Battle of Fisher's Hill--Pursuit of Early--Devastation of the
Shenandoah Valley (1864)--Cavalry Battle at Tom's Brook, and Minor
Events
We left Sheridan's victorious army south of Winchester, five miles
from the battle-field. It had only such opportunity for rest as
can be obtained on the night succeeding a long day's battle. Some
of the officers and soldiers returned to the scene of the conflict
through the gloom of night, to minister to the wounded and to find
and identify the bodies of dead friends. It was, however, the duty
of the surgeons, hospital attendants, ambulance corps, and stretcher-
bearers to care for the wounded; and the dead of both armies could
be buried later. The bodies of some of the dead of the successful
army are always sent home for interment. Chaplains are often
instrumental in doing the latter. Rations, forage, and ammunition
had now to be brought up and distributed. No matter how well
soldiers have been supplied, they generally come out of a great
battle with little.
Early's army bivouacked at Newtown, and at 3 A.M. of the 20th of
September continued its retreat to Fisher's Hill, about two miles
south of Strasburg. Early placed his army in a strong defensive
position on this hill, which is an abrupt bluff with a precipitous
rocky face, and immediately south of Tumbling Run. His right rested
on the Shenandoah River, and his left extended to the narrow Cedar
Creek Valley at the foot of Little North Mountain. This naturally
strong position was well fortified and impregnable against front
attack.
Sheridan's army moved at day-dawn of the 20th in pursuit, Emory in
the advance. Wright and Emory occupied the heights around Strasburg
on the evening of that day, and Crook's corps was moved to their
right and rear, north of Cedar Creek, where it was concealed in
the dense timber. Sheridan determined to use Crook to turn the
enemy's left, if possible. The Nineteenth and Sixth Corps during
the night of the 20th took position in the order named, from left
to right, in front of Fisher's Hill. This was not accomplished
without some fierce conflicts, brought on in dislodging the enemy
from strongly fortified heights which he held in advance of his
main line. A portion of my brigade was engaged in these preliminary
movements all the night.( 1) The Third--Ricketts' division--was
again on the right of the Sixth Corps and of the army as formed on
the 21st. Near the close of the day I was informed by a staff
officer of General Ricketts that my command was to be held in
reserve behind the right, and that I was not likely to be engaged
in the coming battle if the plan of the commanding general was
carried out. I was directed to get my regiments into as comfortable
a situation as possible for rest, and hence selected a good place
to bivouac, and was employed in riding through the troops and
telling the officers of the prospect of freedom from severe work
the coming day when a brisk engagement broke out in my immediate
front. A portion of the Second Division of the Sixth Corps was
repulsed in an attempt, just at nightfall, to carry a fortified
hill in front of our right, which Sheridan and Wright had suddenly
decided must be taken for the security of our army.( 2) Wright,
seeing my command near at hand, ordered Ricketts to send to me for
a regiment to reinforce the repulsed troops. I sent the 126th Ohio
under Captain George W. Hoge, and it soon became seriously imperilled
in a renewed attack. Discovering this, I followed it with the 6th
Maryland under Major C. K. Prentiss, and, uniting the two with
other troops, charged the heights just at dark and carried them.
My two regiments occupied them for the night.( 3)
Sheridan, on the 21st, ordered Torbert with Merritt and Wilson's
cavalry divisions (save Devin's brigade) to the Luray Valley, with
instructions to drive out any force of the enemy he might encounter,
and, if possible, cross over from that Valley to New Market, and
intercept Early's retreat, should the latter be defeated in the
impending battle. Averell's cavalry division was on the Back or
Cedar Creek road, well advanced.
The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps held their positions of the previous
evening, and threatened the enemy in front. Part of my brigade
was continued on the advance line during the forenoon of the 22d,
the remainder in reserve. The real attack was to be made by Crook,
but this rendered it desirable to conceal his movements and deceive
the vigilant enemy. While Crook remained in hiding in the timber,
Sheridan decided to demonstrate against Early's left centre in such
way as to lead him to expect a formidable assault there. Accordingly
the whole of Ricketts' division with Averell's cavalry was, about
12 M., rather defiantly displayed and moved conspicuously to our
right, and close upon the enemy's front. My position in partial
reserve made my command the most available for this movement. I
was therefore ordered to take the advance, followed by Colonel
Emerson with the First Brigade. The movement was made in full
sight of the enemy and under the fire of his guns. We gained,
after some fighting, a ridge that extended near to Tumbling Run on
the north of the enemy's fortifications. The enemy fought hard to
hold possession of this ridge as a protection to his left and as
a good lookout. Under Ricketts' orders I continued by repeated
charges to push the enemy along this ridge for about three quarters
of a mile until he was forced to abandon it, cross the Run, and
take refuge within his works. Under such cover as we could get my
men were now held within easy musket shot of the enemy. During
this movement our guns in the rear tried to aid us, but it was hard
to tell which we suffered from the most--our own shells or the
enemy's fire. Averell's cavalry pushed back the enemy's skirmishers
still farther to our right.
