USA > Virginia > Highland County > Highland County > A history of Highland County, Virginia > Part 11
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Therefore the mass of the Highland people sided with the action of their state. But as elsewhere along the border line, there were some persons of undecided convictions. There were some others who could not bring themselves to uphold secession and either kept out of military service or went within the Federal lines. The former class supplied some deserters who passed from one army to the other.
George W. Hull, delegate to the convention of 1861, opposed secession until President Lincoln's call on Virginia for 2,700 vol-
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unteers to help put down the revolution in the cotton states brought matters to a crisis. He then, though reluctantly, support- ed the measure.
For the May term of court all the justices were summoned, and of the twenty the following were present : John Bird, Thomas L. Brown, Cornelius Colaw, Samuel C. Eagle, William W. Flem- ing, William Hevener, Josiah Hiner, Felix H. Hull, Henry C. Jones, Peter H. Kinkead, Franklin McNulty, John H. Pullin, Henry Seybert, Adam C. Stephenson, David Stephenson, Edward Steuart, and Zachariah Tomlinson.
In accordance with a recent act of assembly authorizing coun- ties and incorporated towns to issue bonds to provide a fund for arming their militia, the court authorized an issue of $6,500, and W. W. Fleming was directed to procure 14 tents and 224 uni- forms. The poll tax was fixed at $3.10, and a levy of 14 cents per $100 was ordered on land and personalty and further levy of 42 cents on every assessed slave above the age of twelve years, these taxes to be paid by the next February.
The Highland company was mustered into service at Monte -- rey, May 18. Its officers were Felix H. Hull, Captain, J. William Myers, First Lieutenant, Samuel A. Gilmor, Second Lieutenant, and Jesse Gilmor, Third Lieutenant. It marched the same day to join the army under Porterfield in its advance on Grafton. It was in the skirmish at Philippi and the small battles at Laurel Hill and Rich Mountains. The defeated army had to move down the Cheat to the Northwestern Turnpike, and follow that road into the South Branch Valley at Petersburg. Thence it marched up the river, reaching Monterey July 19. In this retreat the men suffered severely from bad weather and roads, hard marches, and a lack of equipment and provisions.
By this time reinforcements had reached Monterey. The Highland company being over 100 strong, it was divided.
All the men from the east of Highland were put into a sepa- rate company, styled B, with Robert H. Bradshaw, Captain, William R. Keister, First Lieutenant, Andrew S. T. Davis, Second Lieutenant, and Harrison H. Jones, Orderly Sergeant. At West View, in May of the following year, there was a reorganization,
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Bradshaw being reelected. W. R. Lyman, a cadet of the Virginia Military Institute who had acted as drillmaster and had volun- teered as a private, was now elected First Lieutenant. Jones was promoted to be Second Lieutenant, and William C. Kincaid became Third Lieutenant. After the death of Bradshaw at Port Republic, Lyman became Captain. He resigned in the early spring of 1864, and the company was thereafter commanded by its Lieu- tenants, Kincaid and Pullin.
The other company was designated as E. Its captain was S. A. Gilmor, later succeeded by J. C. Matheny. The lieutenants were J. S. Gilmor, A. F. Swadley, and David Bird. The two companies were attached to the 31st Regiment, Virginia Infantry.
General Robert E. Lee took command in this section, and while in Monterey his headquarters was in the old corner house opposite the Methodist Church. He advanced to the Greenbrier, whence, September 11th and 12th, he moved against General Rey- nolds, in position at Cheat Mountain and Elkwater. Finding the Federal position too strong he fell back after some skirmishing in which Colonel Washington was killed and some prisoners taken on each side. It is said that the orders of Lee were not properly followed. Soon afterward he returned to Richmond leaving six regiments and two batteries on the Greenbrier.
Against this force Reynolds advanced October 3d with seven regiments, numbering 5,000 men. The action which followed was mainly an artillery duel. The Federals lost 8 killed and 35 wounded. The Confederates lost 6 killed 29 wounded, and 13 prisoners. And yet each commander estimated the loss of the other at 300. Reynolds returned to his position. He called this affair a reconnoissance in force, while his opponent understood it as a positive effort to drive him out.
Portions of each army were sent elsewhere. Milroy of Indiana was left in command of the Federals, and Edward Johnson of Georgia was now in charge of the Confederates. Finding trans- portation to the Greenbrier too difficult, Johnson fell back up the Alleghany to a pass on the turnpike a mile west of the Highland boundary. Here he established a fortified camp and went into winter quarters. Possession of this important thoroughfare was of much interest to each party.
