148
MCCLELLAN IN 1VEST VIRGINIA.
battle of Manassas Plains.” More enterprising in plans than resolute orskillful in carrying them out, he determined upon another effort, with Lee’sconsent. Taking advantage of Rosecrans’s neglect to occupy Payette CourtHouse and Cotton Hill, a mountainous mass in the angle of the Kanawhaand New rivers, he moved with a column of about five thousand men acrossNew River and down its left bank, and startled the Union commander byopening with cannon upon the post at Gauley Bridge on the 1 st of Novem-ber. The demonstration was more noisy than dangerous, for Ployd had nomeans of crossing the river. The ordnance stores at the post were movedinto a gorge out of the range of fire, and a battery was established high upon Gauley Mount to reply to the enemy. Rosecrans had hopes of capturingPloyd, by turning his position from below by Benham’s and Robert C.Schenck’s (formerly Scamm oil’s) brigades. Delays occurred which Rosecransattributed to failure to obey orders on the part of Benham. On the 10 thdetachments from my brigade at Gauley Bridge crossed the river and scaledthe heights, attacking Ployd in front and securing a position 011 the top ofthe mountain. Ployd withdrew his artillery, and 011 the 12 th, learning thatSchenck and Benham were moving toward his rear, decamped, and did notcease his retreat till he reached the Holston Yalley railroad.
Lee returned to Richmond , and portions of the troops on both sides weresent to other fields, where military operations in winter w r ere thought to be morepracticable. The remnant went into winter quarters, and though some com-bats occurred, the most noteworthy of which was Milroy’s attack upon theConfederates in front of Cheat Mountain Pass in December, these engage-ments did not change the situation. West Virginia had organized as a freeState within the Union, and this substantial result of the campaign crownedit with success. The line of the Alleghanies became the northern frontierof the Confederacy in Virginia , and was never again seriously broken.
VIEW OF ROMNEY, VA. FROM A WAR-TIME SKETCH.
On October 26 th, 1861, Brigadier-General B. F. Kelley, gagement, tbe Confederates were driven from their in-with a small force of infantry and cavalry, advanced trenclnnents and the town was captured. The Unionupon Romney from New Creek Station, 26 miles distant, forces lost 1 killed and 20 wounded. In the sketch areon the Potomac (see map, page 129). After a sharp en- shown the camps of General Kelley’s troops.