The enemy, from his signal station of Three-Top Mountain, took the
movements of Ricketts and Averell to be a preparation for a real
attack, designed to fall upon the front of Ramseur's division, and
he prepared to meet it. While these operations were taking place,
Crook moved his infantry under cover of the thick timber along the
face of Little North Mountain, and by 4 P.M. reached a position
with his two divisions full on Early's left flank. Crook at once
crossed the narrow Valley and bore down on the enemy's extreme
left, which at once gave way. Ramseur, in my front, had been
attentively watching Ricketts, and now seeing the danger from Crook,
commenced drawing his troops out of his breastworks and changing
front to his left. I was near enough to discover this movement,
and, to prevent its consummation, I ordered an immediate charge,
which was executed on a run. Ramseur, discovering the new and
seemingly more imminent danger, tried to reoccupy his works, but,
simultaneously, Crook charged, and Ramseur's troops, caught in the
mist of his movement, fell into confusion, became panic-stricken,
and fled through the timber or were captured. This spread a panic
to Early's entire army. The troops of my command did not halt to
fire in the charge, but crossed the Run and struggled up the
precipitous banks and over the breastworks, suffering little loss,
and were soon in possession of eight of the enemy's guns and some
prisoners. They met inside of the enemy's fortifications and
commingled with Crook's men. When the charge was well under way,
Colonel George A. (Sandy) Forsyth ( 4) of Sheridan's staff reached
me on the gallop. He was the bearer of orders, but did not deliver
them. He only exclaimed: "You are all right; you need no orders."
He, later, explained that Sheridan had sent him to direct me to
assault, if opportunity presented, in co-operation with Crook.
In passing on horseback around the right of the enemy's works to
gain an entrance, and while going up a steep hill in the timber,
I fell in with a mounted officer wearing a plain blouse and a slouch
hat, but with no insignia of rank. We continued together for a
short time, he inquiring of the progress of the battle as I had
observed it. I asked him if he knew what General Crook was doing.
He modestly laughed, and said Crook was just then engaged with me
in gaining an entrance to the enemy's fortifications, and that he
supposed his command was pursuing Early. Here began an acquaintance
with the hero of this battle, that ripened into a friendship which
ended only with his death.
Early could not rally his troops to a stand, and all his guns in
position behind his works fell into our hands. Night only saved
him and his demoralized army from capture. The other divisions of
the Sixth and the Nineteenth Corps came up promptly, but the battle
was over with the assault.
Captain Jed. Hotchkiss, of the Topographical Engineers serving in
Early's army, describes the operations in his journal of the 22d,
thus:
"The enemy at 1 P.M. advanced several lines of battle in front of
Ramseur, but did not come far, and only drove in our skirmish line.
At 4.30 P.M. they drove in the skirmishers in front of Gordon and
opened a lively artillery duel. At the same time a flanking force
that had come on our left, near the North Mountain, advanced and
drove away the cavalry and moved on the left flank of our infantry
--rather beyond it. The brigade there (Battle's) was ordered to
move to the left, and the whole line was ordered to extend that
way, moving along the line of the breastworks. But the enemy
attacking just then (5.30 P.M.) the second brigade from the left,
instead of marching by the line of works, was marched across an
angle by its commander. The enemy seeing this movement rushed over
the works, and the brigade fled in confusion, thus letting the
enemy into the rear of Early's division, as well as of Gordon's
and the rest of Rodes'; our whole line gave way towards the right,
offering little or no resistance, and the enemy came on and occupied
our line. General Early and staff were near by, and I with others
went after Wharton (to the right), but it was too late."
At 4 A.M. next morning Early dispatched Lee:
"Late yesterday the enemy attacked my position at Fisher's Hill
and succeeded in driving back the left of my line, which was defended
by the cavalry, and throwing a force in the rear of the left of my
infantry, when the whole of the troops gave way in a panic and
could not be rallied. This resulted in the loss of twelve pieces
of artillery, though my loss in men is not large."( 5)
He, later, reported his killed and wounded at Fisher's Hill at
240, missing 995; total, 1235.( 6) Many of his missing were
doubtless killed or wounded.
