Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/300

 292 Southern Historical Society Papers.

this, and is still living, and since the Civil War has been the manufacturef of wooden limbs. Leroy Dangerfield got well of his wound, and made a brilliant record as a Confederate soldier in the Eleventh Virginia Cavalry, captain of a company. Captain Dangerfield died a few years ago.

VIRGINIANS' HEAVY LOSSES.

The record shows that the Virginians lost all of their baggage and camp equipage, and fully one-half of their arms, and the little army was scattered to the four winds, but, after many privations, got together again, and presented another front on ''Laurel Hill," where they were again outflanked and put to flight. Prior to the Philippi disaster the whole of western Virginia was in a greatly excited condition, and the mental suf- fering was intense; but now the sufferings became real, and war, with all of its horrors, was spread over the country.

All of Northwestern Virginia, as far south as Randolph coun- ty, had to be abandoned to the Federals, and this was very dis- heartening to the Southern sympathizers.

The bold dash of the Federals, under General McClellan, into Northwest Virginia, led to the assembling of a mighty army under General Robert E. Lee in Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties the summer of 1861, but General Lee and General Mc- Clellan never confronted each other in Western Virginia as commanders of opposing armies. General Lee did not reach Huntersville until the 3d day of August, 1861 (see Recollec- tions and Letters of R. E. Lee, by Robert E. Lee, Jr., page 38, and did not reach his headquarters at Valley Mountain until three days later (see same book).

General McClellan at this time was in command of the Army of the Potomac, which he assumed on the 27th day of July (see History of the War of Rebellion, referred to, page 428) ; when General McClellan issues his first order as commander-in- chief of that army.

The great battle of Bull Run, or First Manassas, had been fought on the 2ist day of July 1861, and the Confederates had gained a signal victory, and General McDowell's defeated and