force if he had two more hours of daylight. Withdrawal and escape Averell used an elaborate deception to save his command. First, he told a staff officer that if they could hold Morgan's men until dark, Crook's force would arrive to reinforce them. This was said in front of a local woman from the pro-Confederate community, with hope that the bogus information would get back to the Confederate leadership. Second, he had an officer notify him that Crook arrived. Third, he ordered his men to give three cheers for General Crook. It is unknown if the deception or darkness caused the fighting to stop, but Morgan's men returned to the gap. Averell had his men build one fire for every two men—about one thousand fires—to make it appear that Crook had arrived. Under the cover of darkness, Averell's force withdrew. The severely wounded were left behind at the Crockett's Cove Presbyterian Church. Averell's men had to ascend and descend a mountain that did not have a good road, so they led their horses while on foot. By dawn, the command was at the bottom of the mountain with of difficult terrain between them and the cove. Here, they rested for half a day before continuing to the Dublin Rail Depot. On the evening of May 11, the Union horsemen reached the depot, and spent the night there in soaking rain. They discovered that Crook had already destroyed the large railroad bridge over the New River, and the river itself was rising rapidly because of recent rains. The river grew to about one third of a mile (0.54km) wide and rising, with a rapid current and rocky riverbed. Averell's men forded the New River about west of Christiansburg, and several men and horses drowned. After the command arrived at Christiansburg, the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry was sent back to guard the ford, and witnessed Confederate forces unable to cross the still–rising river. At Christiansburg, the command found a small Confederate force that they drove away with drawn sabers. They also captured two 3-inch caliber artillery pieces. Return home From Christiansburg, Averell was able to communicate with Crook, and was ordered to destroy rail line eastward. The rail depot and four miles (6.4 km) of line were destroyed, and then a trip back to the safety of West Virginia was started. Some of the ammunition was rendered useless from the river and