The Union killed and wounded were:( 7)
Killed. Wounded. Aggregate.
Sixth Army Corps 27 208 235
Nineteenth Army Corps 15 86 101
Army of W. Va. (Crook) 8 152 160
Cavalry 2 11 13
--- --- ---
Totals 52 457 509
The killed and wounded in my brigade were 80, exactly one half the
casualties in Crook's command, and above one third in the Sixth
Corps.
The victory of Fisher's Hill, though comparatively bloodless, was
one of the most complete of the war. But from the inability of
Torbert to drive Fitz Lee's cavalry (then under Wickham in consequence
of Fitz Lee being wounded at Opequon) from the Luray Valley and to
gain a position in Early's rear, the latter's army would have been
destroyed. Torbert encountered Wickham in a narrow gorge and was
unable to dislodge him in time. Sheridan's infantry assembled on
the Valley pike south of Fisher's Hill after dark, and continuing
the pursuit all night, capturing many stragglers and two more guns,
reached Woodstock twelve miles farther south at daybreak. Averell
was ordered to push forward up the Cedar Creek road and debouch at
Woodstock in rear of the retreating foe. This, for some reason,
he did not do, but soon after dark went into camp and awaited
daylight. He reached Woodstock after the infantry corps, too late
to cut off or assail the enemy. For this and some other alleged
delinquencies Sheridan relieved him from command of his division,
and assigned Colonel William H. Powell to succeed him.
Early collected his broken forces and essayed to make a stand at
Rude's Hill, east of the Shenandoah and south of Mount Jackson.
As our troops advanced to attack him, however, he withdrew rapidly
in the direction of Staunton. After passing New Market he took a
road leading to Brown's Gap, where he was joined by his cavalry
from the Luray Valley and Kershaw's division and Cutshaw's artillery,
which had left him at Stephenson's Depot on the 15th.
Not until the 25th did Torbert with his cavalry reach Sheridan at
New Market. Some of Sheridan's infantry advanced as far as Mount
Crawford and Lacey Springs, while the main body of the cavalry
pushed to Staunton and Waynesboro.
An incident occurred on the evening of the 3d of October that had
something to do with the severity of the orders relating to the
destruction of property in the Shenandoah valley. Lieutenant John
R. Meigs, Sheridan's engineer officer, while returning from a
topographical survey of the country near Dayton, accompanied by
two assistants, fell in with three men in our uniform, and rode
with them towards Sheridan's headquarters. Suddenly these men
turned on Lieutenant Meigs and, though demanding his surrender,
shot and killed him. One of his assistants was captured and one
escaped and reported the event. Sheridan was much enraged, as the
killing of the Lieutenant was little less than murder, occurring,
as it did, within our lines. The three men were probably disguised
Confederates operating near their homes. Sheridan ordered Custer,
who had succeeded to the command of Wilson's cavalry division, to
burn all houses within an area of five miles within the spot where
Meigs was killed. The next morning Custer proceeded to execute
this order. The designated area included the village of Dayton.
When a few houses had been burned the order was suspended, and
Custer was required instead to bring in all able-bodied men as
prisoners.( 8)
General T. W. Rosser, with a cavalry brigade from Richmond, joined
Early on the 5th of October, and the latter's army, being otherwise
much strengthened, soon began again to show signs of activity.
As the Sixth Corps was expected to rejoin the Army of the Potomac
in front of Petersburg, Sheridan decided to withdraw at least as
far as Strasburg, and he determined also to lay waste the Valley,
as it was a great magazine of supplies for the Confederate armies.
He commenced to move on the 6th, the infantry taking the advance.
The cavalry had begun the work of destruction at Waynesboro and
Staunton. It usually remained quiet during the day, then at night,
while moving, set fire to all grain stacks, barns, and mills, thus
leaving behind it nothing but a waste. The fires lit up the Valley
and the mountain sides, producing a picture of resplendent grandeur
seldom witnessed. The flames lighted up the fertile Valley, casting
a hideous glare, commingled with clouds of smoke, over the foot-
hills and to the summits of the great mountain ranges on each side
of the doomed Valley. The occasional discharge of artillery helped
to make the panorama sublime. Fire and sword here literally combined
in the real work of war. Of the necessity or wisdom of this
destruction of property there may be doubts, yet the war had then
progressed to an acute stage. All possible means to hasten its
termination seemed justifiable. Chambersburg, Pa., had been wantonly
burned July 30, 1864. It has been charged that Sheridan declared
that he would so completely destroy everything in the Valley that
a "crow would have to carry a haversack when he flew over it."