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Guided by deserters Milroy assailed Camp Alleghany at day- break, December 13th. His two columns of 900 men each failed to strike simultaneously, and were repulsed and driven back after a hot engagement of eight hours. Milroy's loss was 137, including 3 prisoners. Johnson's loss was 20 killed, 98 wounded, and 28 missing. The greater part of the missing returned to their com- mands. The Confederate force at this time consisted of the 25th, 31st, and 52d Virginia Infantry, Hansborough's Battalion, the 12th Georgia, and the batteries of Lee and Miller ; in all about 1,400 men. The respective regimental losses were 18, 37, 8, and 47 men. Hansborough's Battalion lost 28, the batteries 6, and the brigade staff 2, a grand total of 146. For his victory General Johnson received a vote of thanks from the Confederate Congress.
Four days after the battle the county clerk of Highland was ordered to remove his papers to a place of greater safety. About this time the court protested against the use of its jail as a mili- tary prison, and ordered the commandant at Monterey to remove therefrom a Federal soldier named Thomas Carr.
At the beginning of April the Army of the Northwest under Johnson consisted of 3,000 men and 12 guns. There were six regiments of infantry, the 12th Georgia, and the 25th, 31st, 44th, 52d, and 58th Virginia, and a small force of cavalry. The main army was at Camp Alleghany, but there were small commands at Franklin, Crabbottom, Monterey, and Huntersville.
General Fremont with 19,000 men began an advance up the valley of the South Branch, bad weather making his progress slow. His purpose was to unite with Milroy, and later with Cox, who was moving up the New River with 7,000 men. Then he was going to strike the railroad that ran from Lynchburg to Bristol, and push still onward to Knoxville, Tenn. In the lower Shenan- doah was General Banks with 20,000 more Federals.
Because of Fremont's advance Johnson abandoned his in- trenched camp on the Alleghany and fell back along the turnpike to the crest of Shenandoah Mountain. Milroy started in pursuit April 5th, marching in bad weather over an icy road, and reached Monterey the next day. Here he remained fourteen days, his men in much discomfort because of the inclement spring. On the
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12th there was a skirmish with Confederate cavalry. At the close of the month he advanced to McDowell and went into camp. He found difficulty in subsisting his force. Foraging parties scoured the valleys around, and one of these was waylaid near Williams- ville by the Bath cavalry under Lieut. Byrd. The train was captured and burned, and a few men were wounded. One of these, very badly injured, was cared for at Williamsville until he recovered, and some years later he revisited the people who had him in charge.
While Johnson was gone to confer with General Jackson, his second in command, fearing he would be cut off by Banks now at Harrisonburg, retreated April 20th, to West View, seven miles west of Staunton. This retrograde movement created a considera- ble panic in that town, and the sick and convalescents were sent on to Gordonsville. While at West View, there was some reorgan- ization in the army of the Northwest.
To Milroy the way to Staunton now looked clear. But on May 1st Fremont sent him word to hold where he stood, and there was no permission to move until the 7th. He then advanced three of his regiments to Shaw's Ridge and Shenandoah Mountain and established a picket post in the valley beyond. Fremont was still moving up the South Branch, his force being very much strung out.
Meanwhile Stonewall Jackson with his 6,000 men lay in a strategic position at the base of the Blue Ridge. By holding the southern entrance to the Luray Valley, and thus threatening the Federal communications, he checkmated the advance of Banks on Staunton. East of the Blue Ridge and within supporting distance was General Ewell with 8,000 more Confederates.
General Banks had been taken from civil life and was without experience in matters of war. He was also unenterprising and was quite unfitted to cope with a student of military science like Jackson. The latter had but 17,000 soldiers within reach; fewer men than were in either of the armies under Banks and Fremont. But to neutralize the Federal advantage in numbers, their leaders were under the direct control of the President and the Secretary of War, neither of whom had military training. Furthermore,
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though Banks and Fremont were moving in parallel routes, they were not under instructions to cooperate.
Jackson decided to call up Ewell and attack Banks. But it was first necessary to drive back Milroy, who when joined by Fremont would be threatening his rear by way of Staunton. If Jackson marched direct to Staunton to join Johnson, he would be moving across Bank's front and thus advertising his purpose. Banks could follow, his rear no longer being threatened. Leaving Ewell to occupy his camp, Jackson marched by a miry road to Port Republic, and then crossed the Blue Ridge to Mechum's River Depot. Here his infantry took train for Staunton, the artillery and baggage following by road. Arriving at Staunton he placed guards on every road leading toward Harrisonburg, and no person was allowed to pass. He thus joined Johnson without the knowl- edge of Banks.
