Records Related to Augusta County Regiments



From: P. H. SHERIDAN, Maj.-Gen.
September 24, 1864--11.30 p. m. (Received 27th.)

Summary:
Union General Phillip Sheridan writes to General Grant on the September, 1864, clearing of the Valley pike and his plans to send cavalry to Staunton.


Lieut.-Gen. GRANT,
City Point, Va.;

HARRISONBURG,

September 24, 1864--11.30 p. m. (Received 27th.)

I pressed the enemy hard yesterday; at the same time pushed forward Col. Powell's cavalry through Timberville, and struck the Valley pike in his rear. This latter movement stampeded him so badly that late last evening he gave up Valley pike and stuck off toward Keezletown and Port Republic, leaving the entire Valley way free. All my infantry arrived at Harrisonburg at 4 p. m. to-day. Col. Powell's cavalry reached Month Crawford to-night. Torbert's cavalry overtook me this evening. Its operations in the Luray Valley, on which I calculated so much, were an entire failure. They were held at Mildford by two small brigades of Fitz Lee's cavalry, and then fell back toward Front Royal until after they had learned of our success at Fishers' Hill. They then proceeded up the valley again, encountering the enemy's cavalry near Harrisonburg yesterday; captured and burned nine wagons. I find at his place 450 wounded. I am now ninety-four miles from Martinsburg and 104 miles from Harper's Ferry. I will send a column of cavalry to Staunton to-morrow morning, and will probably follow the enemy in the direction of Port Republic with the infantry. Every hour brings me additional information of the demoralization of Early's army. Reports late this evening say that he is moving toward Charlottesville. Other reports are that he is going to Waynesborough. The part that I expected the cavalry to accomplish at Fisher's Hill was a complete failure. I have relived Averell from his command. Instead of following the enemy when he was broken at Fisher's Hill, so that there was not a cavalry organization left, he went into camp, and let me pursue the enemy for a distance of fifteen miles with infantry during the night. Early burned quite a number of wagons on his way up the Valley. He also abandoned two caissons on the Keezletown road not far from this place.

P. H. SHERIDAN,
Maj.-Gen.


Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 43, Serial No. 91, Pages 170-171, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.


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