The Confederates, with Rosser, their new cavalry leader, pursued
and daily assaulted Sheridan's rear-guard. This continued until
the evening of the 8th. Rosser's apparent success was heralded in
an exaggerated way at Richmond. He was bulletined there as the
"Savior of the Valley." He had recently before his advent in the
Valley won reputation in a raid on which he had captured and driven
off some cattle belonging to Grant's army. Torbert was ordered by
Sheridan, on the night of the 8th, to whip Rosser the next morning
or get whipped.
The infantry of the army was halted to await the issue of the
cavalry battle. Sheridan informed Torbert that he would witness
the fight from Round Top Mountain. Merritt's division was encamped
on the Valley pike at the foot of this mountain, just north of
Tom's Brook, and Custer's division about five miles farther north
and west near Tumbling Run. Custer during the night moved southward
by the Back road, which lay about three miles to the westward of
the pike. At early daylight, Rosser, believing our army was still
falling back, unexpectedly met and assailed Custer with three
cavalry brigades, and almost simultaneously Merritt, in turn,
assailed Lomax and Johnson's cavalry divisions on the valley pike.
Merritt extended his right and Custer his left until the two
divisions united, when, under Torbert, they charged upon and broke
Rosser's lines all along Tom's Brook. The battle lasted about two
hours, when Rosser's entire force fell into the wildest disorder,
and in falling back degenerated into a rout. Torbert ( 9) pursued
for twenty-five miles, capturing about three hundred prisoners,
eleven pieces of artillery with their caissons, and all Rosser's
wagons and ambulances, including his headquarters wagons with his
official papers. It was said that subsequent bulletins announcing
Rosser's anticipated victories for the day were found. Rosser's
fame as a soldier, earned by years of hard fighting, was lost at
Tom's Brook in two hours.
Disasters had now become so frequent to the Confederates in the
Valley that some wag at Richmond marked a fresh shipment of new
guns destined for Early's army: "_General Sheridan, care of Jubal
A. Early_."
Sheridan's army retired to the north of Cedar Creek. The Sixth
Corps, having orders to rejoin the Army of the Potomac, continued
its march eastward towards Front Royal, expecting to proceed to
Piedmont and there take cars for Alexandria. It abandoned that
route, however, on the 12th, and marched towards Ashby's Gap, with
a view of passing through it to Washington, and going thence, by
transports, to City Point.(10) When this corps was partly across
the Shenandoah near Millwood, on the 13th, an order came from
Sheridan for Wright to return with his corps to Cedar Creek. This
order was given in consequence of Early's return to Fisher's Hill.
The necessity of the Sixth Corps' action will soon be apparent.
It reached Cedar Creek and went into camp at noon of the 14th.
I recall the incident of a red fox starting to run through the
temporary bivouac of the corps at Millwood. The troops all turned
out, about 10,000, formed a ring around it, while a few horsemen
rode after it until it fell from fright and exhaustion. The officers
and men of an army always enjoyed incidents of this character.
There was, however, more serious diversion near at hand for these
bronzed soldiers.
( 1) _War Records_, vol. xliii., Part I., p. 152.
( 2) _Ibid_., p. 152.
( 3) _Ibid_., p. 223 (Ricketts' Report).
( 4) Forsyth, precisely four years later, while in command of
fifty picked scouts was surrounded on Beecher Island, on the
Arickaree fork of the Republican River, by about nine hundred
Indians, led by the celebrated chief, Roman Nose, and made the most
desperate fight known in the annals of our Indian wars. Lieutenant
Beecher, Surgeon Movers, and six of the scouts were killed and
twenty others severely wounded. Forsyth was himself struck in the
right thigh and his left leg was broken by rifle balls. He held
out eight days; meantime two of his scouts succeeded in eluding
the Indians, and, reaching Fort Wallace, 110 miles distant, returned
with a relieving party.--Custer's _Life on the Plains_, 88-98.
( 5) _War Records_, vol. xliii., Part I., p. 557.
( 6) _Ibid_., p. 556.
( 7) _Ibid_., p. 124.
( 8) _Memoirs of Sheridan_, vol. ii., pp. 50-2.
( 9) General A. T. A. Torbert distinguished himself on many fields
and survived the war. While making a voyage on the steamer _Vera
Cruz_ he was shipwrecked off the Florida coast, August 29, 1880.
He heroically aided others to escape death, and with almost superhuman
exertion kept himself afloat on a broken spar for twenty hours,
and thus reached shore, only to sink down and die from exhaustion.
(10) _Memoirs of Sheridan_, vol. ii., p. 59.