Today in History:

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

Page 281 Chapter LV. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY CAMPAIGN.

Regiments, of the First Division, then under command of Colonel Davis, One hundred and fifty-third New York, which request he complied with. The regiments named I then moved by the left flank to re-enforce the open space in my center, preparatory to a second advance. The moment that the battery on my right ceased to enfilade my line, I was aware that General Crook was attacking, and I ordered the Second Brigade of the First Division, with the regiment of the First Brigade, First Division, above mentioned, to move forward and attack, and it proved, as I supposed, coincident with our attack on the right. Nothing could have been more opportune than the attack of General Crook's force, as it was just at the moment that the enemy had been repulsed from his assaults on my line. Subsequently the general commanding directed me to move forward my whole line. The enemy broke and fled and this may be considered, as far as the Nineteenth Army Corps is concerned,t he end of the battle, except the service of the artillery mentioned hereafter. I was ordered to transfer the whole of my force to the left of the Sixth Corps and report to General Wright to move forward in pursuit. This was late in the evening, and at dark we went, by order, into bivouac, on the left of the Sixth Corps, for the night.

I think it due to Birge's and Sharpe's brigades, which made such a spirited attack in the early part of the day, to say that my orders were to keep closed on the right of the Sixth Corps, but it was evident on nearing the enemy that their line of battle was oblique to ours and completely enveloped my right wing, also causing an interval between my left and the troops on my left. Hence I was obliged, at the moment of apparent success, to use the whole of my First Division, which was intended as a reserve to follow up any advantage I might gain, to confront and hold in check the enemy's left wing and to cover the interval in my center.

I send you herewith the reports of Brigadier-General Grover and those of the brigade commanders under him; also those of Brigadier-General Dwight, commanding First Division, and the brigade commanders under him. From these you will see more in detail the operations of the day and the gallant manner in which the enemy was attacked and repulsed by the officers and men of the Nineteenth Army Corps, which, from its position, was brought in contact with the enemy's line in advance of the co-operating troops. These subordinate reports may also supply you with a more just list of those who have distinguished themselves than that which I sent under orders of September 26, 1864.

I have already forwarded my list of casualties for that day-1,940 killed and wounded.* I also lost in the first charge one officer and some men taken prisoners. I have no means of knowing the number of the enemy we disabled or the number of prisoners taken, as our march was continuous until we got beyond the battle-field, but the general commanding the army, who was himself in the advance, noticed the number of the enemy's slain that were in front of my line.

During the engagement we turned over many prisoners, amongst others three colonels-Colonel R. T. Bennett, Fourteenth North Carolina; Colonel I. T. [Thomas W.] Hooper, Twenty-first Georgia, and Lieutenant Colonel G. M. Edgar, Twenty-sixth Virginia [Battalion]-who were taken in the first charge by Sharpe's brigade.

The nature of the ground prevented as free use of artillery as I could have wished. A section of Bradbury's (First Maine) battery and a section of Lieutenant Chase's battery (D, First Rhode Island Artillery)

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*But see revised table, p. 114.

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Page 281 Chapter LV. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY CAMPAIGN.