Gen. Loring's campaign in the Kanawha Valley.
A correspondent of the Lynchburg Republican gives a well condensed and interesting account of General Loring's campaign in the Kanawha Valley. The army camped near Fayette Court-House, leaving a march of 14 miles the next day to bring them upon the enemy. The letter says:‘ We started early next morning, and when in a few miles of Fayette Court-House divided into two columns and advanced upon the enemy--General Williams to advance upon the enemy's front, and Col. Wharton to march around through the woods, over a most precipitous mountain, (seven miles,) and attack him in the rear. The attack was made most desperately in front with artillery, (Otey's battery,) while Wharton was thundering in the rear with his infantry. The fight continued from 12 o'clock till dark put a stop to it, when all became quiet. Very soon, however, Wharton discovered that the enemy was taking advantage of the darkness to make his escape, and at midnight the rattling of Wharton's musketry told a tale that could not be mistaken.--From his well chosen position, deadly volleys were pouring into the enemy's trains and columns. His artillery escaped, and most of his infantry, but to the next morning there stood his trains.
’ Everywhere lay his dead, dying and worn out.--They burnt the most of their quartermaster and commissary stores, but left a million worth unharmed. We lost a few of our men killed and wounded, Otey's battery was the only command that suffered much. We pursued them. They made a stand at Cotton Hill, seven miles further on. A few hours fighting dislodged them, and we pursued on to Kanawha Falls, where they again made a stand; but a few hours contest made us again masters of the field, with no less than two million dollars worth of stores and some prisoners, notwithstanding the millions worth which they had destroyed. On we still pursued, and again attacked their rear guard and repulsed them, till the night again stopped the pursuit. But next day we commenced again, but did not overtake any except the pickets, two of which we captured.
The next day (13th) we marched to this place and attacked the enemy in two columns--Colonel McCausland on the north, and Gen. Williams and Col. Wharton on the south side of the Kanawha.After a sharp fight the enemy was put to flight again. He abandoned the Kanawha Valley, as well as the stores, &c., burning all he could, even his dead! and even I, a rebel, am sorry to say, some of his wounded also ! So, to have the whole in a nut shell, it is this; We have, in one week, marched from Giles and Monroe counties to Charleston, Kanawha, completely routing the enemy, capturing millions of dollars worth of stores, killing a host of Yankees, capturing a number of them, and losing not a hundred men in all! I should have stated that Charleston was fired by the Federal, they giving the women and children fifteen minutes to escapes out of town. But our brave boys extinguished it before even one square was burned. Oh, how we were encouraged by the fair ones. They threw open their doors, took us in fed us, and lavished then hospitalities upon us. God bless the ladies of Charleston. We have the salt works.
