north of Strasburg. Here they remained during the 13th and 14th inactive. Sheridan's head-quarters were now at the spot that had been used for the same purpose successively by Fremont, Sigel, and Hunter. On the 15th the enemy withdrew his skirmishers from Strasburg, but held Fisher's Hill beyond, which commanded the town.

The enemy now suddenly resumed the offensive. Sheridan, in this advance to Štrasburg, had passed on his left flank several gaps in the mountains, which had so often given passage to the enemy in previous campaigns. The most important of these are Snicker's Gap and Island Ford. None of these gaps were guarded. Mosby, with his light troops, was too vigilant to allow such an opportunity to pass, and on the 13th he rode through Snicker's Gap and pounced upon the supply train at Berryville. The train was guarded by Kenley's Brigade of one-hundred-days men. At Mosby's charge, a part of the guard were panic-stricken. A few brave men fought as long as possible, while the rest took to their heels. The teams were unhitched, the wagons fired, and all the property taken off to the Ferry. The chief loss was in the cavalry baggage. Mosby captured and destroyed seventy-five wagons, secured over two hundred prisoners, five or six hundred horses and mules, two hundred beef cattle, and some stores. His loss was two killed and three wounded.

This disaster, greatly exaggerated by reports, caused the whole army to retrograde. On the same day the enemy captured a signal party, with their apparatus. On the night of Monday, the 15th, the Nineteenth Army Corps began to retreat on Winchester, followed by the Eighth Corps, while the Sixth brought up the rear. On the 16th, a force of the enemy, composed of Lomax and Wickham's Brigades, with a part of Kershaw's Division, which had come by rail from Malvern Hill after taking part in the actions there, proceeded down the Winchester and Front Royal pike to cross the Shenandoah and attack the Federal troops in flank. These encountered at Crooked Run the brigades of Custer and Devin, under General Merritt, and were repulsed. The retreat was prosecuted with vigor, and orders were given for the destruction of every thing that could afford sustenance to the enemy. That these were strictly executed may be seen from the following extract from a Richmond paper :

"The enemy, as they retired from Strasburg, literally destroyed every thing in the way of food for man or beast. With their immense cavalry, they extended their lines from Front Royal, in Warren County, to the North Mountains, west of Strasburg, and burned every bushel of wheat, in stack, barn, or mill, in Frederick, Warren, and Clark, as well as oats and hay; they have really left absolutely nothing in these three counties. They drove before them every horse, cow, sheep, hog, calf, and living animal from the country."

The enemy followed close on Sheridan's heels, and occupied Winchester on the night of Wednesday, the 17th, capturing three hundred men of Penrose's infantry brigade, which had been left to cover the Union rear, and had been abandoned by its cavalry supports.

During the retreat, Mosby's gang had followed the army, treacherously killing or capturing where the opportunity offered. In retaliation, General Custer ordered the Fifth Michigan to destroy the houses

of some of these half-guerrillas, half-farmers, who had committed gross outrages near Snicker's Gap. While thus engaged, the Union cavalrymen were attacked by a superior force of Mosby's men, and brutally murdered after surrendering. Many neighboring houses were destroyed in retaliation for this butchery. On the 21st, the army occupied a position about two miles out from Charlestown, near Summit Point, from the Smithfield to the Berryville pike, with the Sixth Corps on the right, the Eighth in the centre, and the Nineteenth on the left, the latter overlapping the Berryville pike. About eight o'clock, Early came up, on his road to Martinsburg, and, with a part of his columns, attacked our advanced cavalry skirmishers, on the right and left, easily driving them in. His main body moved off across our right; but with a small force he drove back Wilson's cavalry division from its position on Summit Point, with very great loss. He then attacked the Sixth Corps, and the combat lasted, without material advantage to either side, from ten A. M. until nightfall, when the corps fell back to Bolivar Heights. Sheridan then posted his army on the first of the ranges called Bolivar Heights, near Harper's Ferry, the right on the Potomac, and the left on the Shenandoah. Head-quarters were at Halltown. The cavalry was sent up to the neighborhood of Charlestown early on Monday, the 22d, and had sharp skirmishing with the enemy until nine A. M., and at intervals during the day. The cavalry of the enemy then scoured the country in all directions. Several reconnoissances took place on the 24th and 25th, in which the First and Third Divisions of cavalry were badly handled.

