8th Virginia Cavalry- Pg 5
After looking over the situation, the Confederates decided that Major S. M. Dickey, with three companies of the Fifty-first Virginia Regiment, should take position on a spur extending out and commanding the turnpike on the left, while Lieutenant Colonel Clarke, with some of his sharpshooters, should take position on the right. Colonel Patton, with a part of the Twenty-second Virginia Regiment, was sent to another spur still further to the right, while Major R. A. Bailey, of the Twenty-second Virginia was sent to the extreme right. The remainder of the forces were to be held in reserve for support where it would be most needed. Before they were hardly in position, they were attacked by the Federal infantry and sharpshooters. At the same time the Federal batteries began to pour in a fire of shell and grape. Three times the Federals attempted to drive the Confederates from their positions, but without success. Major Bailey succeeded in driving the Federals from the battery on the right, but could not hold it, as it was commanded by the other battery
When Siber realized that the Confederates were on both his rear and right, he ordered Colonel John T. Toland, with six companies of the Thirty-fourth Ohio Regiment, to clear the road to Gauley, and drive the Confederates from the woods in the rear. Two of these companies, under Captain H. C. Hatfield, attempted to clear the Gauley Road, while the other four, under Colonel Toland, met the Confederates in the woods. The six companies fought for three hours without being able to gain the woods. At sunset, General Williams, for some reason unknown, withdrew his regiment on the right flank of the Federals, thus opening their line of retreat.
While Wharton was still engaged in front, Lieutenant Colonel Franklin, with the four detached companies of the Thirty-fourth Regiment, arrived. Almost at the same time, a detachment of twenty-five horses of the Second Virginia Cavalry, and three companies of the Fourth Virginia Infantry, under Captain Alexander Vance, arrived from Gauley to re-enforce the Federals. After the arrival of these re-enforcements the Federals made two more attempts to drive back the Confederates. Realizing that he could not hold the position another day, Siber, between 1 and 2 o'clock in the morning, withdrew the whole force from Fayetteville, unperceived by the Confederates. Before leaving, however, they set fire to the commissary stores without any molestation except an ambush hidden in the woods in the rear.
Milton Humphreys says that there was a report current in the Confederate Army that Loring ordered Wharton to leave the way open for the Federals to escape, but this cannot be proved. Loring said he could not guard all the many roads leading from Fayetteville, but the strange thing about it is that he left unguarded the very road the Federals were sure to take.
CROSS LANES TO CARNIFAX : After the battle of Scary, Cox moved slowly up the valley, taking Charleston on July 25th and moving on to Gauley Bridge on the 29th. Wise felt that his army was imperiled by the swelling Union army and retreated as far as Greenbrier County. Here he was joined by General Floyd. Under orders from General Rosecrans, Co!. E. B. Tyler took up his position at Cross Lanes on the river about twenty miles east of General Cox who was encamped at Gauley Bridge. On August 26, General Floyd with an army of 2,500 men attacked Tyler's position and succeeded in putting him to rout. Tyler fell back and encamped at Charleston. Wise followed up Floyd's victory at Cross Lanes with an attack upon Cox's army at Gauley Bridge. In this he failed. Rosecrans now hastened from Weston and joined forces with Tyler at Carnifax Ferry. There a battle was fought on September 10th. It was in this battle that the youthful volunteer who afterward became President of the United States, William McKinley, had his first experience on the firing line. The tide of battle ran against the Confederates under command of General Floyd who withdrew under the shadow of night. McKinley was a member of Company E, Ohio Volunteers. This company pursued the Confederates as far as Big Sewell Mountain where it went into winter quarters. McKinley spent the winter there with his regiment. In the three years following he figured in a number of activities in West Virginia as did also Rutherford B. Hayes, another soldier who attained the presidency.
On the morning of September 11, when the Confederates learned that the Federals had abandoned the works, they set out in pursuit, led by General Williams, Colonel Wharton, and General Echols. They overtook the Federals on the ridge of Cotton Hill, but were driven back and the Federals succeeded in reaching the Kanawha River.