The Northwestern expedition.
We have already published pretty general accounts of the expeditions of Gens. Jones and Imboden in Northwestern Virginia. We have before us a detailed account, written by a soldier of the 12th Va. cavalry. From the same source we published a letter a short time ago, which brought the operations of Gen. Jones's brigade up to Bridgeport, in Harrison county. In the letter before us the writer says: ‘ "From Bridgeport our brigade went to Phillipi, from there to Buckhannon, and from there to Weston, where a junction was formed with the forces under Gen. Imboden, who had advanced upon the town of Beverly, by the road from Staunton. After a day or two at Weston Gen. Jones's brigade parted company with Gen. Imboden, and marched from Weston towards Parkersburg. Proceeding some ten or twelve miles, the 11th, 12th and Witcher's battalion, under command of Col. Harman, parted with the remainder of the brigade, turned to the right, and proceeded in the direction of West Union, in Doddridge county, on Northwestern Va. railroad. On approaching the town it was found the place was held by a regiment of infantry, 500 strong, who were strongly posted on a very commanding hill.--Col. H. threw out his sharpshooters to attract the enemy while he sent two squadrons to the rear or right of the town for the purpose of destroying the two railroad bridges, which was the object of the expedition to West Union. The fuse succeeded admirably, and whilst the sharpshooters were skirmishing with the enemy, the flame from the burning bridges could be distinctly seen. Our object having been attained, the troops were withdrawn from the front of the town, and encamped for the night several miles distant. The next day the forces under Col. Harman visited Ritchie county. Before reaching Harrisville, the county seat, about 50 militia fell into our hands. They had been called out by Gov. Pierpoint, and a number of them were armed with new Enfield rifles. At Harrisville a number of "Home Guards" and 12 or 15 of the 10th Va. infantry, were captured. The contents of the Post-Office were seized, and some valuable information obtained. In the meantime Gen. Jones had struck the railroad at Cairo and destroyed two bridges. The tunnel, No. 18, which had some 4,000 cords of wood in the arching, was destroyed completely. We rejoined Gen. Jones near Ritchie C H, and from thence we proceeded to "Oil Town, " or "Rathbone City," in Wirt county. Since the commencement of hostilities between the two sections, Wirt county has been constantly in the hands of the enemy. The Yankee Government has had the oil wells under their control, and when we reached the wells we found an immense quantity of oil, belonging to "Uncle Sam." Canal or oil boats were strung along the Little Kanawha river for a distance of two miles, whilst at least 100,000 barrels were lying along the banks of the stream and around the different wells. The work of destruction was commenced at 12 o'clock in the day, and the conflagration continued until after daylight the next morning. The number of barrels destroyed was estimated at not less than 400,000, which you will perceive is an immense loss to the enemy. The return march was now commenced, and the counties of Calhoun, Gilmer, Braxton, &c., passed through, but nothing worthy of note occurred. In these counties the people are almost a unit in the cause of the South, and long for the day of deliverance to arrive.--Large numbers of horses and cattle were brought out from the disloyal counties. I was particular to note the condition and sentiment in some of the counties through which we passed, and my conclusion is this: A large majority of the people of Marion county are strongly Southern in their feeling; Harrison is loyal to a great degree; Barbour, some good feeling; Upshur, very unsound; Lewis, a majority sound, but a large minority very rampant in their disloyalty; Doddridge, a hot bed of fanaticism and disloyalty; Ritchie, not much, if any, better. In Monongalia and Preston there is very little Southern feeling. ’ H. D. B.
