Today in History:

864 Series I Volume XLII-I Serial 87 - Richmond-Fort Fisher Part I

Page 864 OPERATIONS IN SE.VA. AND N.C. Chapter LIV.

miles from New Market, Captain John. L. Massie, of Nelson's battalion-a gentleman of fine character, superior powers, and high culture, a soldier of tried merit, and a battery commander unsurpassed in the service-received a mortal wound. Lieutenant N. B. Cooke, a promising young officer of Braxton's battalion, was also wounded.

The army then deflected toward Port Republic, and arriving at Brown's Gap on the 25th encamped. Here it was joined on the 26th by Kershaw's division and Cutshaw's artillery battalion. On the same day Colonel Carter again reported for duty and resumed command of the artillery. Carpenter's and Hardwicke's batteries were engaged in skirmishers near Port Republic on the 26th and 27th.

On the 28th the army was again put in motion, and marched by Waynesborough to Mount Sidney, and thence slowly down the Valley, the advance reaching Hupp's Hill, below Strasburg, on October 13. Here an affair occurred between a force of the enemy and Gordon's division with Conner's brigade, of Kershaw's division, attended by Fry's battery. In this affair the enemy was repulsed, with considerable loss. Lieutenant S. S. France, acting adjutant to Colonel Carter, was on this occasion severely wounded.

Meanwhile the cavalry marched by the back road, and on the morning of the 8th encountered the enemy. Thomson's and Johnston's guns were used with good effect to the last. Their supports giving way at critical moment the six guns were lost. As on other occasions the artillery officers and men faithfully did their duty.

On the next day (October 9) Shoemaker's battery and a section of Thomson's accompanying Lomax's cavalry as a guard to the wagon train on the Valley turnpike near Woodstock, were greatly exposed by the irresolution of the cavalry, but were all, except one of Thomson's guns, saved by the extraordinary gallantry of artillery officers and men. On this occasion Captain Carpenter, of Braxton's battalion, was particularly distinguished. Observing the hazard occasioned by the failure of the cavalry, he pressed forward as a volunteer, and by judicious intrepidity succeeded in rallying a few of the fugitives so as again and again to keep the enemy at bay. He thus contributed materially toward rescuing the guns and saving the trains. I regret to add that in this gallant service he received a painful wound resulting in the loss of an arm.

On October 19, at a very early hour, the artillery was moved forward with the main body of the army to attack the enemy beyond Cedar Creek and by 10 a.m. remarkable results had been achieved. Two corps of the enemy had been surprised and routed, their camps captured and they driven from the field. The Sixth Corps had been dislodged from its strong position near Middletown chiefly by the fire of our artillery, and the whole hostile army driven three or four miles. Twenty-four pieces of artillery by the enemy's admission (17 are known to us) had been captured, and some 1,500 prisoners. There was a lull from 10 to 3.30 p.m. our line of battle ranging across the turnpike at right angles north of Middletown, Wofford's brigade on the right, then Wharton, the Pegram crossing the turnpike, then Ramseur considerably in advance, then Kershaw, then Gordon, then an interval of about a mile, and then Rosser's cavalry, which, with Thomson's battery, had joined General Early on his last advance after October 1.

About 3 p.m. six of Cutshaw's pieces and two of Jones' were posted to guard the interval between Gordon and Rosser. On the enemy's attack at 3.30 Gordon's line gave way and the guns were retired by General Gordon's order. The guns operating with the other divisions held


Page 864 OPERATIONS IN SE.VA. AND N.C. Chapter LIV.