Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood
September 11, 1863

On Friday morning early, the 11th inst., Capt. John H. McNeill with 80 men, and Captains Hobson and Frank Imboden with 30 men each, making in all 140 men, surprised, in their camp near Moorefield, Hardy county, about 200 Yankees, killed and wounded about 25, and captured 147 prisoners, including 8 officers, 11 wagons, 72 horses, 133 stands of arms, 10,000 rounds of cartridge, 57 splendid revolvers,(best Yankee pattern and make) 27 sabres, 112 cartridge boxes, 100 bayonet scabbards, 20 cavalry saddles, 2 drums and set of heads, together with all their camp equipage.

In the surprise and capture, the only person hurt on our side was Capt. McNeill, wounded slightly under the nose, the ball just scraping off the skin, Lieutenant Isaac Welton, of Moorefield, severely in the upper part of one of his legs, and private Maloney, of Romney.

It is worthy of notice, as a remarkable coincidence, that the commandant of the Yankees at Petersburg, in Hardy county, had given orders and made arrangements to surprise and capture our camp at the very hour we played that identical trick upon them.

Finding that our camp had been evacuated and that it was their camp and not ours which had been captured, this force attempted to intercept ours, and effect the release of their prisoners and the recapture of their plunder. With this view they ambuscaded our forces 2 miles above Moorefield, wounding about 20 horses, and mortally wounding one man, a member of Capt. Hobson?s company; and they again attacked us about 4miles above Moorefield, capturing our ambulance containing a wounded man.

Our forces were not to be stopped, and they held on tenaciously to all they had. The prisoners arrived here on Tuesday last on their way to Richmond.

The following is a copy of the orders issued by the Yankee commandant at Petersburg for the surprise of our camp:

HEADQ?RS 1ST BRIGADE,
PETERSBURG, WEST VA.,
Sept. 16th, 1863

Major:--It has been reported to these Head Quarters that a party of the enemy (numbers unknown) is encamped on the South Fork, 4 or 6 miles from Moorefield. A party of infantry* under Cap. Fitzgerald, 23d Ill., will start from this point at 9 o?clock this P. M., intending to arrive at the camp of the enemy at daylight, and, if possible, effect a surprise and capture. The Colonel commanding directs that you send, to-night, Capt. Barr?s company of cavalry and a company of infantry from your command, with instructions to move on the reported camp of the enemy?to arrive at daylight, and to set in concert with the force moving from this point. Take every precaution to prevent accident, and have your detail move promptly, so as to operate with the other.

Very respectfully your ob?t serv?t.

HENRY L. JOHNSON, A. A. A. G.
Maj. E. W. STEPHENS, JR.,
Comd?g forces, Moorefield, Va.

Correction.
Camp 1st Va. Infantry,
Petersburg, Oct. 17, 1863.

Editors Intelligencer:

In justice to Major Stephens I desire to correct a statement made in my letter in your paper of the 4th inst., in regard to the Moorefield disaster, in which I said that the enemy attacked us on the side of our camp opposite to where the reserve picket was posted. I have since seen a southern account of the affair in the Rockingham Register of the 25th of Sept., giving the manner of their getting into our camp on the morning of Sept. 11th. It appears from this they approached us on the wood-road to our southeast and to the left of, and between which road camp Major Stephens directed at tattoo the reserve picket should be posted. His order was probably not clearly understood by the Sergeant in charge who put it a few hundred yards too far to the left, resting on another wood-road leading to the rear of camp. Had not this unfortunate mistake occurred, the enemy, in passing over the ground would have been met and held in check by this picket until our men could have gotten into the rifle pits, when instead of the sad reverse we sustained, there would have been a brilliant success.

Respectfully yours,

T. S. BONAR

SEPTEMBER 11, 1863. ? Affair at Moorefield, W.Va.

REPORTS.

No. 1. ? Extract from ?Record of Events,? Fourth Brigade, Department of West Virginia.

No.2. ? Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden, C. S. Army, commanding Valley District, including operations September 5-13, and skirmish at Bath September 7.

