Today in History:

342 Series I Volume XII-I Serial 15 - Second Manassas Part I

Page 342 OPERATIONS IN N.VA., W.VA., AND MD. Chapter XXIV.

sagacity ordered back Williams' whole division, so that my express found the rear brigade already en route to join us. The general himself returned here forthwith, and, after making me a hasty visit, assumed command of the forces in pursuit of the enemy. The pursuit was kept up with vigor, energy, and activity until they reached Woodstock, where the enemy's retreat became flight, and the pursuit was abandoned because of the utter exhaustion of our troops.

The killed and wounded in this engagement cannot even yet be accurately ascertained. Indeed, my command has been so overworked that it has had but little time to ascertain anything. The killed, as reported, are 103, and amongst them we have to deplore the loss of the brave Colonel Murray, of the Eighty-fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, who fell at the head of his regiment while gallantly leading it in the face of the enemy. The wounded are 41, many of them slightly, and the missing 24.* The enemy's loss is more difficult to ascertain than our own. Two hundred and seventy were found dead on the battle-field; 40 were buried by the inhabitants of the adjacent village, and, by a calculation made from the number of graves found on both sides of the Valley road between here and Strasburg, their loss in killed must have been about 500 and in wounded 1,000. The proportion between the killed and wounded of the enemy shows the closeness and terrible destructiveness of our fire-nearly half the wounds being fatal. The enemy admit a loss of between 1,000 and 1,500 in killed and wounded.

Our force in infantry, cavalry, and artillery did not exceed 7,000. That of the enemy must have exceeded 11,000. Jackson who commanded on the field, had, in addition to his own "Stonewall" Brigade, Smith's, Garnett's, and Loring's brigades. Generals Smith and Garnett were here in person. The following regiments are known to have been present, and some from each of them were made prisoners on the field: The Second, Fourth, Fifth, Twenty-first, Twenty-third, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-third, Thirty-seventh, and Forty-second Virginia, First Regiment Provisional Army, and an Irish battalion. None from the reserve were made prisoners. Their force in infantry must have been 9,000. The cavalry of their united brigades amounted to 1,500. Their artillery consisted of thirty-six pieces. We had 6,000 infantry, a cavalry force of 750, and twenty-four pieces of artillery.

I cannot conclude this report without expressing thanks and gratitude to the officers and soldiers of my command for their noble conduct on this trying day. It was worthy of the great country whose national existence they have pledged their lives to preserve. Special thanks are due to Colonel Kimball, commanding First Brigade, and senior officer in the field. His conduct was brave, judicious, and efficient. He executed my orders in every instance with vigor and fidelity, and exhibited judgment and sagacity in the various movements that were necessarily intrusted to his discretion. Colonel Tyler, commanding the Third Brigade, has won my admiration by his fearless intrepidity. His brigade is worthy of such an intrepid leader. This brigade and the regiments accompanying it achieved the decisive movement of the day. They drove the forces of the enemy before them on the left flank, and by hurling this flank back upon the reserve consummated this glorious victory. High praise is due to Colonel Sullivan, commanding the Second Brigade, for the manner in which he contributed to the first repulse of the enemy in the morning. To him, and Colonel Carroll, of the Eight Ohio Volunteers, who commanded the skirmishers, is the credit due of

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*But see revised statement, p.346.

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Page 342 OPERATIONS IN N.VA., W.VA., AND MD. Chapter XXIV.