8th Virginia Cavalry- Pg 3
Kessler's Cross Lanes
After the Confederates, under General Robert S. Garnett, were defeated at Rich Mountain and Corrick's Ford, General Robert E. Lee gave his attention personally to the direction of affairs in the trans-Allegheny Department.
Agust 6: Floyd & Wise meet at White Sulphur Springs
August 11, General Floyd was assigned to command in the Kanawha Valley, with Wise's forces operating under him. On August 18, Floyd encamped on Big Sewell Mountain. Wise had reluctantly accompanied him, but on the following day moved farther west in the direction of Hawk's Nest.
General Alfred Beckley and General A. A. Chapman, who had command of the militia in Fayette and nearby counties were ordered to collect their forces in preparation for action. General Wise advanced to Dogwood Gap, while Floyd occupied Summersville. The only Federal forces in the region were Cox's at Gauley Bridge and Colonel E. B. Tyler's at Carnifex Ferry.
When the company was divided and two companies made of it, Captain James M. Corns was elected Captain of one company and Joseph Ferguson Captain of the other. Captain Jenkins having resigned we then formed a regiment and Captain Jenkins was made Colonel of the Eighth Virginia Cavalry. The old original Border Rangers was made Company E of the 8th and Ferguson's company was made Company K. After remaining at White Sulphur Springs some 10 days longer when the company was ordered to move by forced march to join General Wise near Dogwood Gap on the James River and Kanawha Turnpike. We ran into an ambuscade. No one hurt. Colonel Jenkins had a horse killed under him. A number of the boys lost their hats and blankets
August 17 Floyd at Tyree Stone House, falls back to Big Sewell next day.
On August 20, there was a slight skirmish between part of Cox's forces and a company of Confederate cavalry under Lieutenant Colonel George Crohan at Hawk's Nest, in which each side lost a few killed and wounded.
August 21: General Order No. 243- All forces commanded by Gen Floyd, including Beckley & Chapman, ex. "Wise Legion"
On August 25, Colonel Albert Jenkins' cavalry was defeated near Piggot's Mill by an infantry ambuscade under Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Frizell
On August 25th we were ordered to make scout on Peters Creek in Nicholas county where we met the 7th Ohio Infantry. Sedinger wounded. We fell back on the infantry under General John Floyd and camped near Kesslers Cross Lanes Nicholas County. The command formed line of battle and slept on their arms. The morning of the 26th we moved in the direction of the enemy who we found cooking their breakfast. The infantry charged the enemy and broke them all up. The Border Rangers then charged down the Peters Creek Road capturing 60 prisoners with their arms and accoutrements. We then took charge of that road picketing and was kept busy catching Yanks for about 4 days in the mountains in each side of Peters Creek. On one of these scouts on Panther Mountain, George Rupell was badly wounded in the knee by a party of the enemy that he met who was trying to get away from us. On September 1st General Floyd ordered Captain Corns to report to his headquarters with his company. Upon arriving we were formed in line and the General and his (staff?) rode down the line and inspected the company whom he found armed with new Enfield rifles that we had taken from the 7th Ohio Infantry. He made us a speech complimenting us on the part we hadin the fight and telling us to keep the guns we had captured and never to lay them down until we had driven every Yank out of Virginia.
September 8th Captain Corns was ordered to Powels Mountain. Upon arriving we found Captain Alfred Beckley trying to whip General William S. Rosecrans Army with the Logan Wild Cats. We undertook to help them. When the Yanks sent a brigade of infantry on our flank and it was all we could do to make the run, but we were successful in our escape
On August 26, Floyd made a surprise attack on Tyler's regiment near Cross Lanes and forty-five or fifty Federals were reported killed or wounded, one hundred were taken prisoners and some stores were taken. When news of this disaster reached Rosecrans, he began to advance toward Gauley and unite with the Kanawha brigade.