Comdg. Seventh Reg’t Indiana Vols., near Grafton,
Va.:
Colonel: You will proceed by railroad this evening at 8:30 o’clock to Webster with eight companies of your regiment. At Webster you will be Joined by Colonel Steadman with five companies of his regiment and two field pieces of Ohio artillery, also by Colonel Crittenden with six companies of his regiment. From Webster you will, with this command, march on Philippi, using your own discretion in the conduct of the march, keeping in view that you should arrive in front of the town at 4 o’clock precisely tomorrow morning.
Information is received that the rebels are in some force at Philippi. The object of your column will be to divert attention until the attack is made by Colonel Kelley, and should resistance be offered you are to aid him to the extent of your ability. In the conduct of your column you must use your discretion, being governed by such circumstances as may occur. When joined by Colonel Kelley the whole force will be under his command.
The companies of your command will take two full days’ rations. Should you receive instructions from Colonel Kelley that the rebels have retreated, you will join him at once and act under his command.
By command of Brigadier-General T. A. Morris:
JOHN A. STEIN.
Acting Assistant Adjutant General.
The intention was to surprise the rebels and the movement was admirably planned and carried out to effect this result. This force, leaving after dark, had reasonable assurance of reaching the enemy in advance of any information from their friends and, as events proved, did so. The advance was favored by the extreme darkness of the night and a continuous fall of rain. These circumstances contributed in no small degree to the complete success of the expedition, but they were rough enough on the raw soldiers who made their first march under such dismal conditions.
All night, through the darkness and drenching rain, the two columns pushed on, over roads so rough and muddy that they were in some places almost impassable to artillery. It was only by the aid of the men who swarmed around the carriages and put their hands to the wheels, that the panting horses were able to drag guns and caissons. To the volunteers, that night was a baptism indeed. They tried bravely to keep up their spirits as they trudged along through mud and water and stumbled over the roots and stumps and stones that lay in their pathway. It was so dark that a man could scarcely see his file leader. That nocturnal experience knocked the poetry and romance out of “soldiering” with a suddenness and completeness that was paralyzing. Most of these men “followed the flag” during the long years of war. They passed through many such unspeakably wretched nights and days, but nothing afterward seemed to equal in misery those weary hours of floundering through the mire, with benumbed limbs and soaked and dripping garments during that night march to Philippi.
There was no postponement of the engagement on account of the weather, and promptly at the appointed hour, 4 a. m., the two columns were in communication before the town. Like most of the so-called “towns” in the South in those days, it wasn’t much of a place, though the county seat of Barbour county. It had a shabby courthouse, a still more shabby hotel, a few houses in which the Philippians lived, and a name—that was all.
The necessary dispositions for an attack were promptly and carefully made, with the object of capturing the entire rebel force, whatever it might be. At daylight the troops, which had nearly surrounded the town in order to “let no guilty man escape,” closed in from different directions to spring the trap that had been set. The early morning visitation was a complete surprise to the rebels. There were a few sleepy pickets posted at isolated points, several of which were taken in before they had fairly got their eyes open. At length a few of them sufficiently collected their scattered wits to fire off their guns and then break for the town. This alarmed the main body of the Confederate forces and in an instant the direst confusion prevailed. Colonel Porterfield and his staff had their headquarters at the hotel and were yet asleep when the alarm was given. Hastily throwing on their clothes they quickly mounted their horses and dashed around endeavoring to learn what the trouble was all about.