Marched seventeen miles, drove enemies' pickets out of
Summersville, followed nine miles to Gauley river. Enemy entrenched on a hill,
high, steep, and hidden by bushes, three to six thousand strong. We get ready
to attack. We have been divided into three brigades: First, General Benham's,
consisting of Tenth (Colonel Lytle's Irish), Twelfth (Colonel Lowe's), and
Thirteenth (Colonel Smith's) regiments; Second, Colonel McCook's — the Ninth,
Twenty-eighth, and Forty-ninth; Third, — Twenty-third and Thirtieth and Mack's
Battery. McMullen's Battery attached to McCook. Stewart's Cavalry, West's to headquarters,
and Schaumbeck's Cavalry to McCook's.
First Brigade led the attack. We stood near half an hour
listening to the heavy cannon and musketry, then were called to form in line of
battle. My feelings were not different from what I have often felt before
beginning an important lawsuit. As we waited for our turn to form, we joked a
great deal. Colonel Matthews, Scammon, Captains Drake and Woodward, and
privates — all were jolly and excited by turns.
Finally our turn came. I was told to take four companies and
follow one of General Rosecrans' staff. I promptly called off Seventh, Eighth,
Ninth and Tenth companies. We marched over a hill and through a cornfield; the
staff officer and myself leading on, until we reached the brow of a high hill
overlooking the Gauley River and perhaps three-quarters of a mile from the
entrenchments of the enemy. He [the officer] then said to me that I was to be
on the extreme left of our line and to march forward guided by the enemy's
guns, that he had no special orders to give, that I was an officer and must use
my own judgment. He never had been over the ground I was to pass over; thought
the enemy might retreat that way.
I marched to the wood; found it a dense laurel thicket on
the side of a steep hill, rocky and cavernous; at the bottom a ravine and river
and up the opposite hill seemed to be the enemy. I formed the four companies
into order of battle, told them to keep together and follow me; in case of separation
to push forward in the direction of the declining sun and when the firing could
be heard to be guided by it. I handed my horse to one of the unarmed musicians,
and drawing my sword crept, pushed, and struggled rapidly down the hill. When I
reached the bottom but four or five of Company K (Captain Howard) were in
sight. Soon men of Captain Zimmerman's came up and soon I gathered the major
part of the four companies. I had sent Captain Woodward and twenty scouts or
skirmishers ahead; they were among the unseen.
By this time it was getting late. I formed a line again
extending from the river up the hill and facing towards the enemy, as we
supposed. The firing had ceased except scattered shots. We pushed slowly up,
our right up hill, where I was soon encountered [by] the Twenty-eighth — lost.
Had a laugh and greeting with Markbreit who was on the left of the Twenty-eighth
(he was my partner). The head of my column was near enough to be fired on. Two
were wounded, others hit; none seriously hurt. The face of the hill on which
the enemy was posted was towards precipitous rock. We could only reach them by
moving to the right in front of the Twenty-eighth, Forty-seventh, and
Thirteenth.
I have heard nothing clear or definite of the position,
either of the enemy or ourselves. The above [drawing] is no doubt very
erroneous, but is my guess. I got up nearer than anybody except the Tenth and
Twelfth but was down a steep hill or precipice and concealed. Some of my men
bore to the right and pushing in front of the Twenty-eighth and Forty-seventh
mixed with the Thirteenth. It soon got dark; all firing ceased. I drew off
single file, Captain Sperry leading; got up the hill just at complete dark;
found messengers ordering us to return to the rest of our regiment, on the
extreme right. Some thirty of my men were missing — Captain Woodward,
Lieutenant Rice, etc., etc. I left ten sentinels along the brow of the hill to
direct them where to find us. The greater part soon overtook us. We marched
through lost fragments of regiments — Germans mostly, some Irish, talking of
the slaughter, until we got into an old field near our regiment. There we
waited. Nobody seemed nervous or anxious — all wishing for light. Talked with
McCook who criticized the orders, but was in good temper; had lost three
horses. Finally found our regiment and all marched off to bivouac. In the
morning great cheering near the fort. Enemy had run away in a panic by a road
over the hill back of their works, leaving flag, etc.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 87-9
