vorite of the Confederate
authorities, who had thus far won no particular renown, not even
participating in the Bull Run battle and campaign, was now (about
August 1st) sent to Western Virginia "to strike a decisive blow at
the enemy in that quarter."( 1)

He established his headquarters at Staunton, but we find him, in
August, with his main army at Valley Mountain (Big Springs), on
the Huntersville road, and about twelve miles south of the Union
camp at Elk Water on the Tygart's Valley River. General W. W.
Loring, late of the United States Army, an officer who won some
fame in the Mexican War, was in immediate command of the Confederate
troops at Valley Mountain. Brigadier-General H. R. Jackson--not
Stonewall Jackson, as so often stated--commanded the Confederate
forces, subject to the orders of Loring, on the Greenbrier, on the
Staunton road leading over Cheat Mountain to Huttonville. On these
two lines Lee soon had above 11,000 effective soldiers present for
duty, and he could draw others from Floyd and Wise in the Kanawha
country.( 2)

Confronting Lee's army was the command of General Reynolds, with
headquarters at Cheat Mountain Pass,( 3) three miles from Huttonville
on the Staunton pike. Here Colonel Sullivan's 13th Indiana, part
of Loomis' battery, and Bracken's Indiana Cavalry were camped. On
Cheat Mountain, at the middle mountain-top, about nine miles to
the southeast of Huttonville on the Staunton pike, were the 14th
Indiana, 24th and 25th Ohio, and parts of the same battery and
cavalry, Colonel Nathan Kimball of the 14th in command. At Camp
Elk Water, about one mile north of the mouth of Elk Water in the
Tygart's River Valley, and about seven miles southward from
Huttonville on the Huntersville pike, the 15th and 17th Indiana
and the 3d and 6th Ohio Infantry, and still another part of Loomis'
battery, were posted. Reynolds' entire command did not exceed 4000
available men, and in consequence of almost incessant rains the
roads became so bad that it was difficult to supply it with food
and forage. The troops being new and unseasoned to camp life,
suffered much from sickness. The service for them was hard in
consequence of the necessarily great amount of scouting required
on the numerous paths leading though the precipitous spurs of the
ranges of both Rich and Cheat Mountains, which closely shut in the
valley of the Tygart's.

The writer was often engaged leading scouting parties through the
moun