The next day I struck into the wilderness again, and in three days reached Daven's cabin, at the foot of Cheat, on the Staunton and Parkersburg turnpike. We subsisted on potatoes and beef on most of the route, there being no flour or meal in the country.

The morning after I reached the pike a messenger from General Jenkins reached me, with information that the general, with 600 cavalry, was moving upon Beverly, and asking my co-operation. I at once moved to the top of Cheat and opened communications with Jenkins. He was one day later in arriving than he expected. He reached Huttonsville, or, rather, within 2 miles of it,m on last Thursday night. During Thursday I ascertained that General Kelley, with 1,100 fresh troops, had got to Beverly. He came from Rowlesburg, reaching Beverly on Tuesday, and at once sent out 400 men across Cheat on the Seneca road to cut me off, but I was a day and a half ahead of him and was safe. The enemy's entire force at Beverly now reached between 1,500 and 1,600 men, with a battery of field guns. I had nearly 300 men and three small rifle guns. Jenkins had 600 men, in part armed with shot-guns. We both deemed an attack hopeless with our inferior forces. I proposed to him that I would remain a day and threaten Beverly from Cheat, while he should move across the mountain and take Buckhannon, west on, and Clarksburg. This plan was adopt, and the last I heard of Jenkins he was going down Middle Fork toward buckhannon, and Kelley was throwing up earthworks at the bridge this side of Beverly. I, having moved my whole force down into the valley near Huttonsville from Cheat, created quite a commotion in Beverly. I reached here last night after some hard marching, and as soon as I hear from the west will pitch in somewhere again. I have very little doubt of General Jenkins' success, as there are no troops of consequence west of Beverly.

Just in the edge of the village of Saint George I was riding some distance ahead of my men and suddenly came upon old John Snyder and one of the Parsons, both armed with rifles. Parsons fled and I got into a fight with Snyder. Just as he was aiming at me with his long rifle I fired at him with my revolver. He dropped his gun like a hot potato and leaned forward on the neck of his horse and escaped into the laurel Pursuit was immediately made, but he escaped. I have since learned from some refugees that I wounded him badly, though I fear not mortally. I had a fair shot at about 50 yards and aimed at his hips. We were bushwhacked half a day in Tucker as we fell back from Saint George by the Union men, by the cowardly scoundrels went so far up into the mountains that they only hit one of my men, and he was but slightly wounded in the foot. I sent out a whole company once to try and catch three of these bushwhackers, but it was impossible to come up with them in the brush. If I had caught them I intended hanging them in five minutes. The greatest difficulty in our way out here is the informal Union men. They carry intelligence and bushwhack us when-ever they can, and yet will swear allegiance a dozen times a day. The proper policy to be pursued toward Union men who are not in arms as soldiers is one of the most difficult problems I have to deal with. Thus far I have scrupulously abstained from molesting them in any manner, with the exception of four Upshur men that I have to deal with. Thus far I have scrupulously abstained from molesting them in any manner, with the exception of our Upshur men that I have arrested as spies. My purpose has been to arrest all office-holders under the bogus government and seize their property for confiscation, but not to interfere with private citizens, hoping that a policy of conciliation would win back many of them; by the enemy are treating our friends in the north-west with such brutal cruelty that I fear nothing short of retaliation will check them.