Summary:
Union General Horatio Wright reports on August, September, and October actions in
the Shenandoah Valley. Wright details movements and battles in the area, and
mentions cavalry operations in the vicinity of Staunton.
Lieut. Col. C. KINGSBURY, Jr.,
Assistant
Adjutant-Gen.
October 18, 1864.
COL.:
In compliance with orders from headquarters Middle Military Division, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this command from the time of the formation of the Middle Military Division up to the 10th instant:
On the 6th day of August this corps arrived at Halltown from the Monocacy River and took position there on the right, the Second Division, Brig.-Gen. Getty, resting near to and on the right of the pike, connecting with the Nineteenth Corps, the Third Division, Brig.-Gen. Ricketts, on the right of the Second, and the First Division, Brig.-Gen. Russell, on the right and rear of the Third, extending almost to the Potomac, with the picket-line reaching to that river. The corps remained in this position until the morning of the 10th, when it moved at 5 a. m., under directions from headquarters Middle Military Division, through Charlestown, and thence to a point on the Berryville and Middleway pike about one mile and a half from its junction with the Winchester and Berryville pike, and designated in the order of march as Clifton. It encamped here that night, the Nineteenth Corps being on its left, and Col. Lowell's brigade of cavalry at Summit Point. On the morning of the 11th, at 5 a. m., the march was resumed, the corps moving to the ford of the Opequon Creek on the Winchester and Berryville pike. The enemy held the crossing on the previous evening, citizens, reporting that Breckinridge's corps was there, with some cavalry. The infantry fell back during the night, and upon our advance a small force of cavalry only was found, and this immediately withdrew. After halting about three hours orders were received to move up the right bank of the creek to its crossing on the Millwood pike. This point was reached about 5 p. m. and the corps encamped there for the night, moving at 6 the next morning, by the way of Newtown and Middletown, to the crossing of Cedar Creek on the Strasbrug pike. Gen. Crook had arrived with his command before the arrival of mine, and found the enemy's skirmishers on the south side of the creek. Upon the arrival of my corps skirmishers from the two commands were sent over the creek; those from Gen. Crook on the left of the pike, mine on the right. A slight skirmish fire was dept up from about 4 in the afternoon until 8.
The enemy withdrew before daylight of the 13th, at 7 a. m. of that day this corps received orders and moved toward Strasbrug. The enemy was found in position at Fisher's Hill, about two miles south of Strasburg. At night, in consequence of reports of the enemy being largely re-enforced, the corps was withdrawn to the north side of Cedar Creek, the troops occupying their camps of the day before, and the picket-line being well advanced on the south side. The enemy was found the next morning in his position of the 12th, with a picket-line in front of ours. In the afternoon, by direction of the major-general commanding, I advanced my line, the First Brigade, First Division (Jersey brigade), moving in support. The enemy's line was forced back after some little firing. On the afternoon of the 15th the enemy made an attack on Gen. Crook's pickets on the left of the pike, and his having moved back, my left, being unsupported, fell back a short distance, but was ordered to push forward, and at once regained its former position. At 8 p. m. of the 16th the army commenced withdrawing. This corps covered the movement, marching all night, and reaching Winchester about 5 o'clock the next morning, when it halted for break-fast, thence moving to the crossing of the Opequon, on the Berryville and Winchester pike, and there going into camp. The First Brigade, First Division (Jersey brigade), was left at Winchester, reporting to Gen. Torbert, chief of cavalry, at that place, and was attacked on the afternoon of the 17th, losing about 150, mostly prisoners. Of this affair no report has been received. On the morning of the 18th the corps moved to Welch's Spring, on the Charlestown and Middleway pike, about two miles from Charlestown, arriving there at 6 p. m. It then went into camp, the First Division on the right of the pike, the Second on the left, and the Third in reserve, and remained in quiet until Sunday, the 21st. On the morning of this day information came that our cavalry at Middleway had been attacked and driven off. I immediately sent staff officers to the division commanders with directions for them to have their troops on the alert, and be ready for an attack by the enemy. Before these officers could reach the division commanders firing was heard on our picket-line. The enemy developed rapidly, mainly on the south side of the road, and kept up a sharp fire, driving in our line on that side of the pike. It was not supposed that driving in our line of that side of the pike. It was not supposed that an advance in force could be made, without notice from our cavalry in front, hence this sudden attack of the enemy was almost a surprise, but the troops were soon ready, and the Third Division (Brig.-Gen. Ricketts) was transferred from its potion in reserve to the left of the line, where Gen. Crook afterward connected within him. Our original position was regained, and the corps ready to repulse any further attack or make one if ordered. The First Division of the Nineteenth Corps moved about noon, and connected with my right. The loss of the corps here was about 260 killed and wounded, a large proportion being from the Second Division, whose conduct on this occasion cannot be too highly praised. At midnight, by orders from the major-general commanding Middle Military Division, the corps moved to its old position at Halltown, covering the infantry movement, reaching that place a little after daylight on the morning of the 22d. It remained here until the 28th, there being no skirmishing or firing in my front, though some on the front of the rest of the army.
