STONEMAN'S RAID FROM EAST TENNESSEE INTO SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. After the defeat of General Gillem's Union brigade at Russelville, Tenn, (q.v.), 14 Nov. 1864, General Thomas, com manding the Military Division of the Missis sippi, of which East Tennessee was a part, ordered General Stoneman to concentrate his forces in Kentucky and advance from Lexing ton to Cumberland Gap to oppose General Breckinridge should he attempt to move into Kentucky, and to advance into East Tennessee and drive Breckinridge back into Virginia or North Carolina. Thomas' instructions were eto concentrate the largest possible force against Breckinridge, and either destroy his force or to drive it into Virginia and, if possible, destroy the salt-works at Saltville, and the railroad from the Tennessee line as far into Virginia as he could go without endangering his command.' These instructions were repeated by Thomas on 6 December, when it was known that Breckin ridge was on the retreat. By the 9th Stoneman had completed the organization of his command and was ready for operations in the field. He had a body of mounted troops, under General Burbridge, that had been doing duty in Ken tucky, the Tennessee brigade of General Gillem, and some infantry and dismounted cavalry under General Ammen, in all a force of 8,000 men. The Fourth Tennessee and Third North Carolina (Union) regiments were sent to Paint Rock to hold the pass over the mountains into North Carolina, and Stoneman concentrated his command at Bean's Station on the 11th. Stoneman started from Bean's Station on the 12th, with Gillem's and Burbridge's commands of about 5,700 men, and Gillemn advance, H reached the north fork of the Rolston River, opposite Kingston, during the night, crossed after a sharp engagement, and early in the morning of the 13th attacked and routed Duke's cavalry under Colonel Morgan, capturing Mor gan and 80 of his men and his entire wagon train. During the day Burbridge pushed on to Bristol; to intercept General Vaughn, who had been holding Greenville with some 1,200 men. Stoneman, with Gillem. joined Burbridge at Bristol early on the 14th, and fearing that Vaughn would pass in the night and join Breck inridge at Saltville or in the vicinity, Burbridgc was pushed on to Abingdon, with instructions to send the 12th Kentucky cavalry forward to strike the railroad between Saltville and Wytheville to prevent the former place from be ing reinforced by troops from Lynchburg. The 12th Kentucky, after threatening Saltville, struck the railroad and cut off two trains that had brought Breckinridge with a battery and rein forcements from Wytheville, accomplishing its object. Stoneman now decided to push on to Wytheville, destroy that place and the salt works on New River, and attend to the capture of Saltville on his return. He moved early on the 16th and Gillem overtook Vaughn at Marion, attacked and routed him, pursuing to Wythe ville, capturing his trains, artillery and 198 men, and destroying the town. About midnight Bur bridge's command was put on the road, and reached Mount Airy at daylight of the 17th, where Colonel Buckley's brigade was detached to destroy the lead-mines 25 or 30 miles beyond, in Wythe County, which was accomplished without loss. Having destroyed the railroad and bridges some distance beyond Wytheville, Stoneman now set out on his return to destroy the salt-works at Saltville, and on the 17th encountered Brecldnridge in a strong position at Marion. He had moved out of Saltville with all the troops he could collect that had been operating in East Tennessee, and had not far from 2,000 men. With these he had proposed
to follow Stoneman and attack his rear. He now stood in the path of his return. Burbridge, who was in the advance with two brigades, en raged him and called upon Stoneman for re inforcements; and Stoneman, riding forward, took the command in his own hands. Night soon came on, the troops had become disar ranged, and a general attack was delayed until morning, when it opened with great spirit, Stoneman meeting with a stiff resistance and some loss, and making no headway. Buckley was supposed to be coming up in the afternoon, and Gillem, now up, was sent around Breckin ridge's left, thus cutting him off from the salt works. The skirmishing during the day was accompanied with considerable loss on both sides, and as soon as night set in Brecicinridge finding himself cut off from Saltville, and nearly surrounded, withdrew by the road lead ing over the mountains into North Carolina and escaped. The 12th Ohio cavalry was sent in pursuit, capturing some abandoned wagons and caissons, and then returned; and that night Stoneman concentrated his command at Glade Springs. At daybreak of the 20th Stoneman advanced on Saltville in two columns, Bur bridge to enter the place on the north, Gillem on the south. Gillem arrived first and waited for Burbridge, who was not in position, and night coming on and nothing yet accomplished, Colonel Stacy, with the 13th Tennessee cavalry, was ordered to make a detour to the left and dash into the town. Stacy carried out his orders to the letter. He dashed into the town, set part of his regiment to work in burning it and with the remainder charged the fortifica tions, held by 400 men under Colonel Preston, went over them, dispersing Preston's men, and capturing two guns and a number of prisoners without the loss of a man. Stoneman says the charge "was a signal for a general stampede of the enemy, and by 11 o'clock in the night all the works were evacuated and in the possession of Colonel Stacy, and the town of Saltville was in flames.° All day and night of the 21st was devoted to the destruction of the salt-works and all the machinery, and on the 22d Stoneman began his return march, Burbridge going by way of Big Sandy to Kentucky, and Gillem to Knoxville by Poor Valley and the west side of Holston River. Stoneman reports that he cap tured 34 officers and 845 men, 19 guns, 3,000 horses and mules, great quantities of ammuni tion, and from 50,000 to 100,000 bushels of salt, and that he destroyed the towns of Bristol, Abingdon, Wytheville and Saltville, 13 railroad trains, with engines attached, several trains without engines, all the depots of supplies in southwest Virginia, and railroad depots, foundries, mills, storehouses, turnpike and rail road bridges, but that the greatest loss inflicted was the destruction of the lead-works 17 miles from Wytheville and the salt-works at Salt ville. A Confederate writer says: "The dam age inflicted upon southwest Virginia by this Federal raid, in the destruction of railway and turnpike bridges, railway stations and ware houses, ironworks, woolen mills, leadworks and army supplies of all kinds was very injurious to the Confederacy, greatly crippling its de fensive power in that region, and was also a serious blow to the Army of Northern Virginia by depriving it of supplies from that great storehouse of agricultural wealth" Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. XLV) ; Van Home, of the Army of the Cumberland' (Vol. II, Cincinnati 1875).