Today in History:

213 Series I Volume XLIII-I Serial 90 - Shenandoah Valley Campaign Part I

Page 213 Chapter LV. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY CAMPAIGN.

vals as we advanced toward Winchester. In all this maneuvering the battery before spoken of followed us up and went into position and opened fire as each successive crest was gained. After having nearly reached Winchester the enemy all disappeared in our proper front, and the whole brigade line was formed facing to what had been our flank, perpendicular to the Strasburg and Winchester pike, and a division of the Nineteenth Corps came up and prolonged our line to the left. We were then again advanced about half a mile, but the enemy being in full retreat, and it growing dark, we were halted and bivouacked for the night. This was the close of the action before Winchester.

Herewith I send a nominal list of casualties in this engagement.*

On the 20th instant we pursued the enemy and came upon them in their intrenchments at Fisher's Hill, near Strasburg, when two regiments of this brigade, the Forty-ninth and Seventy-seventh New York Volunteers, were thrown forward as skirmishers and pickets, with their left resting on the Strasburg and Winchester pike, and the remainder of the brigade went into camp for the night. About 2 p.m. the next day the skirmish line was moved forward and prolonged to the right, and this brigade moved about one mile west of the Strasburg and Winchester pike, taking position on the right of the Second Brigade and on the left of the First Brigade, and at the same time deployed the One hundred and twenty-second New York Volunteers as skirmishers in our front, who, attempting to advance, found such a heavy line of the enemy in the front as to effectually resist their advancement. Shortly afterward a regiment of the Third Division charged through them, attempting to dislodge the enemy, but were repulsed, and they fell back through our lines. Just at dark the First Brigade of this division charged the enemy at this point and drove them from their position when we took position in the woods on their left in two lines, which we intrenched during the night. The One hundred and twenty-second New York were withdrawn and two companies of the Seventh Maine were advanced as skirmishers. In this position we remained until about 4 p.m. of the 22nd instant, when we were ordered to advance and take possession of a crest immediately in front of the enemy's position, guiding on the First Division, on our left. We moved forward to the crest designated and halted. In executing this maneuver we were exposed to a heavy artillery fire, and the brigade on our right, being still more exposed than we, halted in an old rifle-pit about 100 yards in rear of our front line. In this position we remained from twenty minutes to half an hour, when reports having come that the left of the enemy had been turned, and they showing uneasiness on our right, we were ordered to charge their works in our front, which had been considered by them to be impregnable. At the command "forward," the brigade started considerably in advance of the First Division and the remainder of this division, and succeeded in planting simultaneously the colors of the One hundred and twenty-second and Forty-third New York Volunteers in an earth-work of the enemy, containing four guns, which were captured, together with about 150 prisoners. Some men of the Forty-third New York Volunteers and Sixty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers turned and fired two of the guns on the retreating enemy, who fled in wild confusion, when the whole brigade started in pursuit. Arriving near the Winchester pike they found the enemy had one piece of artillery with a slight support, which they were about to open on us, when the Forty-third New York Volun-

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*Embodied in table, p. 113.

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Page 213 Chapter LV. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY CAMPAIGN.