The movement of our forces in the Northwest.
We observe that some of our exchanger, in noticing the movements of our forces in
Western Virginia, and along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, claim that the great trestle work on
Cheat river was destroyed.
This is a mistake.
We have before us a letter from a member of the 12th regiment
Virginia cavalry, giving an account of the expedition from the time it left
Harrisonburg to the third day of the present month.
The letter was written while the brigade of
Gen. Jones was at
Buckhannon, in Upshur county, where a junction had been formed with the forces under
Gen. Imboden.
The writer says:
‘
On the 20th we left
Harrisonburg, went through
Moorefield, and struck the
Allegheny mountains at
Greenland,
Hardy county, nineteen miles from
New Creek.
At
Greenland we captured seventy-five Yankees, including two
Captains and four
Lieutenants.
Crossing the mountains, the brigade divided, our regiment (the 12th) and the
Maryland battalion crossing the mountains in
Allegheny county,
Maryland.
At
Oakland we charged the town and caught seventy-five more Yankees, and burned the bridge.
At Cranberry Summit, also on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, we caught about a dozen Yankees, and then marched to
Cheat river Suspension Bridge, which we destroyed.
We then passed on to
Kingwood, Preston county, and
Morgantown, Monongahela county.
Gen'l Jones, with the advance of the brigade, attacked Chest river trestle work, but did not succeed in its destruction, on account of the superior force of the enemy guarding it. He then marched to Independence, on B. and O. R. R., captured 80 of the enemy, and burned the bridge there.
We then formed a junction near
Morgantown, and the command moved on to
Fairmont.
Here we had a little fight and captured 390 of the enemy.
The "melish" of
Pierpont fled, and would not assist their Northern allied.
The splendid railroad bridge over the
Monongahela river, one mile above
Fairmont, which cost $250,000, and 12 months to construct, was
totally destroyed.
We then struck the
North western Virginia railroad at
Bridgeport, Harrison county, where we caught 80 Yankees, and destroyed the trestle work over
Simpson's creek.
From this point we came on to
Buckhannon.
A number of minor bridges were also destroyed, one near
New Creek.
We have destroyed several engines and cars.--in fact, played the devil with the railroad.
’
