Our regiments and artillery then crossed the river in hot pursuit. At a distance of a quarter of a mile the road again crosses the stream, and General Garnett sought in vain to rally his troops at this point. Major Gordon of the Seventh Indiana led the advance, and soon reached the spot where General Garnett, on the opposite side of the river, was endeavoring to rally his forces around him. Gordon called upon Captain Ferry’s company, and ordered them to fire. The rebels greeted Major Gordon with one volley and fled. General Garnett turned to call his men, and motioned them back, but all in vain. At this moment, Sergeant Burlingame, of Captain Ferry’s company, raised his piece, took aim, and fired. General Garnett fell backward, his head lying towards our forces, and with open mouth, as though gasping for breath. He uttered not a groan, and when Major Gordon reached him, a few moments afterwards, he was just expiring. The Major stooped down, tenderly closed his eyes, disposed his limbs, and left a guard of loyal soldiers around him to protect all that remained of the chivalrous and honored, but mistaken leader of Western Virginia.
Every Virginian among the followers of this gallant man fled, and left him to fall and expire alone. But a young soldier wearing the Georgia uniform and button, sprang to his side, only to share his fate, for a musket shot answered this devotion with death, and he fell side by side with his commander. The Federal troops, even in the glow of victory, stopped to pay a tribute of respect to this generous youth. They placed a board at his grave and cut rudely upon it, “A brave fellow, who shared his General’s fate and fell fighting by his side. Name unknown.”
The loss of our troops was killed, two; wounded, twelve. The enemy lost eight on the field, three died in hospital, and ten others were wounded. A large number of prisoners were taken, including six Georgia captains and lieutenants, a surgeon, and a number of non-commissioned officers. Beside prisoners, there were also captured two stands of colors, one rifled cannon, forty loaded wagons, hundreds of muskets and side arms, with other effects of various kinds.
This action is honorable in the highest degree to all engaged in it. They had pursued and overtaken an enemy who had twelve hours advance; they had made a forced march of nearly thirty miles in less than twenty-four hours, over the worst of roads, and with scarcely any food, some of the men having been without nourishment for thirty-six hours. They then fought a battle, cut off the enemy’s baggage train, captured their cannon, routed their army, and found themselves in full possession of the field. The day and the event will ever be memorable, and Ohio and Indiana may well be proud of their sons.
The remainder of General Garnett’s army effected their escape through the Cheat Mountain Gap, which was seized and fortified by General McClellan. In these two engagements 150 of the enemy were killed, 300 wounded, upwards of 1000 prisoners were taken, and nearly all their war material fell into the hands of the victors.
The loyal troops were too much exhausted by the incessant labors and privations of their three days’ struggle to pursue the scattered and dispirited enemy any further through the mountains, and went into camp at Huttonville and Laurel Hill, to await the next call to duty. General McClellan closed his dispatch of July 14th, with the words, “I firmly believe that secession is killed in this section of the country.”
During the battle an incident illustrating the coolness, bravery and generosity of Colonel Lander towards a brave foeman occurred, that deserves honorable mention. The horse of the Colonel had been shot from under him, and he, dismounted, had taken his stand upon a rock directly in front of a rebel gun. Discharging musket after musket, as fast as they could be loaded for him, he remained a noted mark for the enemy to shoot at. At a short distance, all the men belonging to a cannon of the Confederates had been shot down or fled, and their Lieutenant was undauntedly serving and firing it, single-handed. Three times had it belched forth flame and ball, when Colonel Lander, noticing the bravery of the man, called out to him—
“If you fire that gun again you are a dead man!”
“Sir, I shall fire it as long as I have life in my body!” was the cool, fearless and curt reply.
This was an instance of noble courage well calculated to be appreciated by a true soldier, and the Union Colonel, leaping from the rock, shouted to his men—