No. 1

Extract from ?Record of Events,? Fourth Brigade, Department of West Virginia.

On the morning of September 11, Major Stephens, with six companies of the First (West) Virginia Infantry and Captain Barr?s company of cavalry, were ordered to Moorefield, W.Va., 9 miles distant from Petersburg, by Col. J.A. Mulligan, commanding Fifth Brigade.

Eight commissioned officers and 135 enlisted men of the First (West) Virginia and 17 men of Captain Barr?s cavalry were captured by Captain McNeill?s rebel cavalry.

Scouting parties were kept out in the mountains constantly, and succeeded in capturing a number of bushwhackers, together with their arms, accouterments, and numbers of United States horses, which had been stolen by the enemy.

No. 2.

Report of Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden, C. S. Army, commanding Valley District, including operations September 5-13, and skirmish at Bath, September 7.

NEAR BROOKS? GAP,
September 13, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report the following operations of detachments of troops from my command during the past week:

1. Captain Burke and Lieutenant Wells, of Gilmor?s battalion, being on picket below Newtown on the 6th (5th?) instant, marched their party of 11 men to Winchester, where they were joined by Captain Blackford, who is recruiting in the lower valley, with 15 men, making a total of 3 officers and 26 men. The party proceeded to within 21 miles of Bath and spent Sunday, and that night at 2 o?clock surprised the enemy?s camp at Bath, consisting of two companies Colonel Wynkoop?s Pennsylvania cavalry, six-months? men. The enemy had about fifteen minutes? notice of their approach and were formed, but Captains Burke and Blackford charged them and had a fight of ten minutes at close quarters.

Captain Hebble and 8 or 10 of his men (Yankees) were killed; a number wounded. Only 2 of our men wounded. Captains Burke and Blackford captured and brought out safely 23 Yankee soldiers and 1 negro. Horses and equipments captured, 50; sabers, 20; pistols, 25. All the Yankee officers, including the major commanding, escaped in the darkness, except Captain Hebble, killed.

2. In my last I informed you that I had left Captain Imboden in command of a detachment of four companies in Hardy. Captains Scott and White returned to camp. Captains Imboden and Hobson, with about 70 men, remaining. Early in the week they had a skirmish with a regiment in Patterson?s Creek Valley on its way to re-occupy Petersburg, but with no important result; 1 man killed on our side, and Captain Jarbo reported mortally wounded on the other side by a shot from my brother. On Wednesday they fell back to the South Fork, above Moorefield, where their camp was discovered and reported by a Union man to the forces at Petersburg, when a plan was formed for their capture, as will be seen by the inclosed order, subsequently captured.

Captain McNeill, with 80 men, left my camp at this place on Wednesday, and joined Captains Imboden and Hobson on Thursday evening. That day a force of 300 men, under Major Stephens, came down from Petersburg to Moorefield. Captains McNeill, Imboden, and Hobson at once resolved to surprise their camp next morning at daybreak. The enemy picketed every road leading to their intrenched camp, and deployed about 50 men as skirmishers to remain in position all night, several hundred yards from their works, and sent out two companies to surprise our camp.

Our men moved noiselessly in the darkness, flanked the enemy?s pickets, and succeeded in getting between the line of skirmishers and the camp before daybreak on Friday morning, the 11th. Just as dawn appeared they charged the Yankee camp, firing into the tents and yelling like savages. Some resistance was made, but in a short time the fight was over. About 30 Yankees were killed or too badly wounded to be removed. Lieutenant Welton, of McNeill?s company, and 2 men were badly wounded; the former, it is feared, mortally.

The following are the captures made and safely brought to camp:

Prisoners:

Major Stephens escaped. All of who I will start to Richmond to-morrow.

Property captured and brought to camp.

The cooking utensils, tents, blankets, oil-cloths, commissary stores, &c., of the whole force.

First at 2 miles and again at 4 miles above Moorefield the parties of the enemy sent out from Petersburg and Moorefield in the night to surprise our men attacked them and attempted to rescue the prisoners. Sharp fighting ensued, but all were brought off with a loss of 8 or 10 men on our side, believed to have been captured, and 1 ambulance, in which the team was killed, together with 18 or 20 other horses.

