Today in History:

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

Page 369 Chapter XXIV. BATTLE OF KERNSTOWN, VA.

I would state that my officers and men behaved with great coolness and bravery.

Sir, I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. S. CARROLL, U. S. A.,

Colonel Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Colonel NATHAN KIMBALL,

Fourteenth Indiana Vols., Commanding First Brigadier, Shields' Div.


Numbers 15. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Sawyer,. Eight Ohio Infantry.

CAMP NEAR STRASBURG, VA.,

March 26, 1862.

SIR: In accordance with instruction I have the honor to make the following report:

On Sunday morning, 23rd instant, I was detachment with there companies or deploy forward as skirmishers on the right of the Strasburg pike, which I at once proceeded to do. We deployed forward about three fourths of a mile, when I received an order from you, through Surgeon Tappan, to make a careful reconnaissance of the hills to the right, and to recall from picket duty Companies C and D of our regiment and cause them to join my command. This I did. Finding no enemy to the right or immediately in front, we proceeded as far as the village of Kernstown, when I received an order from you, through a mounted orderly, to send you one of my companies, and accordingly sent you Captain Kenny's company. We then deployed forward some distance, resting the center in an open wood near a stone church. At this time a battery came up the road and took position on the left of the road, in advance of our position, and I again moved forward about 40 rods to the front of the battery, halted my men, and rode forward myself to the front of the wood, and came very near a force of the enemy concealed behind a ridge of ground. The battery soon fell back beyond the village, and I ordered the skirmishers back about 60 roads, which position we held until the exposition of our own shells near us admonished me to fall back nearer the battery in our rear.

At this point I received an order from Colonel Kimball through a mounted orderly to call in my skirmishers, fall back to the height where the main batteries were,and support them, which i did. We remained here for some time, when I was ordered to support a battery to our right no a "dirt road" in front of the line of march of Colonel Tyler's brigade, which was then passing in our rear to attack the enemy, who had taken position on the heights on our right and were then shelling us. This position we maintained for a few minutes, when we were ordered to load and fix bayonets for a charge. In a few moments Colonel Dam came with the order to charge, which we obeyed at double-quick, the interval between us and the enemy being about three-fourths of a mile. We charged directly up to a rail fence the opposite of which the enemy in strong force were firing upon us. Our position was at almost a right angle with the position of Colonel Tyler's force. This position we held until the enemy was entirely routed from our, which was about dusk. We pressed on until the enemy's battery was carried, when I drew off what few of my men were still unhurt, picked up our dead

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Page 369 Chapter XXIV. BATTLE OF KERNSTOWN, VA.