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The dispatch directed McClellan to “act promptly.” On the 27th ColonelKelley was sent by rail from Wheeling to drive off the enemy and protectthe railroad. The hostile parties withdrew at Kelley’s approach, and thebridges were quickly rebuilt. At the same time several of the Ohio regi-ments were ordered across the river, and a brigade of Indiana volunteersunder Brigadier-G-eneral Thomas A. Morris was sent forward by rail fromIndianapolis . Morris reached Grafton on the 1st of June, and was intrustedwith the command of all the troops in West Virginia . He found that ColonelKelley had already planned an expedition against the enemy, who had retiredsouthward to Philippi, about thirty miles from Grafton. Morris approvedthe plan, but enlarged it by sending another column under Colonel EbenezerDumont of the 7th Indiana to cooperate with Kelley. Both columns weredirected to make a night march, starting from points on the railroad abouttwelve miles apart, and converging on Philippi, which they were to attackat daybreak of June 3d. Each column consisted of about 1500 men, andDumont’s had with it 2 field-pieces of artillery, smooth 6-pounders.
The Confederate force was commanded by Colonel G. A. Porterfield, ofthe Virginia volunteers, and was something less than a thousand strong,about one-fourth cavalry. ,1
The night was dark and stormy, and Porterfield’s raw troops had notlearned picket duty. The concerted movement against them was more suc-cessful than such marches commonly are, and Porterfield’s first notice of
danger was the opening of the artilleryupon his sleeping troops. It had been ex-pected that the two columns would inclosethe enemy’s camp and capture the whole;but, though in disorderly rout, Porterfieldsucceeded, by personal coolness and cour-age, in getting them off with but few casu-alties and the loss of a few arms. The campequipage and supplies were, of course,captured. Colonel Kelley was woundedby a pistol-shot in the breast, which wasthe only injury reported on the Nationalside ; no prisoners were taken, nor did anydead or wounded fall into our hands. Por-terfield retreated to Beverly, some thirtymiles farther to the south-east, and theNational forces occupied Philippi. Thetelegraphic reports had put the Confed-erate force at 2000 and their loss at 15
i A Confederate Court of Inquiry reported that way to the front. They belonged to General Mor-he had “600 effective infantry (or thereabouts) ris’s First Indiana Brigade (which also included theand 173 cavalry (or thereabouts).” — Official 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Indiana regiments),Records, II., p. 72. but were placed on detached service at Cumber-
I The 11th Indiana Zouaves, Colonel Lew'Wal- land, on the Potomac. Under instructions fromlace, passed through Cincinnati June 7th on their General Robert Patterson, Colonel Wallace led an
MAJOR-GENERAL LEW WALLACE. 4PROAl A WAR-TIME PHOTOGRAPH.