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

Page 495 Chapter LV. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY CAMPAIGN.

Second Brigade and driven to the mountains, with the loss of his remaining artillery and many prisoners. Pursuit was continued on the various roads taken by the enemy until noon. Ten miles east of Moorefield, on the Wardensville turnpike, Major Work met a portion of their retreating force, estimated by him at 500 men, attacked them, capturing 35 prisoners and about 100 horses; the balance scattered through the woods and fled to the mountains. The number of killed and wounded of the enemy is unknown, but large. Three battle-flags were captured, with 4 pieces of artillery (all the enemy had), 420 prisoners, including 6 field and staff and 32 company officers, over 400 horses and equipments, and a number of small-arms. General Johnson was captured, with his colors and three of his staff, but, passing undistinguished among other prisoners, effected his escape. My loss is 9 killed and 32 wounded.

Major Conger and Captain [Lieutenant] Clark, Third West Virginia Cavalry, were killed while leading a charge. Captain Kerr, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, was severely wounded while penetrating the enemy's lines in a gallant effort to capture the rebel commander. Among the prisoners captured is Major Green, chief engineers upon the staff of General Ewell. The conduct of the officers and men of my division was, without exception, in the highest degree praiseworthy.

Especial praise in due to Major Thomas Gibson and Colonel William H. Powell, commanding brigades. The enemy having become so thoroughly dispersed and scattered, I deemed farther pursuit with my worn-down horses futile, and accordingly, after having my killed and wounded cared for, and such of the captured small-arms as I couls not bring away for want of transportation destroyed, I withdrew my command from Moorefield on the evening of the 7th, arriving here at 5 o'clock this p.m.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. W. AVERELL,

Brigadier-General.

Captain P. G. BIER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

BATH, N. Y., October 18, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Second Cavalry Division, Department of West Virginia, from the 7th of August, 1864, the date of the organization of the command of Major-General Sheridan, to the 23rd of September, the date on which I was relieved from duty with my division:

A brief summary of the previous operations of the division may not be out of place. The opening of the spring campaign found me at Martinsburg. On the 20th of April 2,000 of my division were on their way to Beverly to join an expedition under Major-General Ord. That enterprise, being abandoned, I proceeded with 1,000 men to Kanawha Valley; thence, having been joined by the Second and Third West Virginia Cavalry and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Mounted Infantry, over the mountains to the Tennessee railroad; fought a severe engagement May 10; destroyed the railroad from New River to LaFayette east of Christiansburg, and came back to Lewisburg; went across the Alleghanies to Staunton, joining the expedition of Major-General Hunter to Lynchburg, encountering the enemy in several severe engagements. After the failure of that campaign came back to Kanawha Valley, and


Page 495 Chapter LV. THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY CAMPAIGN.