A brigade of rebels under Governor Wise, crossed the Alleghanies to the head-waters of the Kanawha, with the intention of attacking the rear of McClellan’s forces, while General Garnett was prepared to meet him in front. General Cox had been dispatched to this section with a considerable force of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky troops, and was encamped on the Kanawha about ten miles below its junction with Scarey Creek. Hearing that a portion of the rebel force had taken position at Scareytown, but four miles above his camp, on the other side of the river, and were entrenching themselves there, General Cox dispatched a force of about 1,000 men, consisting of the Twelfth Ohio, a portion of the Twenty-first Ohio, the Cleveland Artillery, and a detachment of cavalry, all under the command of Colonel Lowe, to dislodge the rebels if practicable. The column was ferried across the stream, and moved cautiously onward, the scouts scouring the country as they advanced. The enemy was found to be entrenched on the opposite side of Pocatallico Creek, here intersecting the Kanawha, protected by breastworks, and also sheltered by woods, about half way up a slope of high hills, having two pieces of artillery in position, while a portion of their infantry had possessed themselves of ten or twelve log huts, constituting the village of Scareytown, in which they had improvised loop-holes. The Federal troops were met by a discharge from the rebel battery as soon as they made their appearance; but the artillery of Captain Cotton soon got in position, and returned the fire of the enemy with good effect. The infantry were now ordered to advance, and rushed fearlessly across the stream, which was fordable, in the face of a heavy fire. The left wing, composed of portions of the Twelfth and Twenty-first Ohio, had reached the enemy’s entrenchments, but being unsupported by the right, and a fresh regiment of the rebels appearing on the ground, they were compelled to retreat, leaving many of their dead and wounded on the field.

The loss of the Federal forces by this engagement was nine killed, thirty-eight wounded, and three missing. Of the rebel loss we have no record.

A great misfortune of the day, however, was the capture of five of the principal officers of General Cox’s command, who were not attached to the expedition.

Colonels Woodruff and De Villers, Lieutenant-Colonel Neff, and Captains Austin and Hurd, prompted by an eager desire to witness the engagement in which they were not assigned a part, rode up the banks of the river to its junction with the creek, and hearing a loud shout, were led to believe that the Federal forces were victorious. They procured a skiff, crossed the creek, and inadvertently strayed within the enemy’s lines, where they were all made prisoners.

HOW THE ENEMY WAS TO BE ATTACKED.

General Garnett had at this time nearly 10,000 men under his command, and occupied a position at Beverly, on Tygart’s Valley river, Randolph Co., in a valley of the Alleghany Mountains. Two good roads unite at an acute angle at this place, one leading westwardly to Buckhannon, and the other north-west to Phillipi. A mountainous ridge crosses both these roads in front of Beverly, and at each point of intersection General Garnett had an intrenched camp. The first was on the road to Buckhannon, called the Rich Mountain Camp, under command of Colonel Pegram; and the second, on the road to Phillipi, called Laurel Hill Camp, under General Garnett’s personal command.

Early on the morning of the 11th of July, General Rosecrans was dispatched to attack Colonel Pegram, and dislodge him from his position. General Morris was to make a simultaneous movement on the position held by General Garnett.

BATTLE AT RICH MOUNTAIN.

July 12, 1862.

The rebel entrenchments at Rich Mountain were very strong in their position, and were evidently to be taken only by a great sacrifice of life. They had rolled great trees down the steep sides of the mountain, and banding their branches into a general entanglement, filled the open spaces with earth and stones. The dense forest on all sides made the approach almost impassable. General Rosecranz was accordingly directed to attack them in their rear. For this purpose he took with him the Eighth and Tenth Indiana, and the Nineteenth Ohio, and under the leadership of an experienced guide, started about daylight to ascend the mountain. The path was exceedingly difficult and tedious, most of the distance being through thick laurel underbrush, almost impenetrable woods, and a broken, rocky region, which gave them a toilsome march of nearly nine miles. Meantime a courier from General McClellan with dispatches for General Rosecrans, had been captured by the rebels, who instantly took the alarm, and a body of 2,500 men were sent to the top of the mountain by a short route which they commanded, and on the arrival of the Union forces they stood ready for defence. The rebels had three cannon in place, and awaited the troops, facing that part of the road where they would emerge from the timber. For some time there was skirmishing, the rebels firing their cannon into the woods at random. The Union troops had no cannon, and left the sheltering trees only long enough to deliver a volley at any one time, and then retired back to the bushes. They thus succeeded in drawing the enemy from his earthworks, and leading him into the open fields, where the encounter took place.