CARNIFEX FERRY. 



CAVOUR, 



95 



CARNIFEX FERRY, over the Gauley River, 

 eight miles southwest of Summerville, Nicho- 

 las Co., Virginia, crosses the river at the only 

 point for several miles where the river, which 

 flows mainly through a deep ravine, is acces- 

 sible for a ford or ferry. On the west bank of 

 the river near this ferry, on the 10th of Sept., 

 Gen. Floyd, with a Confederate force of about 

 5,000 troops, had a strongly fortified camp, 

 flanked by deep and marshy ravines on each 

 side, and in front, west of the river, protected 

 by a dense forest, which, at a distance of 300 

 yards, completely concealed his camp. Gen. 

 Rosecraus, with a force nearly equal, marched 

 seventeen miles, and about three o'clock in the 

 afternoon sent forward Gen. Benham, with his 

 brigade, to make a reconnoissance in force. 

 They were soon engaged with the enemy, and 

 after a severe action were about being reen- 

 forced, when, from the great difficulties of the 

 position rendering night fighting almost im- 

 possible, Gen.Rosecrans ordered his men to 

 form in order of battle and rest upon their 

 arms, intending to renew the attack in the 

 morning. During the night Gen. Floyd and 

 his force escaped across the Gauley, leaving 

 their camp, baggage, small arms, and munitions 

 of war, and burning the bridge which he had 

 constructed, and the ferry boats. Being unable 

 to effect a crossing of the river, Gen. Rosecrans 

 could not pursue them, but took a few prison- ' 

 ers. The Federal loss was, according to official 

 report, 15 killed and 80 wounded ; that of the 

 Confederates was less, as they were protected 

 by the forest and their fortifications. But for 

 some misunderstanding of the orders given to 

 two or three regiments, the Confederate camp 

 might have been taken at the time of the first 

 attack, though probably not without a heavy 

 loss. 



CARTHAGE is the capital of Jasper County 

 in Missouri. It is situated on Spring River, 

 about 220 miles southwest of Jefferson City. 

 On the prairie, about seven miles east of the 

 town, a small force of about one thousand or 

 eleven hundred men, under Gen. Sigel and Sal- 

 omon, attacked a Confederate force under Gen. 

 Rains and Price, with Governor Jackson, about 

 the 5th of July." The battle was hotly contest- 

 ed, and resulted in the Union forces retiring. 

 The spot is known under the name of Brier 

 Forks. 



The forces engaged were about twelve hun- 

 dred Nationals, with ten pieces of artillery, 

 against a large Confederate force, "with five 

 pieces of cannon, and having the advantage of 

 a considerable body of cavalry. Gen. Sigel 

 commenced the attack on the enemy's line of 

 battle at half-past nine o'clock in the morning, 

 and succeeded, after about two hours' fighting, 

 in silencing his artillery. The Confederate cav- 

 alry then made a movement to outflank him, 

 and make an attack upon his baggage train, but 

 Gen. Sigel manoeuvred in such admirable style 

 that the attempt entirely failed. The National 

 forces retired until a point was reached where 



the road ran between two high bluffs, the 

 opening being occupied by the Confederate cav- 

 alry, when, by a ruse, he drew them in a solid 

 body to within a hundred and fifty yards of his 

 position, where he opened upon them with a 

 cross-fire of artillery and charged them at a 

 double-quick step with his infantry, scattering 

 them in every direction. The enemy finally 

 retired to Carthage, and Gen. Sigel fell back 

 on Sarcoxie, and the next day went to Mount 

 Vernon to await reinforcements. 



The loss on the Federal side was reported at 

 thirteen killed and thirty-one wounded. On 

 the Confederate side it was much larger. 



CAYOUR, CAMILLO BEXSO, COUNT DI, the 

 greatest of Italian statesmen in modern times, 

 was horn at Turin, Italy, Aug. 10, 1810, and 

 died in the same city June 6, 1861. He was 

 the second son of the Marquis Michael Joseph 

 di Cavour, the representative of one of the 

 oldest and mobt illustrious families of Pied- 

 mont, the descendant of that Thomas I. Count 

 di Maarienne, who, in 1244, as conqueror of 

 Piedmont, assumed the title of Prince of Achoa 

 and Morea. His mother was o/ the no less 

 noble Genevese family of Sellon. The financial 

 services of the father to the Sardinian Govern- 

 ment had led to his elevation to the highest 

 rank of the Sardinian nobility by Charles Al- 

 bert. He was. however, one of the most big- 

 oted and aristocratic of the old Sardinian 

 nobles, and hated with an almost insane de- 

 testation every movement towards liberal opin- 

 ions. A sister of the first Napoleon, the Prin- 

 cess Maria Borghese, stood sponsor for the 

 count at his baptism, and his early education, 

 up to his fourteenth year, was committed to the 

 Abbe Trezet, a Jesuit father, and author of a 

 History of Savoy. At the age of fourteen 

 (some authorities say even earlier) he was sent 

 to the military college of Turin, in accordance 

 with the policy of the ancient Piedmontese 

 nobility, which required that every member 

 of the aristocracy should pass some years in 

 the military service of the State. For a time 

 he was a page of Charles Felix, the last king 

 of the elder line of the House of Savoy, but his 

 independent bearing and his free expression 

 even then of liberal opinions, led to his dismis- 

 sion, and he returned to his military studies, 

 and devoted himself especially to mathematics, 

 tmder the astronomer Plana, and in 1828 left 

 the school with the rank of lieutenant of engi- 

 neers. His proficiency in mathematics and en- 

 gineering science led to his speedy employment 

 in the survey of the passes of the Alps and 

 Apennines, and the construction of a fortress 

 to guard the road from Genoa to Nice. Bnt 

 his mind was occupied with higher topics than 

 those of a merely professional character. He 

 had acquired already a thorough knowledge of 

 the English language, and his leisnre hours 

 were occupied in the study of Adam Smith's 

 works and other treatises on political economy 

 and finance, and already visions of future po- 

 litical eminence were passing before him. 



