Today in History:

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

Page 420 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV.

before he moved the guns, and failed to assist the cannoneers in getting them down, though asked to do so. Meantime the drivers of the battery and train at the foot of the hill, with horses unhitched and unharnessed and tied to the picket-rope at the moment of the attack, stood manfully to their posts, with but few exceptions, and with the utmost steadiness and gallantry harnessed and hitched up their teams under a heavy fire. When the guns arrived at the caissons in the ravine the entrenchments on the heights above to the front and left, not 150 yards distant, were occupied by the enemy, who also held the second parallel ridge directly in rear, thus surrounding them on three sides. In this position they fortunately halted for a few minutes, evidently to reform their lines. It was now just daylight, but a heavy mist prevented their seeing the prize in their very grasp, and they contented themselves while reforming on the heights above with pouring a heavy musketry and artillery fire in the ravine, most of which passed over. A number of horses were however, shot. Profiting by this fortunate circumstance the train of seven wagons and ambulances, the forage and battery wagon, moved out on the left and reached the pike. Lieutenant Brewenton at the same time had the caissons unlimbered and livered up to the pieces, all of which he succeeded in getting off the hill and delayed by a gully in getting it to the caissons was unavoidably abandoned. The limber belonging to its caisson was, however, brought off safely. Here Lieutenant Brewerton, who was at the rear of the column with one non-commissioned officer and several privates, were taken prisoners by the enemy. At the same time Second Lieutenant Samuel D. Southworth, Second U. S. Artillery, the only other officer on duty with the battery except Lieutenant Brewerton, was killed. In him the service lost a brave, intelligent, and faithful officer. The column, now much scattered, moved rapidly up the pike, under a heavy fire, beyond Middletwon, some of the carriages narrowly escaping capture near Middletown by the enemy's cavalry, who succeeded in picking up one of the drivers of the captured limbers with his team. At a distance of nearly a mile from the cap the battery wagon, then passing the left of the Nineteenth Corps, was lost, three of the six horses being killed and the driver wounded. The infantry falling back nothing could be done but to bring off the remaining three horses. The battery (five pieces) was now joined by Second Lieutenant Charles Holman and B. F Nash, Fifth U. S. Artillery, the latter having just arrived from Winchester on his return from detached service, and was moved back to the front by my order and put in position on the left of the pike, where it fired with good effect upon the enemy's artillery. The enemy falling back, and the supply of ammunition in the libbers becoming scant, I directed it all the be placed in those of two pieces which I sent forward and placed in position in position to the left of the pike about half a mile to the front, firing with marked effect at the enemy, who were posted at a point of woods near Middletown. The three other pieces were sent back to the ammunition train to fill their limberchests. The enemy being again forced back, and the other pieces having returned, the battery moved forward at a trot up the pike through Middletwon, and when within half a mile from Cedar Creek took the gallop and went in position on the heights above the stream to the right of the pike,m and at once opened with great precision upon the enemy's column, the rear of which was not more than 600 yards distant, and which was in full view for a mile beyond. The firing was kept up till dark with the most effect.


Page 420 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter LV.