Summary:
In July, 1861, General George B. McClellan's Federals won several victories over
Confederate forces in what is now West Virginia. In this dispatch, Confederate
Major Michael G. Harman, commanding at Staunton, reports to Robert E. Lee on
what he has heard of the engagements.
Maj.-Gen. LEE:
STAUNTON, VA.,
July 15, 1861.
Lieut. Smith, of Lee's Rifles, just arrived, reports that the fight commenced about 4 p. m., and lasted about one hour and a half. The enemy outnumbered us ten to one. We repulsed them three times. We lost forty killed and prisoners. Among the killed, Capt. De Lagnel. We killed quite one hundred and fifty of the enemy. Capt. Curry, who was wounded, came down the hill to the fort, and was the only one who did. The men in the engagement were not reenforced from Heck's command, because he was fearing an attack from the front, the enemy being in view. Heck brought his regiment out of the fortifications to retreat, about 11 o'clock at night, by order of Pegram, who had returned from the battle-field, hurt from a fall from his horse. Heck formed in the road, Lilley's company in front, and started through the mountains in the dark, and soon got separated, about three having arrived at Monterey. Nearly the whole of Pegram's regiment are safe. It is supposed that the missing will yet reach the camp. Heck left his four cannon, and about twenty teams and ordnance. Curry and Pegram were not in condition to leave the fort, and insisted on being left, and are supposed to be prisoners.
M. G. HARMAN,
Maj., Commanding.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 2, Serial No. 2, Pages 244, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
