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

Page 260 OPERATIONS IN N. VA. W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV.

the hands of a member of Company K, but was afterward given up to an officer of a New York regiment in the Nineteenth Corps who claimed to have the first to it.

I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

O. H. BINKLEY,

Lieutenant-Colonel 110th Ohio Volunteers, Comdg. Regiment.

Captain J. J. BRADSHAW,

Act. Asst. Adjt. General, 2nd Brigadier, 3rd Div., 6th Army Corps.


No. 67. Report of Colonel William H. Ball, One hundred and twenty-second Ohio Infantry, of operations September 19-22.


HEADQUARTERS 122ND OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Harrisonburg, Va., September 27, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by my regiment in the late engagements at the Opequon and at Fisher's Hill, the 19th and 22nd instant:

The One hundred and twenty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry marched from Clifton at 2 o'clock the morning of the 19th and formed in the second line, two miles and a half west of the Opequon, near the Berryville road, the One hundred and tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry on my right, the Ninth New York Heavy Artillery on my left. At noon the regiment, with the brigade, advanced upon the enemy, with the guide to the left. While advancing through the open woods our lines were shelled with great accuracy by two rebel batteries occupying positions to our left. In passing through the woods the One hundred and tenth Ohio became detached, leaving my regiment the right of the rear line of the brigade. A few moments after we came upon the open field in front, the rebel line broke, and both infantry and artillery were in full and speedy retreat toward Winchester. My regiment, in common with those in front and on my left, pressed after the retreating line. The troops on my right were checked and driven back by the enemy, posted in a wood hill near my right. We moved on, passed that wood, crossed a deep ravine to a corn-field, where, there being no connection on my right, I posted fifty men to guard my flank; then I moved on, until finding a space of 600 yards unoccupied on my right, I halted the two regiments, and the rebels, shortly after, making some demonstrations at a third piece of woods, I charged front, by throwing back my right, so as to correspond with he rebel position. We had occupied this position but a short time, when a column of troops, partly concealed by intervening corn, moved up from the rebel left bearing the U. S. flag, and took position at the skirt of the woods in front of my line. Immediately quick firing opened from that line, the discharges being apparently toward the rebel rear. NO bullets came toward us, and no their troops were in front of that line. I immediately ordered the troops with me to advance to support that line, having no doubt it was composed of Federal troops closely engaged with the enemy. On advancing some fifty paces we received an active fire from that direction, but supposing it to be the fire of the enemy from beyond we continued to advance until I discovered the fire was directly from that line. Apprehending that a force was moving down the ravine to our right and rear, and that the


Page 260 OPERATIONS IN N. VA. W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV.