|
DER COMMAND OF COLONEL SCHALL, OF THE EIGHTY-SEVENTH. THIS RECONNAISSANCE WAS CONDUCTED WITH ENERGY, IN PURSUANCE OF INSTRUCTIONS, AND ITS RESULTS WERE IN EVERY WAY SATISFACTORY. THE EXPEDITION PROCEEDED UP THE VALLEY, THE CAVALRY IN ADVANCE, BUT WITHIN SUPPORTING DISTANCE OF THE INFANTRY, AND ARTILLERY, UNTIL IT HAD ARRIVED WITHIN TWO MILES OF MIDDLETOWN, AT WHICH PLACE A MESSENGER FROM MAJOR KERWIN, WHO WAS IN COMMAND OF THE CAVALRY, ANNOUNCED TO COLONEL SCHALL THAT A SUPERIOR FORCE OF CAVALRY OF THE ENEMY HAD BEEN DISCOVERED IN LINE OF BATTLE, IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF MIDDLETOWN. THE INFANTRY AND ARTILLERY WERE IMMEDIATELY CONCEALED, THE FORMER IN A DENSE GROVE TO THE RIGHT, AND WITHIN ONE HUNDRED YARDS OF THE ROAD, AND THE LATTER BEHIND A RIDGE. OUR CAVALRY RETIRED, SKIRMISHING WITH THE ENEMY, UNTIL HE WAS DRAWN WITHIN REACH OF THE FIR OF THE INFANTRY. UPON THE FIRST FIRE OF OUR INFANTRY, THE ENEMY RETREATED PRECIPITATELY, FOLLOWED BY OUR CAVALRY, WHICH PURSUED BEYOND MIDDLETOWN," IN THIS GALLANT AFFAIR, WHICH OPENED THE BATTLE OF WINCHESTER, AND GAVE MILROY HIS FIRST DEFINITE KNOWLEDGE THAT A HEAVY WAS IN HIS FRONT, THE ENEMY LOST EIGHT KILLED, TEN WOUNDED, THIRTY-SEVEN PRISONERS, THIRTY HORSES AND EQUIPMENT'S, AND A LARGE NUMBER OF SMALL ARMS. THE REGIMENT CHARGED WITH THE SABRE IN PURSUIT OF THE FLYING FOE, BUT FORTUNATELY LOST BUT ONE WOUNDED IN THE ENTIRE ENGAGEMENT. IT WAS ACTIVELY ENGAGED DURING THE TWO FOLLOWING DAYS, AND IN THE EVACUATION AND RETREAT ON THE 15TH, COVERED THE REAR OF THE RETIRING COLUMN. IT ARRIVED AT HARPER'S FERRY WITH GENERAL MILROY, AT NOON OF THAT DAY. THE REGIMENT ENTERED THE ENGAGEMENT WITH AN AGGREGATE, RANK IN FILE, OF SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY-THREE. THE FIELD RETURN MADE AT HARPER'S FERRY ON THE 16TH, SHOWED BUT THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE, A LOSS DURING THE FOUR DAYS OF THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO, KILLED, WOUNDED, AND MISSING."
3RD BRIGADE, 2ND DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, FROM JULY 1863 TO AUGUST, 1863.
FROM BATES " THE REGIMENT REMAINED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF HARPER'S FERRY UNTIL ITS EVACUATION BY GENERAL FRENCH, ON THE 30TH OF JUNE, WHEN IT MOVED TO FREDERICK, MARYLAND, AND ON THE 8TH OF JULY TO BOONESBORO, WHERE IT JOINED THE CAVALRY OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, ON ITS WAY FROM GETTYSBURG, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SECOND BRIGADE, COLONEL J. IRVIN GREGG, OF GENERAL D. MCM. GREGG'S DIVISION. AFTER THE RETURN OF THE ARMY INTO VIRGINIA, THE REGIMENT WAS ENCAMPED FOR SOME TIME AT AMISSVILLE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY AT JEFFERSON. WHILE AT THE LATTER PLACE, COLONEL GALLIGHER WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED, ON ACCOUNT OF INJURIES RECEIVED BY THE FALL OF HIS HORSE WHILE ON DUTY IN THE VALLEY, AND WAS SUCCEED IN COMMAND BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL MALLERY, AND SHORTLY AFTERWARD BY MAJOR KERWIN, WHO WAS PROMOTED TO COLONEL, MAJOR DEWEES, TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL, AND GEORGE MCCABE TO MAJOR. IN THE CAVALRY ENGAGEMENT AT CULPEPPER, ON THE 11TH OF SEPTEMBER, THE REGIMENT PARTICIPATED, AFTER WHICH IT WAS DETACHED FOR DUTY AT CATLETT'S STATION, RE-JOINING THE BRIGADE AT CULPEPPER, ON THE 10TH OF OCTOBER. WHILE HERE, AN ADDITIONAL COMPANY, RECRUITED IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY, UNDER CAPTAIN H. H. GREGG, JOINED IT.
WHILE THE ARMY WAS LYING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF CULPEPPER, THE REBEL LEADER SOUGHT BY A SUDDEN MOVEMENT TO THE RIGHT, TO COME IN UPON ITS FLANK AND REAR. THIS
|
|