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.
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