BEVERLY, VA., July 13, 1861.
Colonel E. D. TOWNSEND:
Success of to-day is all that I could desire. We Capture six brass cannon, of which one is rifled, all their camp equipage and transportation, even to his tents. The number of tents will probably reached two hundred, and more than sixty wagons. Their killed and wounded will amount to fully one hundred and fifty; at last one hundred prisoners, and more coming in constantly. I know already of ten officers killed and prisoners. Their retreat complete. Occupied Beverly by a rapid march.
Garnett abandoned his camp early this morning, leaving much of his equipage. He came within a few miles of Beverly, but our rapid march turned him back in great confusion, and he is now retreating on the road to Saint George. I have ordered General Morris to follow him up closely. I have telegraphed for the two Pennsylvania regiments at Cumberland to join General Hill at Rowlesburg. The general is concentrating all his troops at Rowlesburg to cut off garnett’s retreat near West Union, or, if possible, Saint george. I may say that we have driven out some ten thousand troops strongly intrenched, with the loss of eleven killed and thirty-five wounded.
Provision returns found here show Garnett’s force to have been ten thousand men. They were Eastern Virginians, Georgians, Tennesseeans, and, I think, Carolinians. to-morrow I can give full details as to prisoners, &c. Will move on Huttonsville to-morrow, and endeavor to seize the Cheat Mountain pass, where there are now but few troops. I hope that General Cox has by this time driven Wise out of the Kanawha Valley. In that case I should have accomplished the object of liberating Western Virginia. I open the general will approve my operations.
GEO. B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS, July 13, 1861.
General McCLELLAN, Beverly, Va:
The General-in-Chief, and what is more, the Cabinet, including the President, are charmed with your activity, valor, and consequent successes of Rich Mountain the 11th, and of Beverly this morning. We do not doubt that you will in due time sweep the rebels from Western Virginia, but we do not mean to precipitate you, as you are fast enough.
WINFIELD SCOTT.
Sources
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, Vol. II. With additions and corrections. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902.
Spirit of '61 