The two armies remained confronting each other for some days, at the end of which time Early again fell back up the valley. This fact being ascertained, Sheridan issued orders on the evening of the 27th for the army to move at daylight. About seven o'clock of the 28th, the entire force got into motion, moving out from behind their formidable breast works in columns of brigades by the right flank, each corps preserving its relative position in the line of battle, and moving in the direction of Charlestown. The cavalry, which had proceeded in the direction of Shepherdstown, moved to the front and led the advance, By ten o'clock, the Nineteenth Corps reached Charlestown, and the army pushed on until they reached their old line of battle during the recent engagement a week before. The Sixth Corps, General Wright, held the right, the Nineteenth Corps, General Emory, the centre, and General Crook's command the left. The army was then formed in line of battle, and awaited the result of the cavalry advance. At dusk, orders were issued for an advance at daylight on the 29th. On the following morning, the enemy were found near Smithfield, by General Merritt, who attacked the rebel cavalry vigorously, driving them through the town and beyond Opequan Creek, where he came in contact with infantry. Custer's Cavalry, with Ransom's Battery, were moved across the creek, for the purpose of making a reconnoissance towards Bunker Hill. But after an encounter with the enemy's skirmish line, they retired across the stream, followed by infantry, who attempted to outflank them. Our cavalry accordingly fell back upon Smithsfield, in season to escape the movement. Here they were met by Ricketts's Division of Infantry,

before whose advance the enemy found it prudent rapidly to withdraw. Our loss in this affair was less than one hundred. The troops then fell back upon Charlestown, where they remained quiet for several days.

On the morning of September 3d, the whole army was again put in motion in a southerly direction, Crook's command occupying the left, the Nineteenth Corps the centre, and the Sixth the right. At noon, Crook reached the vicinity of Berryville, where, a few hours later, he was fiercely attacked by a heavy rebel force approaching from the direction of Winchester, which lies directly west. The enemy were handsomely repulsed; and during the succeeding night the whole army was engaged in throwing up substantial breastworks, as if for the purpose of making their position a permanent one. Thus affairs remained for nearly two weeks, Early being, according to reports, at Bunker Hill in force, and Sheridan showing no disposition to leave his intrenched lines near Berryville. The cavalry on both sides were active in reconnoissances.

The campaign in the Shenandoah, since the appointment of Sheridan to the command of the Middle Division, had hitherto been one of manœuvres rather than of decisive fighting, and the marchings and counter-marchings, advances and retreats of the Union general were to the public mind a source of no little perplexity. To comprehend his motives, it must be remembered that the possession of Lynchburg was indispensable to Lee if he wished to remain in Richmond, and that the large force detached under Early, to drive away Hunter and demonstrate against Washington, was still in the valley. Under these circumstances, Grant placed Sheridan at the mouth of the valley-first, to detach a force from Lee; second, to employ that force in the valley, so that no portion of it might be sent to Hood at Atlanta; third, to guard Washington and the border from the attacks of this force. For about five or six weeks, Sheridan's incessant moving backward and forward kept Early so busy that Hood could not get a man from Lee, and was forced to suffer defeat at Jonesboro', and to evacuate Atlanta for lack of re-enforcements. Meantime, Early and Sheridan were living off the valley farms, and together destroying much food and forage precious to Lee, and all this time Early did no essential damage to Sheridan.

With the fall of Atlanta, one of the prime motives for pursuing this Fabian policy was removed, and to a general of so energetic and impetuous a temperament as Sheridan, the opportunity now afforded to fight a pitched battle with the enemy for the possession of the valley was seized with avidity. About the middle of September the lieutenant-general paid a hasty visit to the Upper Potomac, and, after learning from Sheridan that the enemy was still in force in the valley, released him from the irksome task of manoeuvring, and bade him strike when he found the opportunity. Reconnoissances undertaken on the 13th and 16th rendered it evident that the main body of the enemy had advanced to the vicinity of Bunker Hill and Stephenson's Dépôt, and General Sheridan resolved to take advantage of this opportunity, and by a rapid movement fall on Early's rear from the

direction of Berryville towards Winchester. Accordingly, on Monday, the 19th, pursuant to orders, the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps were ordered to march at three o'clock, and the Army of Western Virginia, under Crook, at five o'clock. The Sixth Corps was directed to move out on the Winchester and Berryville Pike, marching in parallel columns on each side of the road, with the artillery, ammunition, and supply trains on the road-the Nineteenth Corps to follow on the same road in similar order. Crook was ordered to move from his position in the vicinity of Summit Point across the country in a southwesterly direction, and form a junction at the crossing of the Opequan, on the Berryville and Winchester pike. The cavalry, under Torbert and Averill, were meanwhile to divert the enemy's attention by heavy demonstrations on his left. Shortly after daylight, Wilson's Division of cavalry crossed the Opequan, and skirmished with the enemy, who were discovered in force on the west bank of the Opequan. Early immediately recalled his forces from Bunker Hill, and when the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps advanced across the Opequan, they were met and repulsed by a fire from the enemy's guns. Being re-enforced by our batteries, they again advanced and retook the position. At three o'clock, Crook's First Division came into position on the right, the Second Division, in the rear, supporting a division of the Nineteenth Corps. At about the same time, General Torbert arrived on the extreme right with Averill's and Merritt's Divisions of cavalry. With his forces thus consolidated, General Sheridan ordered an advance along the entire line. Our infantry were soon hotly engaged with the enemy, who stubbornly maintained their ground until our cavalry joined in the charge, when they gave way in utter confusion, never pausing in their flight until they reached Fisher's Hill, thirty miles south of Winchester, where they took refuge behind some previously erected earthworks. The following is Sheridan's dispatch announcing his success :

