142

MCCLELLAN IN IVEST VIRGINIA.

might aid the enemy. This seenedunsatisfactory, and they intimated tiatthey expected to be taken into nymess, and to be announced as volm-teer aides with military rank. Tleywere told that military position orrank could only be given by authoitymuch higher than mine, and that tleycould be more honestly independentif free from personal obligation aidfrom temptation to repay favors wtliflattery. My only purpose was to mtthe matter upon the foundation ofpublic right and of mutual selfre-spect. The day before we reaciedGauley Bridge they opened the materagain to my adjutant-general, but wereinformed that I had decided it uiona principle by which I meant to abide. Their reply was, “Very well; GemralCox thinks he can get along without us. We will show him. We will wifehim down! ” They left the camp the same evening and wrote letters to tleirpapers, describing the army as a rabble of ruffians, burning houses, ravislingwomen, robbing and destroying property, and the commander as totally incom-petent. As to the troops, more baseless slander was never uttered. Tieirmarch had been orderly, no willful injury had been done to private propety,and no case of personal violence to any non-combatant, man or woman, ladbeen even charged. Yet the publication of such communications in wkelyread journals was likely to be as damaging as if it were true. My nominaionas brigadier-general was then before the Senate for confirmation, and ‘thepen ” would probably have proved “'mightier than the sword ” but for McClel-lan’s knowledge of the nature of the task we had accomplished, as he wasthen in the flood-tide of power at Washington, and had expressed hissatiaac-tion at the performance of our part of the campaign which he had plannel.

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GAULEY BRIDGE & VICINITY.

ROSECRANS IN COMMAND.

General Rosecrans had succeeded McClellan as ranking office? in VestVirginia , but it was not until the beginning of November, 1861, that the rejionwas made a department and he was regularly assigned to command. Meanwhilethe three-months’ enlistments were expiring, many regiments were sent heme,new ones were received, and a complete reorganization of his forces nokplace. Besides holding the railroad, he fortified the Cheat Mountain Passlooking toward Staunton, and the pass at Elkwater on the mountain sunmitbetween Huttonsville and Huntersville. In similar manner I was directedto fortify the camp at Gauley Bridge, and to cover the front in every drec-tion with active detachments, constantly moving from the central position.