Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/49

 /'/./. Mn>i,,i,iin in 1861. 41

this mismanagement, was compelled to surrender the force with him to McClellan. General Garnett commenced to retreat on the night of the nth of July, with McClellan in pursuit, who overtook him at Cannick's Ford, over Cheat river. Here Garnett concluded to make a stand to check the enemy's advance. A line of battle was formed of Taliaferro's regiment and the ist Georgia, with the 3ist Virginia (West Virginia) thrown out as a skirmish line and sharpshooters along the banks of the river. General Garnett rode up to Lieu- tenant-Colonel Pat Duffy, of Braxton Courthouse, in charge of the skirmish line, and called for twelve men. On reaching the stream he ordered eleven back, and himself and one man, Zack Tillman, of Lewis county, continued to the middle of the river. Here Garnett ordered ten men back, who, thinking the General demented, hesi- tated. A volley from the enemy riddled Garnett's body. It fell into the stream. Tillman brought out safely the General's horse. The body was recovered by McClellan and sent home by way ol Washington for burial.

RETREAT TO MONTEREY.

On the fall of Garnett, Colonel Taliaferro assumed command, and speedily checked the enemy's advance, and his force safely reached Monterey a few days after. The entire force were detained a month at this place by measles of a virulent type which deciminated our ranks. On the 1 5th of August we advanced to Traveller's Rest, on the Greenbrier, to hold the Parkersburg turnpike, and prevent any ad- vance from Cheat mountain on Staunton, General Henry R. Jackson, of Georgia, being in command. We had been reinforced by the ist Arkansas, Colonel Rusk, and Fulkerson's southwest Virginia regi- ment. Early on the morning of the 2d of September, Millroy, with 5,000 men and his field guns, crossed the bridge over the Greenbrier to drive in our pickets and attack our entrenched camp. Our pick- ets, 1 20 strong, taking the laurel on the side of the mountain, held their advance for three hours, making an unequalled fight of this character. The ist Arkansas, Taliaferro's regiment, and the 44th Virginia held the entrenchments, the latter being on the left at the extreme point of the ridge, near the enemy and under our own bat- tery and in line of fire of the enemy's. The ist and i2th Georgians formed line of battle on the banks of the river to check the enemy's crossing. The ridge, on our left, was held by the 3 ist Virginia (West Virginia) and Fulkerson's regiment. The Georgians, pre-