"We fought Early from daylight till between six and seven P. M. We drove him from Opequan Creek through Winchester and beyond the town. We captured two thousand five hundred to three thousand prisoners, five pieces of artillery, nine battle-flags, and all the rebel wounded and dead.

"Their wounded in Winchester amount to some three thousand. We lost in killed General David Russell, commanding a division of the Sixth Army Corps, and wounded Generals Chapman, McIntosh, and Upton. The rebels lost in killed the following general officers:

"General Rhodes, General Wharton, General Gordon, and General Ramseur. "We have just sent them whirling through Winchester, and we are after them toThis army behaved splendidly. I am sending forward all the medical supplies, subsistence stores, and ambulances."

morrow.

Sheridan lost no time in following the retreating rebels, and the 21st found his army confronting their new position. The enemy was posted with his right on the North Fork of the Shenandoah, and his left on the North Mountain. His line, running westerly, extended across the Strasburg Valley. There was considerable manoeuvring for position till after mid-day. Crook's command was on our right, Wright's Sixth Corps in the centre, and Emory's Nineteenth on the left. While

Emory demonstrated on the left, Ricketts's Division of the Sixth Corps advanced directly in front, and Averill drove in the enemy's skirmishUnder cover of these demonstrations, Crook moved out to the extreme right, and, after an arduous march, swept about, and flanked the enemy's left.

ers.

At four or five o'clock in the evening, a successful charge was made by Crook, who carried the enemy before him. At the same time, Wright attacked in the centre, Emory on the left, and Averill skirted along the base of the South Mountain. With great rapidity, the Sixth Corps broke in the enemy's centre, separating his two wings, when he retreated towards Woodstock in great confusion. Artillery, horses, wagons, rifles, knapsacks, and canteens were abandoned in the flight, and eleven hundred prisoners and sixteen pieces of artillery captured. In the battles of the 19th and 21st the rebels lost, in killed, wounded, prisoners, and missing, not less than ten thousand men.

Sheridan continued the pursuit on the night after the battle to Woodstock, and there halted next morning, for rest and rations. Averill, pushing on in advance, drove the enemy to Mount Jackson, twenty-five miles south of Strasburg, where he halted and made a stand, checking our advance with infantry and artillery. From Woodstock Sheridan moved rapidly up the Valley to Mount Jackson. About a mile from the town the "North Fork" of the Shenandoah crosses the pike. A good wooden bridge still spanned the stream. After some sharp skirmishing on our left, Devin's Cavalry drove the enemy before him, whereupon our batteries, posted near the bridge, opened on the opposite crest, over which the enemy finally retired. Skirmish lines were immediately moved across the stream, and, covering the fronts of their respective corps, pushed forward. In the advance, the Nineteenth Corps marched in column on the right of the pike, and the Sixth in like formation on the left, ready at any moment to form line. The batteries had the pike. The cavalry was thrown forward in advance of the infantry skirmish line. At every favorable position the enemy would halt and contest our advance; but the batteries, being brought forward, would, after a few rounds, cause them to resume their march in retreat. No stop was made at Newmarket, the scene of Sigel's fight and defeat in May.

On Sunday, September 25th, Sheridan's head-quarters were in Harrisonburg, and on Monday morning, Torbert, with his troopers, pushed out to Staunton, twenty-five miles away. Meantime, Early retired upon Brown's Gap, in the Blue Ridge, eight miles southeast of Port Republic, twenty miles east of Staunton, and fifteen northeast of Waynesboro'. Sheridan pursued to Port Republic, destroying seventy-five wagons and four caissons. From Harrisonburg, Torbert, with Wilson's cavalry division and one brigade of Merritt's, marched to Staunton, which he entered at eight A. M. of Monday, the 26th, and there destroyed a large quantity of the enemy's property of various kinds. Thence he marched southeasterly to Waynesboro', threw the iron bridge over the South River at that point into the river, and destroyed the bridge over Christiana Creek, and the railroad from Saunton to Waynesboro'. At Waynesboro' other Government prop