Summary:
Union General William Powell reports on September and October, 1864, operations
in the Shenandoah Valley. He mentions Confederate evacuation of Staunton, and
the subsequent arrival on the field of Union commanders from that place.
Front Royal, Va.,
October 27, 1864.
MAJ.:
In obedience to Special Orders, No. 37, headquarters Cavalry Corps, Middle Military Division, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Second Cavalry Division, Department of West Virginia, since the 24th day of September, 1864, at which time, in obedience to Special Orders, No. 41, current series, from headquarters Middle Military Division, I assumed command of the division composed of two brigades and one four-gun battery (Battery L, Fifth U. S. Artillery, commanded by Lieut. G. V. Weir), the First Brigade consisting of Eighth Regt. Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanded by Col. J. M. Schoonmaker, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry; and Second Brigade consisting of the First, Second, and Third West Virginia Cavalry Regiments and First New York (Lincoln) Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Col. H. Capehart, First Regt. West Virginia Cavalry. The entire staff of Brevet Maj.-Gen. Averell (whom I relieved), with the exception of surgeon-in-chief, Doctor Wynne, surgeon Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, accompanied the general (and are still absent), taking with the the papers, books,&c. (all records of the division), by which I have suffered much inconvenience in furnishing necessary reports. At the time I assumed command of the division the strength present of it was 101 commissioned officers, and 2, 186 enlisted men; present and absent, 276 commissioned officers, and 6,950 enlisted men.
In obedience to orders from headquarters Middle Military Division I moved the command on the 24th day of September, 1864, at 11 a.m., from the Valley pike across to the Middle road leading through Forest Hill and Broadway to Harrisonburg. My advance met the enemy's pickets one mile north of Forest Hill, drove them beyond Forest Hill a short distance, when the enemy formed line of battle, which, not being very strong, was soon broken and driven in confusion. From the citizens and prisoners taken at Forest Hill I learned that the force on my front was composed of the commands-cavalry-of Gen.'s Imboden, Johnson, and McCausland. I drove them rapidly before me to within four miles of Harrisonburg. Camped the command three miles south of Broadway. The enemy's loss during the day was 15 killed, 18 prisoners, 14 wagons, and a large amount of ammunition. My loss was one man slightly wounded. September 25, broke camp at 8.30 a.m. Movements detained awaiting return of squadron sent to Maj.-Gen. Sheridan's headquarters the evening previous to open communication. Found no enemy on the road to Harrisonburg, which point I reached at noon. After a half of two hours to feed moved out to and beyond Mount Crawford, camping on the north side of the river. September 26, in obedience to orders from headquarters Cavalry Corps, Middle Military Division, moved at daylight across the Valley to Middle River; encountered the enemy's pickets 100 strong; drove them across toward Brown's Gap; thence moved in accordance with orders in the direction of Staunton. On reaching Piedmont I was overtaken by a staff officer from Brig.-Gen. Merritt's headquarters, Port Republic Va., with a request from Gen. M. for my immediate return to Weyer's Cave near Brown's Gap, to co-operate with him in the capture of Gen. Early's train. Having received information that the enemy had evacuated Staunton I returned with my command at once, in compliance with Gen. M.'s request; and on my arrival at Weyer's Cave, s three miles west of Brown's Gap, ordered my command across the South River, prepared for and immediately attacked the enemy's cavalry, the only force that could be seen at that time. This was driven back with but little delay. The enemy at once pushed forward his infantry and opened his artillery vigorously upon my advance, which, together with the dense forest and underbrush, precluded the possibility of a farther advance of my main line, which was then ordered to fall back to the west side of the river, leaving my skirmish line confronting the enemy's during the night.
September 27, at the request of Gen. Merritt I again threw my command across the South River, except the Second Virginia Cavalry, which was ordered into position on the front of my camp, and two squadrons left in camp to guard train, &c. At the moment I was about to order the advance of my line Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry, with one brigade of infantry and one battery, made an attack on the front of my camp, where the Second Virginia Cavalry was formed. The first intimation I had of the whereabouts of Fitzhugh Lee's command was the opening of his artillery, he having crossed the South River about two miles above my camp at the same time that my command crossed at Weyer's Cave to attack. I changed front immediately, ordered train to the rear, changed position of my battery, and opened vigorously on the enemy, who, in his superiority of strength, was driving the Second Virginia Cavalry. His line was soon checked and held until my main body had recrossed the South River and formed, when my line advanced and charged the enemy, driving him back rapidly, thereby relieving Brig.-Gen. Custer (with a small escort), who was on his way from Staunton to take command of my division. In the meantime a heavy column of infantry, cavalry, and artillery moved out from Brown's Gap, and was preparing to attack my left flank and cut off my retreat, which, however, I prevented by falling back slowly in the direction of Port Republic, keeping my command well in hand for any emergency being followed up closely by Fitzhugh Lee's command and the main of the enemy, who crossed the river at the ford near Weyer's Cave.
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 506-507, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
