emy consisting of
surgeons, quartermasters, and negroes, who, on being fired into,
fled to a main force nearer the pike. This was Anderson's column,
and about the time when Major Harrow and Captain Higgins' men were
firing on it from the other side.

Thus the several bodies of the enemy, without special design, seemed
to be seriously attacked from many directions and became dismayed.
Captain Coons withdrew safely, and later found his way to camp.

Rust had failed, and the two other columns having become entangled
in the mountains, and not knowing how soon they would again be
assailed, beat a disorderly retreat, and, like Rust's men, threw
away overcoats, knapsacks, haversacks, and guns. Lee says he
ordered a retreat because the men were short of provisions, as well
as on account of Rust's failure. Had Captain Coons reached his
destination a few hours earlier he would probably have captured
Lee and his escort of ten men, who, in the previous night, having
lost their way, had to remain unprotected near the Rosecrans house
until daybreak. But few prisoners were taken on either side. The
columns of Anderson and Donnelson, broken, disheartened, and
disorganized, reached Loring in the Valley. There was then and
since much contention among Confederate officers as to the causes
of this humiliating failure.

On the morning of the 13th, at 3 A.M., Reynolds dispatched Sullivan
from the Pass by the main road, and Colonels Marrow and Moss with
parts of the 3d Ohio and 2d Virginia (Union) from Elk Water camp,
by the path leading past the Rosecrans house, to cut their way to
Cheat Mountain summit, but these columns encountered no enemy, and
only found the debris of the three retreating bodies. The real
glory of the fighting in the mountains belonged to the intrepid
Captain Coons, who afterwards became Colonel of his regiment and
fell in the battle of the Wilderness.

Both Lee and Loring, deeply chagrined, were reluctant to give up
a campaign so hopefully commenced and so comprehensively planned,
but thus far so ingloriously executed.

They decided to look for a position on Reynolds' right from which
an attack could be made on Elk Water camp in conjunction with a
front attack, and accordingly Colonel John A. Washington, escorted
by Major W. H. F. Lee (son of General Lee) with his cavalry command,
was dispatched to ascertain the character of the country in that
direction.

Early on the 12th of September I was sent with a