GAULEY BRIDGE, W. Va., an important strategical point at the head of Kanawha Val ley, and one of the three passes of the Alle ghanies. It was the objective -oint of General Cox in his campaign from t' e Ohio in July 1861, and w as occupied by lmn and strongly fortified after he had driven General Wise from the valley and eastward to Lewisburg. After the battle of Carnifax Ferry Rosecrans advanced to Sewell Mountain, confronted Gen eral Lee, who had assumed command of the Confederate forces, for several days, and then fell back to Gauley Bridge, disposing the greater part of his army from 5 to 12 miles in front of it, along the Lewisburg road. With Lee's assent General Floyd, with about men, crossed New River and moved down its south side to Cotton Hill, a bold height in the angle formed by the junction of the New and Gauley rivers. He got artillery in position command ing Gauley Bridge, the ferry across the Gauley and the road leading to Rosecrans' camps. On the morning of 1 November the artillery opened fire, sunk the ferryboat and, with sharpshooters beyond New River, stopped the passage of Rosecrans' supply-trains. The contest on both
sides, with artillery and musketry, across the narrow river was severe, and ended only by darkness. The next day it was resumed and continued for 10 days, the trains moving only by night. Meanwhile Rosecrans was preparing to capture Floyd by moving a force on his left and rear, a movement in which Cox, who was in command at Gauley Bridge, was to co operate. On the 10th Cox crossed his brigade in boats over New River, at and near its mouth, and drove Floyd: from Cotton Hill, after a sharp fight of two days. The co-operative movement on Floyd's left and rear failed. Floyd became aware of it, and on the 12th re treated as rapidly as possible, abandoning wagons and supplies, and pursued as far as Fayetteville. He continued his retreat to Dub lin, on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad.