Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 2.

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Chapter 4: military operations in Western Virginia, and on the sea-coast

• Robert E. Lee in command in Western Virginia
-- disposition of his troops, 92. -- Floyd at Carnifex Ferry -- General Cox in the Kanawha Valley, 93. -- advance of Rosecrans -- he crosses the Mountains and confronts Floyd at Carnifex Ferry, 94. -- battle of Carnifex Ferry, 95. -- gallantry of the Western troops, 96. -- flight and escape of Floyd -- insubordination of Wise, 97. -- Reynolds's command -- Lee plans for seizing and holding West Virginia -- Reynolds wounded, 98. -- attempt to capture the Summit foiled -- Lee repulsed at Elkwater, 99. -- he joins Floyd at Meadow Bluff -- conflict near “traveler's repose,” 100. -- Rosecrans and Lee between the Gauley and New Rivers -- Floyd driven from New River, 101. -- Benham's unsuccessful pursuit of Floyd -- Rosecrans retires -- Kelley in Western Virginia, 102. -- battle near Romney -- Milroy holds the Cheat Mountain region -- he fights Johnston, of Georgia, at Alleghany Summit, 103. -- expedition to Huntersville -- operations on the Seacoast, 104. -- burning of Hampton by Magruder -- General Wool at Fortress Monroe, 105. -- expedition to Hatteras Inlet, 107. -- captures of the forts and Hatteras Island -- Butler commissioned to raise troops in New England, 108. -- naval operations near Cape Hatteras -- perils of the Nationals on Hatteras Island, 109. -- Hawkins's proclamation -- attempt to establish a loyal civil Government in Eastern North Carolina, 110. -- stirring events near Pensacola -- Wilson's Zouaves on Santa Rosa Island attacked, 111. -- battle on Santa Rosa Island, and repulse of the Confederates -- the Confedeates before Fort Pickens, 112. -- attack by Fort Pickens and War-vessels on the Confederate works -- folly of Hollins on the Mississippi, 113. -- naval engagement at Southwest Pass -- incompetency of Hrollins, 114.

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In the autumn of 1861, the Confederates made a severe struggle for the possession of West Virginia. They hoped, by the employment of other commanders than those who had failed there, to recover all that had been lost in the summer by the dispersion of Garnett's forces at Carricksford,¹ and the pushing of the incompetent Wise out of the Kanawha Valley, as we have observed.² General Robert E. Lee was sent with re-enforcements to take command of the troops left by Garnett and Pegram in Northern Virginia. He made his Headquarters at Huntersville, in Pocahontas County. His entire force, early in August, numbered full sixteen thousand men. He placed a strong guard on Buffalo Mountain, at the crossing of the Staunton turnpike, and extended his line northward from the Warm Springs, in Greenbrier County. General Floyd, the late Secretary of War,³ had, in the mean time, taken chief command of his own and Wise's troops, in the region of the Gauley River.⁴ With these two armies acting simultaneously, it was intended to expel the National troops from Western Virginia, and menace Ohio. Floyd was to sweep down the Kanawha Valley, and drive General Cox, of Ohio, beyond the border, while Lee should scatter the Union army, under General Rosecrans (McClellan's successor),⁵ in Northern Virginia, and, planting the Confederate flag at Wheeling, threaten Western Pennsylvania.

Floyd took a strong position between Cox and Rosecrans, at Carnifex Ferry,⁶ on the Gauley River, just below Meadow Creek, and eight miles from Summersville, the capital of Nicholas County. He left Wise with his force, called “Wise's Legion,” at Pickett's Mills, to prevent a flank movement from Hawksnest, a mountain on the southern side of the Gauley, near which, on [93] the