Today in History:

946 Series I Volume XXVII-II Serial 44 - Gettysburg Campaign Part II

Page 946 N. C., VA., W. VA., MD., PA., ETC. Chapter XXXIX.

The damage to the railroad can be repaired in an hour or so. The jail, commissary and quartermaster`s storehouses, and several private houses burned.

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, July 30, 1863.

GENERAL: A Northern paper, giving an account of the raid on Wytheville on the 18th instant, states that they captured 120 prisoners, 2 pieces of artillery, and 700 stand of arms; killed 75 of our men, and wounded a large number. Of course the statement is false. Our loss, as reported to me, was 1 captain and 2 privates killed, a lieutenant and 3 or 4 men wounded. They captured about 25 of our men, and I believe a somewhat larger number of citizens. Carried them some 10 or 12 miles with them, and paroled them. The only piece of artillery they attempted to carry off they left on the road, and so far from capturing 700 stand of arms, they left in such haste that they did not carry away all of their own arms, and left uninjured a few boxes of muskets and a wagon-load of ammunition, which had been sent up to Wytheville that evening, and were in the street in front of the court-house. I have information that the party numbered 1, 200 or 1, 300 when it started, and 500 of them returned to Fayetteville, and only 300 of them were mounted. Brigadier-General Scammon`s instructions to the commander of the expedition-a copy of which was left at Raleigh Court-House, and forwarded to me-directed him to make the destruction of the railroad thorough. The only damage done to the railroad was repaired by the ordinary section hands in less than an hour. A few of the best private houses in Wytheville were burned. The truth is, the expedition, which has been in course of preparation for more than a month, was a complete failure. Those who escaped did so by quitting the roads and crossing the mountains by bridle-paths. A more detailed report will be forwarded to you.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

SAM. JONES,

Major-General.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, C. S. Army, Richmond. -


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN VIRGINIA,
Dublin, August 2, 1863.

GENERAL: I send with this the reports of Brigadier-General Williams, Colonel McCausland, Major Bowyer, and Captain Bowen, of the parts performed by the troops under their command against the party of the enemy`s cavalry (about 1, 000 strong) which made a raid on Wytheville on the 18th ultimo. The first information I received of the approach of the enemy was about midday on July 18, just in time to enable me, by impressing the passenger train going west, to send to Wytheville two small and newly organized companies, the employees at this place, and a number of citizens of this neighborhood who volunteered for the service.


Page 946 N. C., VA., W. VA., MD., PA., ETC. Chapter XXXIX.