Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 1.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[223] Not wishing to attack them in front with inexperienced soldiers, he detached Rosecrans upon his right, on the morning of the 11th, to turn their flank and take them in rear.

A path, only accessible to foot-soldiers, wound up the sides of Rich Mountain, south of the defile where the road from Beverly to Buckannon passes. Rosecrans, leaving his artillery behind him, was to follow this path—which the enemy would not probably dream of defending—with 2000 men, and, once on the summit of the ridge, was to proceed in a northerly direction to the defile in order to descend by the road and attack Pegram's positions in rear. As soon as the sound of musketry was heard, the troops stationed at the foot of those positions were to attack them in front, thus hemming in the enemy on all sides. After a very fatiguing march the young soldiers of Rosecrans reached the summit of the mountain without striking a blow; but before they had time to gain the defile, they were attacked by the enemy, to whom an intercepted dispatch had revealed their movement, and who had sent five or six hundred men to stop them. They fought this detachment, but, being exhausted by fatigue, they remained on the spot where the conflict had taken place, and allowed the whole day to pass without availing themselves of the advantage thus gained in order to complete the prescribed movement. McClellan, whom Rosecrans had neglected to inform of this delay, waited the whole day in vain for the signal agreed upon, and, on the following morning, all that he found before him were the deserted intrenchments. On finding himself taken in flank, Pegram had sought the means of escape from the danger that threatened him in a hasty retreat; but most of his soldiers disbanded, and he wandered about during two days with the remnants of his brigade, trying in vain to effect a junction with Garnett. Finally, McClellan, having preceded him to Beverly, on the Leedsville road, occupied the former village on the 12th of July, and on the following day Pegram and six hundred of his companions were compelled to lay down their arms.

While his lieutenant was being dislodged from Rich Mountain, Garnett allowed himself to be amused by Morris at Laurel Hill, little dreaming of the danger that threatened him. Fortunately for him, he was informed by Pegram of the evacuation of Rich