of the Service of Col. Porterfield. 85

I had been in Grafton and vicinity but a few days before I ascer- tained the real condition of the country, and informed General Lee of the same by letter and by verbal messages. The authorities were as fully informed as I could inform them of my situation and the con- dition of the country around me. I had then at Grafton about seven hundred and fifty men. I knew that I could get but little if any additional force. I was informed that no aid could be expected from Harpers Ferry. My command was deficiently supplied in every re- spect. There had been sent me a few boxes of flint-lock rifles and some old muskets from the arsenal at Lexington, two kegs of powder and some lead; that was all. A considerable United States force had already collected at Wheeling, and several thousand at other points on the other side of the Ohio river, which could be thrown on my position at Grafton in a few hours at any time. Grafton was unten- able by the force I had, or any I could expect. To remain there was to await the certain capture of my command. I, therefore, deter- mined to leave Grafton. I ordered the destruction of the wooden bridges on the railroads leading from my position to Wheeling and Parkersburg, and withdrew my command to Philippi, in Barbour county.

On the evening before I left Grafton, I received an order from Gov- ernor Letcher to seize a train of cars and go to Wheeling and capture the arms, which the United States Secretary of War had sent to that city. Just before the receipt of this order, the officer directed to destroy the bridges between Grafton and Wheeling (three), Colonel Willey, had gone on a train to execute my order, and was then in the act of doing so. We were thus cut off from Wheeling, and it was too late to comply with the Governor's order. I never ex- plained to the Governor why his order was not attempted to be carried into effect.

Up to this time I had not been ordered to break the railroad. General Lee says (page 802, Official Records) : " It is not intended to interfere with the peaceful use of the road," etc., etc. General John- ston states {Johnston's Narrative), page 28), in regard to seizing some of the rolling-stock of this road for use of the South : " It would have been criminal as well as impolitic on our part to commit such an act of war against citizens of Maryland, when we were receiving aid from the State then and hoping for its accession to the Confederacy." General Lee writes to General J. E. Johnston, June 7, 1861 : "The evacuation of the latter (Harpers Ferry) would interrupt our com- munication with Maryland and injure our cause in that State."