Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/288

 280 Southern Historical Society Papers.

From the Times- Dispatch, November 4, 1906.

FAMOUS RETREAT FROM PHILIPPI.

One of the Early Battles of the War Fought Under Serious Disadvantages.

Confederates Unprepared Strange Views of General McClellan and His Idea of Uncivilized Warfare.

BY JOHN A. McNEEL.

At this time and place the very first collision of arms between the Northern and Southern forces on Virginia soil occurred. Here the first blood on Virginia soil of the four years of the great civil war was spilled. The writer has never seen an accu- rate and full account of the first meeting of the two armies in Virginia, that were afterwards to engage in the death struggle of the next four years, and now, after the lapse of more than forty-five years, takes upon himself the duty of writing an impartial account of the occurrence of an event that was con- sidered a great victory for the North and a greater defeat for the South.

In order to form a correct opinion of the facts related, we must, first, locate the town of Philippi, describe and give the attendant circumstances of each army, as well as discuss the peculiar political conditions that existed in Virginia at that time. Under the alarming political conditions of the country, the Hon. John Letcher, as Governor of Virginia, by proclamation, con- vened the Legislature of Virginia in extraordinary session on the /th day of January, 1861.

This Legislature, almost immediately on its assembling, passed an act calling for a State convention to express the sovereign will of the people of Virginia upon their Federal relations.

By this act the members to the convention were to be elected on the 4th day of February, proximo, and to meet in conven- tion on the 1 3th day of the same month, in the city of Richmond.