154 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



'1 



a.) 



follows: 6th corps, about 12,000; 19th corps 

 (two divisions), 9,000 ; Crook's corps, 12,000 ; 

 cavalry (three divisions), 10,000; artillery, about 

 2,000; total, 45,000, and 20 or 22 batteries, 6 

 guus each. 



That of the enemy was known to consist of 

 Gens. Early and Breckinridge's corps, amounting 

 to about 20,000 men, exclusive of cavalry and 

 'artillery, which was estimated at 10,000 more. 

 The artillery consisted of 14 batteries of 6 guns 

 each. 



On Sept. 22d Gen. Sheridan attacked the ene- 

 my's position at Fisher's Hill, and by forcing 

 back the left of his line and throwing a force in 

 his rear, compelled him to abandon it. He thus 

 described and reported his success : 



HEADQ'KS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, 

 Sis MILES PROM WOODSTOCK, 



11.80 P. M. September 22d. 



J^eut.- General Grant : 



I have the honor to report that I achieved a most 

 signal victory over the army of General Early at 

 Fisher's Hill to-day. I found the rebel army posted 

 with its right resting on the north fork of the Shenan- 

 doah, and extending across the Strasburg valley 

 westward to North Mountain, occupying a position 

 which appeared almost impregnable. 



After a great deal of manoeuvring during the day, 

 General Crook's command was transferred to the 

 extreme right of the line on North Mountain, and he 

 furiously attacked the left of the enemy's line, car- 

 rying every thing before him. While General Crook 

 was driving the enemy in the greatest confusion, and 

 sweeping down behind their breastworks, the Sixth 

 and Nineteenth army corps attacked the works in 

 front, and the whole rebel army appeared to be 

 broken up. They fled in the utmost confusion. Six- 

 teen pieces of artillery were captured, also a great 

 many caissons, artillery horses, &c., &c. 



I am to-night pushing down the valley. I cannot 

 say how many prisoners I have captured, nor do I 

 know either my own or the enemy's casualties. Only 

 darkness has saved the whole of Early's army from 

 total destruction. My attack could not be made 

 until 4 o'clock in the evening, which left but little 

 daylight to operate in. 



The 1st and 3d cavalry divisions went down the 

 Luray Valley to-day, and if they push on vigorously 

 to the main valley, the result of this day's engage- 

 ment will be still more signal. The victory was very 

 complete. 



(Signed,) P. H. SHERIDAN, Maj.-Gen. Com. 



The number of prisoners taken was eleven 

 hundred. The pursuit was made and continued 

 to Staunton, which Gen. Sheridan occupied 

 with his cavalry and inflicted much damage 

 upon the enemy. He then leisurely and de- 

 structively fell back toward Strasburg. The 

 losses of the enemy in these battles in killed, 

 wounded, and missing was estimated at nearly 

 ten thousand men. The losses of Gen. Sheridan 

 were also severe. 



On the night of the 27th Gen. Averill met 

 with a repulse near Brown's Gap, and on the 

 following day fell back six miles. He lost some 

 twelve men. "While Gen. Sheridan was at 

 Staunton all public property was destroyed, in- 

 cluding the railroad and factories. His cavalry 

 then proceeded to Waynesboro for the purpose 

 of destroying the iron railroad bridge and all 

 the barns and mills in that section of country. 

 The force of Gen. Early, in the mean time, had 



retreated through Brown's Gap with their 

 wagon trains, but on learning of the operations 

 of the Federal cavalry, Kershaw's division of 

 infantry and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry were or- 

 dered to march in their rear and cut off the 

 command of Gen. Torbert at Waynesboro. 

 The latter, however, marched all night by way 

 of Staunton and escaped. 



Gen. Sheridan thus reported his march back 

 to Woodstock : 



WOODSTOCK, VA., Oct. 7, P. M. 



To Gen. TT. S. Grant : 



I have the honor to report my command at this 

 point to night. I commenced moving back from 

 Port Republic, Mount Crawford, Bridgewater, and 

 Harrisonburg yesterday morning. The grain and 

 forage in advance of these points had previously 

 beec destroyed in coming back to this point. 



The whole country, from the Blue Ridge to the 

 North Mountain, has been made untenable for a rebel 

 army. I have destroyed over 2,000 barns filled with 

 wheat, hay, and farming implements, over TO mills 

 filled with wheat and flour ; four herds of cattle have 

 been driven before the army, and not less than 3,000 

 sheep have been killed and issued to the troops. 



This destruction embraces the Luray and Little 

 Fork Valleys as well as the main valley. A large 

 number of horses have been obtained, a proper esti- 

 mate of which I cannot now make. 



Lieut. John R. Meigs, my engineer officer, was 

 murdered beyond Harrisonburg near Dayton. For 

 this atrocious act all houses within an area of five 

 miles were burned. Since I came into this valley 

 from Harper's Ferry, up to Harrisonburg, every train, 

 small party, and every straggler has been bush- 

 whacked by people, many of whom have protection 

 papers from commanders who have been hitherto in 

 that valley. 



The people here are getting sick of the war ; here- 

 tofore they have had no reason to complain, because 

 they have been living in great abundance. 



I have not been followed by the enemy up to this 

 point, with the exception of a small force of rebel 

 cavalry that showed themselves some distance be- 

 hind my rear guard. To-day a party of 100 of_ the 

 8th Va. cavalry, which I had stationed at the bridge 

 over the North Shenandoah near Mount Jackson, 

 was attacked by McNeil with seventeen men while 

 they were asleep, and the whole party dispersed or 

 captured. I think they wiU all turn up. I learn 

 that 56 of them had reached Winchester. McNeil 

 was mortally wounded and fell into our hands. This 

 was most fortunate, as he was the most daring and 

 dangerous of all bushwhackers in this section of 

 the country. 



(Signed) P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-Gen. 



A correspondent, who was present with the 

 army, thus describes the scenes of this march : 



The atmosphere, from horizon to horizon, has 

 been black with the smoke of a hundred conflagra- 

 tions, and at night a gleam, brighter and more lurid 

 than sunset, has shot from every verge. The orders 

 have been to destroy all forage in stacks and barns, 

 and to drive the stock before for the subsistence of 

 the army. The execution of these orders has been 

 thorough, and in some instances, where barns, near 

 dwelling houses, have been fired, has resulted in the 

 destruction of the latter. In no instance, except iu 

 that of the burning of dwellings within five miles, in 

 retaliation for the murder of Lieut Meigs, have 

 orders been issued for the burning of houses, or have 

 such orders been sanctioned by Gen. Sheridan. 

 Such wholesale incendiarism could not have been 

 pursued, however, without undue license being taken 

 by the worst class of soldiers, and there have been 

 frequent instances of rascality and pillage. Indis- 

 criminating (for with such swift work discrimina- 



