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DeLagnel, Pegram, Williams and Jackson, all of whom had lately resigned from the United States army.
He stationed the First Georgia, Colonel Ramsay, at Laurel Hill; Twenty-third Virginia, Colonel Taliaferro, at Laurel Hill; Twenty-seventh Virginia, Colonel Fulkerson, at Laurel Hill; Thirty-first Virginia, Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson, at Laurel Hill; Lieutenant-Colonel Hansborough's battalion at Laurel Hill; six pieces of artillery at Laurel Hill; Twentieth Virginia regiment, Colonel Pegram, at Rich Mountain; Twenty-fifth Virginia regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Heck, Rich Mountain; four pieces of artillery, Rich Mountain; Forty-fourth Virginia regiment on east side of Rich Mountain.
He had also the following cavalry companies: Captain Richard's Bath cavalry; Captain Sterritt's, Churchville; Captain Moorman's, Greenbrier; Captain McChesney's, Rockbridge; Captain Flournoy's, Ashland; Captain Smith's, Ashland.
Colonel Edward Johnson's Twelfth Georgia and Colonel Stephen Lee's North Carolina were on the march to join him. Garnett had been, as I believe, influenced by the clamor against me, and instead of assigning me to the command of my regiment gave me the unimportant post of Beverley.
June 25th, he wrote: ‘I regard these two passes (Rich Mountain and Laurel Hill, at the western bases of which he had placed his force) as the gates to the northwestern territory.’
Laurel Hill was not a strong position.
The hill could be crossed anywhere by infantry, and any position on the road across it could be turned with the greatest ease.
Rich Mountain was a strong position, more difficult to turn; yet it was possible to turn it, and it was turned.
The strongest point on each of these mountains was the top. General Garnett also writes: ‘This force I consider more than sufficient to hold these two passes, but not enough to hold the railroad.’
He writes, July 6th: ‘I do not think the enemy, notwithstanding his superiority of numbers, will attempt to attack my position * * for the simple reason that he holds as much of the northwestern territory as he wants, * * * * * * he could have possessed himself of more of the country after Colonel Porterfield's retreat, if he had desired it.’
These extracts show how utterly in the dark General Garnett was, and the extent to which he was deceived.
I wrote, June 11th: ‘It is their intention to occupy the western part of this State to the Alleghanies, and if possible to the Blue Ridge.’
General Lee, to put him, Garnett, on his guard, at once replied,
Richmond, VA. 1888.
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