MCCLELLAN IN WEST VIRGINIA.

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the two brigades Iadvanced to SpyRock, a strong posi-tion overlooking avalley several milesbroad, beyond whichwas Big SewellMountain, the crestof which we occu-pied with an ad-vance-guard on the20th and in force onthe 24th. Before the1st of October Rose-crans had concentra-ted his force at themountain, the fourbrigades being soreduced by sicknessand by detachmentsthat he reported thewhole as makingonly 5200 effectivemen. Immediatelyin front, across adeep gorge, lay theunited forces ofFloyd and Wise,commanded by Leein person. The autumn rains set in upon the very day of Rosecrans’s arrival,and continued without intermission. The roads became so difficult that theanimals of the wagon trains were being destroyed in the effort to supply thecommand. The camp was 35 miles from Gfauley Bridge, and our stores werelanded from steamboats 25 miles below that post, making 60 miles of wagoning.The enemy was as badly off, and no aggressive operations were possible oneither side. This became so evident that on the 5th of October Rosecranswithdrew his forces to camps within 3 or 4 miles of Gfauley Bridge.’

Lee had directed an effort to be made by Gfeneral Loring, his subordinateon the Staunton line, to test the strength of the posts under Reynolds atCheat Mountain and Elkwater, and lively combats had resulted on the 12thand 14th of September. Reynolds held firm, and Rosecrans had not beendiverted from his own plans. On October 3d Reynolds delivered a returnblow upon the Confederate position at Greenbrier River, but found it toostrong to be carried. Both parties now remained in observation till the endof October. Floyd reported to his Government that the eleven days of coldstorms at Sewell Mountain had “ cost more men, sick and dead, than the

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ROSECRANS’S CAMP AT GAULEY BRIDGE. FROM A SKETCH MADE AT THE TIME.