At 7 a. m. of the 28th the corps moved without opposition, and took up about the same position occupied by it before on the pike from Charlestown to Middleway, with the Nineteenth Corps connecting on the left. On the 29th, in the afternoon, the cavalry being pushed back from Middleway and toward the position occupied by this corps, the Third Division was moved out and advanced, in conjunction with the cavalry, to Middleway. A few shots only were fired. The division remained at Smithfield until dark, when it was withdrawn to a position about two miles in rear.
The corps remained at its position near Charlestown until the morning of September 3, when it moved to the position heretofore spoken of, designated as Clifton. On the 13th a reconnaissance was made by the Second Division, Brig.-Gen. Getty, in conjunction with the cavalry, to Gilbert's Ford, on the Opequon. Getty's division reached the creek after Gen. Custer had ascertained that the enemy's infantry was there, and after he had opened fire upon it. The enemy's infantry was found in some force. A few men pushed over developed a still stronger force, till the exhibition of strength showed that the enemy was the in strong force. My orders being not to bring on an engagement, I did not attack. The division remained there until after dark, when it returned to camp, the losses having been ten or twelve wounded. With he exception of this reconnaissance the corps September until the 19th, when it moved across the Opequon and took part in the battle near Winchester. As directed by orders from headquarters Middle Military Division, a special report of the operations of this corps in that engagement and the one at Fisher's Hill, which succeeded, accompanies this report.
On the night of the 19th the corps encamped at Winchester, and the next day moved to near Strasburg. On the 21st, toward evening, we took an advanced position held by the enemy on our right, with some brief but sharp fighting, parts of the Second and Third Divisions being engaged. On the next day Fisher's Hill was captured and the enemy pursued all night by the Nineteenth Corps and the Sixth, the former in advance. The command of the two corps had been committed to me by Maj.-Gen. Sheridan. The troops reached Woodstock and were established in camp a little after daylight. The head of the column was fired into once on the route, which occasioned a momentary disturbance, but everything was soon right, and the column moved on without further attempt at opposition. The command rested at Woodstock until 1 p. m., when we moved about a mile to the south of Edenburg; and the next morning I was ordered to move with the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps against the enemy, who was reported to have made a stand at Mount Jackson. His skirmishers were found at this place, driven through the town, and they then fell back to a line of battle which had been formed by him on Rude's Hill. My advanced batteries commenced shelling his position. Before the troops could be formed to attack, the enemy abandoned the position; we followed--this corps on the left, the Nineteenth on the right of the pike, Gen. Devin, with a small part of his brigade of cavalry, in advance. The pursuit was continued for the whole day. Every attempt was made to engage the enemy but without success. Notwithstanding the great labors and fatigues brought about by battles and marches since the morning of the 19th, there was no lack of disposition on the part of the officers and men to bring the enemy to fight. One stretch of thirteen miles was made without a halt on the part of the infantry. Battery G, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, Capt. G. W. Adams commanding, and the First new York Independent Battery, Lieut. Van Etten commanding, moved with the skirmish line of the cavalry most of the time, and whenever the slightest show of a stand was made by the enemy, opened upon him. The infantry skirmish line was not engaged until almost dark, and then for a short time only. Nothing could induce the enemy to favor us with an engagement, and the troops, very much exhausted, went into camp at dark about four miles south of New Market.
September 25 we moved to Harrisonburg, went into camp, and remained there until the morning of the 29th, when I proceeded, by direction of the major-general commanding Middle Military Division, with the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps to Mount Crawford to support the cavalry in case of a movement in force upon it by the enemy in its return from the operations in which it had been engaged at Staunton and elsewhere. The next day we returned to Harrisonburg and resumed our old camps, nothing worthy of note having occurred on the trip. We remained in camp at Harrisonburg until morning of October 6, when, breaking camp, at 5.30 a. m., we started for Strasburg, reaching that place October 8, having marched on the 6th to Rude's Hill, thence on the 7th to about two miles north of Woodstock, on the 8th to Strasburg. The corps remained on the 9th at the last-named place. This brings us to the time indicated by the order directing this report to be made.
From the length of time embraced this report is necessarily general, is little more than a mere record of the events which have taken place, but I cannot close it without saying in how great a degree my thanks are due to the officers and men of this corps for the patient endurance and bravery displayed in the occurrences mentioned herein. I desire or new the recommendations heretofore made to the major-general commanding, and if it is decided to confer brevets for any grade less than that of general officer, I shall take pleasure in hereafter forwarding the names of officers particularly deserving notice and advancement.
Respectfully submitted.
H. G. WRIGHT,
Maj.-Gen., Cmdg. Corps.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 43, Serial No. 90, Pages 154-157, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