Information reaching here night before last that the enemy was pursuing, Colonel Smith took 400 men and made a forced night march to the head of Lost River to assist in bringing in the prisoners, & c., but as it turned out he was not needed, all coming in safely to-day.

I cannot speak too highly of the gallantry of officers and men in this really brilliant little affair. They were in the very midst of a largely superior force plotting their capture or discomfiture, but completely turned the table upon them.

I am so well convinced of the utility of this mode of warfare on the border, that day after to-morrow I start out two parties, one of 100 men, under Major Lang, Sixty-second (Virginia Regiment), to penetrate the country north of Beverly on foot and harass the enemy two or three weeks in Barbour and Randolph; the other, a single company, under Captain Nelson, to go to the North Fork, in Pendleton, and try and clear out Snyder?s gang of Union robbers and murderers, known as Swamp Dragoons.

All remains perfectly quiet in the lower valley. Only a small force of the enemy at Martinsburg and Harper?s Ferry, and they stick to the railroad very closely. We are again hauling iron from Shenandoah to Staunton. A very large proportion of my horses have sore tongues and cannot stand much service.

If you could spare for twenty days 2,500 infantry and a battery, to co-operate with me, I believe we could destroy every bridge from Martinsburg to New Creek, break up the canal, and burn the coal mines at Cumberland, General Jenkins co-operating in the meantime with Colonel Jackson in a raid on Beverly and Grafton. The force of the enemy is too large and too easily concentrated for me to undertake it alone.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. D. IMBODEN,
Brigadier-General.

General R. E. Lee,
Commanding Army of Northern Virginia.

(Inclosure)

HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE,
Petersburg, W.Va., September 10, 1863.

Maj. E. W. Stephens, Jr.,
Commanding Forces, Moorefield, W.Va.:

MAJOR: It has been reported to these headquarters that a party of the enemy (numbers unknown) is encamped on the South Fork 4 or 5 miles from Moorefield. A party of infantry under Captain Fiztgerald, Twenty-third Illinois, will start from this point at 9 this p.m., intending to arrive at the camp of the enemy at daylight, and, if possible, effect a surprise and capture. The colonel commanding directs that you send to-night Captain Barr?s company of cavalry and a company of infantry from your command, with instructions to move on the reported camp of the enemy, to arrive at daylight, and to act in concert with the force moving from this point. Take every precaution to prevent accident, and have your detail move promptly, so as to operate with the other.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

HENRY J. JOHNSON,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Through the courtesy of Mr. Isaac Goudy, we have been permitted to publish the following letters, received by him from his son, Lieut. J. M. Goudy. They will be found highly interesting:

CAMP 1ST VA. INFANTRY,
PETERSBURG, VA., Sept. 10, 1863.

DEAR FATHER: -- I sit down to-night to write you a hurried and short letter. In my hurry I may not do very plain writing, but perhaps you may make it out. I expect ere this you will have heard of the disaster which happened to Major Stephens and his force at Moorefield. I am sorry to say that about two-thirds of his force are killed, wounded or captured. Some of the pickets, scouting parties, and those who took to the bushes, are all that escaped, numbering about one hundred.

I am sorry to say that D. Burd is wounded, and, I expect from what I have heard, is dead by this time. But tell his wife he is wounded, and in the hands of our Surgeon, who will do his best to all of the wounded.

There has been a great many wounded, and but four killed instantly, as far as heard from. The Major just got there yesterday. He was driven away from there a week ago, you remember, and was attacked last night. They flanked the pickets and captured some of them, and then came in and surrounded their camp, when all were sound asleep, and commenced firing on them. Every man at the instant jumped for his gun, but it was no use. They rushed up to the tents, putting their pistols to the men?s heads, taking them as fast as they came out.

