The forces engaged with Rosecrans on the mountain top succeeded in passing around his right during the night to Beverly, where they were joined by the 44th Virginia and the re treat was continued through Huttonsville and across Cheat Mountain to Greenbrier River, and then to Monterey. Pegram abandoned his works, intending to follow his detachment to Beverly, but in the darkness his column was broken up, part. reaching that place. Pegram led the remainder to join Garnett, marching all day of the 12th and halting at night in the valley six miles north of Beverly. There, hear ing that Garnett had retreated northward, and that McClellan was at Beverly, and seeing no chance of escape, he sent to McClellan an offer of surrender. This was accepted and next morning Pegram surrendered 30 officers and nearly 500 men. Garnett, at Laurel Hill, in formed of the disaster that had befallen Pegram on the 11th, abandoned his works after dark, and retreated toward Beverly. When within five miles of the place, at daybreak of the 12th, he received erroneous information that McClel lan had already occuO.ed it, whereupon he re traced his steps and retreated north toward Saint George and West Union, hoping to escape by the Northwestern Turnpilce, but was over taken by Morris at the fords of Cheat River, at noon of the 13th and killed in a rearguard fight at Corrick's Ford.His army continued
the retreat through Red Honse, Greenland and Petersburg to Monterey. McCiellan occupied Beverly on the 12th and Huttonsville on the 14th, and pushed his advance to the summit of Cheat Mountain. Leaving a force on Cheat Mountain and at Huttonsville he returned to Beverly on the 16th. A few days later Mc Clellan was called to Washington and assigned to the command of the troops for the defense of the city. On 1 November he became com mander of the army of the United States. His short and successful campaign, with that of General Cpx up the Kanawha Valley, settled the fate of West Virginia, stimulated the Union men in their effort to form a new government and finally resulted in the dismemberment of Virginia and the formation of the new State of West Virginia. Consult 'Official Records) (Vol. II) ; The Century Company's 'Battles and Leaders of the Civil War' (Vol. I).