Today in History:

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

Page 779 Chapter XXIV. OPERATIONS IN SHENANDOAH VALLEY.

Brigadier-General Steuart (Maryland Line), and was carried on very successfully by the Sixth (Lieutenant-Colonel Flournoy) and Second Cavalry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Watts. These officers pursued with courage and energy, capturing two pieces of artillery, the field and staff officers, and most of the Maryland (Federal) regiment.

A fine Parrott piece, abandoned within 4 miles of Winchester, was brought off, within sight of the enemy's pickets, by Privated Fontaine and Moore (Company I, Sixth Cavalry), who, using two plow horses from a neighboring field, brought it back to Front Royal-a piece of cool daring hard to match.

At 6 o'clock the next morning my division was again moving toward Winchester. The head of the column had marched about 8 miles, when it was halted by Major-General Jackson. The brigades of Generals Elzey and Taylor were detached from my position on the Front Royal and Winchester turnpike and carried by the major-general commanding with his division of the army to the road leading from Strasburg to Winchester. The service there rendered was not under my observation; but the Federal accounts tell of the havoc in their cavalry by the Louisiana Brigade. Brigadier General George H. Steuart, with the second and Sixth Cavalry, cut the enemy's line at Newtown, between Strasburg and Winchester, capturing some hundreds of prisoners, many wagons, &c.

The Seventh Brigade (General Trimble commanding) remained until 5 p. m. where halted by Major-General Jackson, about 8 miles from Front Royal. Seeing then that the enemy were retreating before General Jackson from Strasburg, I immediately ordered Generals Trimble and Steuart to move forward, and reported to the general commanding what I was doing. I received orders on the march to make this movement. The Twenty-first North Carolina, under Colonel Kirkland, drove in the enemy's pickets that evening and held the position 2 miles from Winchester, occasionally skirmishing during the night. The rest of the command slept on their arms about 3 miles from Winchester.

We moved at dawn, and opened the attack at 5.40 a. m., the Twenty-first North Carolina (Colonel Kirkland) and Twenty-first Georgia (Colonel Mercer) gallantly dashing into the western part of the town and driving back the advanced posts of the enemy. The Twenty-first North Carolina was exposed to a murderous fire from a regiment posted behind a stone wall. Both of its field officers were wounded and a large number of privates killed and wounded. They were forced back, retiring in good order and ready to renew the fight. Colonel Mercer, of the Twenty-first Georgia, drove out this Federal regiment and joined the rest of the brigade in the subsequent movements. The Maryland regiment, under Colonel Bradley T. Johnson, had been sent into the suburbs on the left, where it remained. As soon as the balance of my command (the Fifteenth Alabama, under Colonel Cantey, and the Sixteenth Mississippi, under Colonel Posey) came on the field I joined them to the Twenty-first Georgia, and, the mist then admitting a better view, I adopted the suggestion of Brigadier-General Trimble and marched them to the right. This movement was immediately followed by a retrograde on of the enemy, soon converted into a flight, as the attack, conducted by General Jackson in person on the south side of the town, was driving them on. The affair was over between 8 and 9 o'clock.

Captain Courtney having been detached on duty connected with his battery, Lieutenant J. W. Latimer was in command of Courtney's battery and was exposed during the whole affair to a heavy cannonade. This young officer was conspicuous for the coolness, judgment, and skill with


Page 779 Chapter XXIV. OPERATIONS IN SHENANDOAH VALLEY.