Maj. Stephens, Capt. Morrow, (who was on a scout), and Lot Reine, (who was on picket duty, were all that escaped; the rest of the officers were all taken. Captain Dougherty was afterwards re-taken by a scouting party sent from here last night, and seven rebels captured, including horses, &c., and one ambulance, with medicines; blankets, and some officers? baggage. Jacob Baltzell was slightly wounded, and is here in camp safe. He will be well in a few weeks. Companies B, C, F, H and I were the companies captured. We cannot tell yet who all are wounded or killed, but will know in a day or two, and let you know for information to their friends.

There was a great deal of excitement here to-day. What is left of the regiment is almost crazy to get a chance at them; but I am afraid they will have too good a chance. I expect we will be surprised up here some morning by the boom of their cannon, and then find ourselves surrounded in the same way; but they will have to fight before they take us, for we are prepared and ready for them.

Poor First Virginia! She is about gone up, now. She is getting very small fast; but there is no one that has seen her do service, but that can say she has done well. If every regiment in the field will do as much as she has done, and do it as well, there will never be a word said against them, if I do say so as one of their members, and hope I always will be to the end of her existence; but I must close. I expect my business will keep me up the greater portion of the night. I will write again soon, if anything takes place.

Ever your son,
Jim.

--In the early part of last week, Capt. Hobson, who commands a company of cavalry in the Valley of Virginia, learned that the enemy in some force were at Moorefield and Petersburg, in Hardy county. With his company he determined to surprise or attack one or the other of these detachments. The enemy hearing of his movements laid their plans for his capture, but before they could execute them Hobson was joined by Capt; McNeill, whose activity as a partisan has given him a reputation in the Valley scarcely second to that once enjoyed by the gallant and lamented Ashby. The two having united their forces, made a dash upon Moorefield just before daylight on Friday morning last. The enemy were completely surprised, and ran out of their tents calling for quarter, and crying out lustily, "we surrender!" Out of a force of about 200, one hundred and forty-eight were captured, besides a large number of horses, wagons, tents, arms, and other equipments. The Colonel commanding the Yankee forces made his escape, and ran through the town of Moorefield in a state bordering on nudity.

Capts. McNeill and Hobson, with their captures, at once started out, taking the Howard's Lick road, for Gen. Imboden's camp. When about eight miles from Moorefield they were attacked by the Yankee force from Petersburg, who fired upon the captured wagon train, killing and wounding seventeen of the horses attached thereto, and recapturing an ambulance which had been taken by our forces at Moorefield. The prisoners and the balance of the equipments were brought off safely, and yesterday the prisoners captured were brought to this city. In the skirmish, Captain McNeill narrowly escaped being shot; his moustache having been neatly trimmed by the enemy's bullets. Capt. Hobson had his horse shot under him.

--The dash of McNeill into Moorefield, Hardy county, last week, resulted in the following list of captures:

11 wagons, 72 horses, 183 stand of arms, 10,000 rounds of cartridges, 57 splendid revolvers, (best Yankee pattern and make,) 27 sabres, 112 cartridge-boxes, 100 bayonet scabbards, 20 cavalry saddles, 2 drums and set of heads, together with all their camp equipage, and last, but not least by any means, 147 "live Yankees," (Western Virginia Yankees,) including 8 officers.

It will be seen from the following order captured in the Yankee camp, that arrangements had been made to surprise McNeill:

Headquarters 1st brigade,
Petersburg, West Va., Sept.10, 1863.

Major:

--It has been reported to these headquarters that a party of the enemy (numbers unknown) is encamped on the South Fork, four or five miles from Moorefield. A party of infantry,* under Capt. Fitzgerald, 23d Ill., will start from this point at 9 o'clock this P. M., intending to arrive at the camp of the enemy at daylight, and, if possible, effect a surprise and capture. The Colonel commanding directs that you send, to-night, Capt. Barr's company of cavalry and a company of infantry from your command, with instructions to move on the reported camp of the enemy ? to arrive at daylight, and to act in concert with the force moving from this point.-- Take every precaution to prevent accident, and have your detail move promptly, so as to operate with the other.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,
Henry I. Johnson, A. A. A. G.

Major E. W. Stephens, Jr.,
Commanding forces, Moorefield, Va.
Numbering 125 or 150.

Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: September 1863