Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/48

 40 Souther a Historical Society Papers.

OARNETT'S LAST ORDER.

Almost with the close of the fight, an order came from General Garnett for Scott to fall back to Huttonsville, twelve miles from Beverley, and he would join us there, concentrate, and give McClellan battle. We had nearly reached Huttonsville, when there came an- other order from Garnett for us to return to Beverley, where he would join us, and fight there next day. Midnight of the nth of July found us, after marching and countermarching all day, drawn up in the streets of Beverley, waiting Garnett, our last march made amid a thunder-storm and downpour of rain seldom witnessed. As we stood in rank, wet to the skin, there came a last order from Garnett " to take the prisoners from the jail and fall rapidly back to Monte- rey, where he would join us by way of Hardy and the South Branch of the Potomac." This was done, Colonel Scott ordering your cor- respondent to remain at the log cabin, just out of Beverly, to direct stragglers from the fight on Rich mountain on the line of retreat. This he did, remaining until the Yankee cavalry appeared, approach- ing Beverley from the direction of Laurel Hill, on the morning of the 1 2th of July, then rejoining the regiment late in the evening of that charge at Cheat mountain. It is evident that, as the turnpike road was open for the Yankee cavalry, it was equally open for Garnett to have joined Scott at Beverley, and retreat that way to Cheat moun- tain and entrench there, as the enemy did afterwards.

At "Travellers' Rest," on Greenbrier river, near dark of the i2th, we met the I2th Georgia, under Colonel Edward Johnson, who fell in line after us, and continued retreat over the Alleghany. About midnight, 'mid inky darkness, at a long angle in the road, our pris- oners, held in the front, broke away, and the fire of the guard striking our rear, led us to think we were being attacked by ' ' bush- whackers," and the fire was promptly returned, leading the front to the same idea. Then for some minutes the front and rear continued fiercely firing, the flash of our Springfield muskets illuminating the visible darkness, the men, almost to a man, remaining resolutely firm and cool, as comrades fell around and the shrieks of the wounded pierced the darkness 'round. Had Mrs. Susan Pendleton Lee been an eye-witness of this scene, she would hardly have written, " These men were totally demoralized." On the evening of the i3th we rested for the night, and on the i4th of July reached Monterey and encamped, awaiting Garnett's forces to join us. Pegram, cut off by