Jackson began his advance against Milroy May 7th, the regi- ments under Johnson leading the way, and the Third, Second, and Stonewall brigades following in succession. The Cadet Corps from the Virginia Military Institute was attached to the expedi- tion. The entire army was stretched out for a distance of ten miles. The Federal picket near West Augusta was driven in, and a camp on the Shenandoah Mountain was captured. Having learned of the junction of the two Confederate armies, Milroy withdrew his advanced regiments to McDowell. From Shaw's Ridge the 9th Ohio Battery shelled without much effect the advancing column.
The morning of the 8th, the Confederate march was resumed. On the top of Bullpasture Mountain Johnson halted his brigade and rode forward with 30 men to reconnoiter from the top of Sitlington's hill. This was about eleven o'clock. Skirmishers were sent against the party on the height but were driven back.
Jackson designed his occupation of Sitlington hill as a mere feint to attract Milroy's attention. He had in mind a flank move- ment, so as to capture if possible the force in the valley. It would have been easy to shell the Federals from the hill, but this would only push them back a few miles without inflicting material damage. His artillery was therefore held back for the proposed turning movement.
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To attack in front was disadvantageous. The ground below Sitlington's hill is extremely broken and was generally wooded. There was little chance to deploy troops, and columns moving down the narrow hollows would have been much exposed to the Federal guns. The pike, running eastward from the bridge in a direct course for nearly a mile was commanded by the battery on the hill behind the Presbyterian Church. Jackson wished to save his men for the greater struggle with Banks.
But Milroy did not wait to be caught in a trap. The town could not be held against a battery on the heights. It could also be turned. A force striking the river above McDowell would shut off one line of retreat, and by extending itself behind the foothill range along Jack Mountain it could seige the narrow pass on Crab Run, and thus block the turnpike, the only other practicable road. Stonewall Jackson had not yet reached the zenith of his reputation, but he was known to be skilful and enterprising. Mil- roy made preparations for attack, so as to drive back his enemy if possible, or if this could not be accomplished to keep him busy until nightfall and thus gain time for an unobserved retreat. A lack of forage also interfered with holding his ground.
The contour of the battlefield is quite peculiar. The turnpike coming down a hollow from the main axis of Bullpasture Moun- tain meets Sitlington hill, a long wooded ridge running parallel with the axis and likewise with the river. The road makes a loop around the north end of the ridge before resuming its direct course to the bridge. Where the road begins its loop an open hollow leads to the top of the ridge and up this avenue the Con- federates marched to their positions. Southward from this point on the summit, an arm of the ridge diverges from it on the west side leaving a shallow basin between. The direction of this arm is toward the pike a little below the lower end of the loop. But at a distance of about 200 yards from the road the crest bends directly toward the bridge, steadily losing in elevation and throwing off lateral spurs like the lobes of an oak leaf. The first of these spurs bears directly toward the lower end of the loop, and here the depression between the two ridges deepens rapidly toward the road.
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The outer ridge and the first spur above mentioned form a very open V with a crest line about 500 feet above the river and nearly as high above the turnpike in its deep hollow. From the apex of the V the narrow continuation of the ridge toward the river falls about 50 feet within 100 yards. A pair of offsets now produces a less open V, its apex pointing toward that of the upper V. One arm of this lower V falls toward the turnpike, the other toward a very deep ravine which reaches from the river to the outer of the two ridges first mentioned. Except at the short con- necting ridge the lower V is separated from the upper by ravines.
The crest of the southward arm of the lower V is a narrow, curving line which constitutes a natural rampart with a top not over two yards broad. The ground falls away sharply enough to afford good cover on either side. The other arm of the lower V is more crooked and is less of a natural earthwork than the first. The upper V is still less a breastwork, the ground falling away too gently to afford full cover. The lower V, presented a firing line of 500 yards, and on either flank is a deep ravine the ground beyond the southward gorge being lower and open. The upper V was the Confederate line, the right flank touching the inner ridge and commanding the loop in the turnpike, while the left flank was refused toward the point of intersection of the two ridges. These ridges are of limestone formation and in the rear of the upper V is a small sinkhole. Then as now the higher ground was mainly open, the deep hollows being filled with trees and brushwood.
Milroy's own brigade was 3,500 strong. At ten o'clock in the morning he was joined by General Schenck, who in 23 hours had marched from Franklin, a distance of 32 miles. Leaving his bag- gage under guard at Forks of Waters, he reached McDowell with 1,600 men. As senior officer he took command, but did not inter- fere with Milroy's arrangements to fight.
The assaulting column consisted of the 3d West Virginia and the 25th, 32d, and 75th Ohio of Milroy's brigade, the muster roll for that morning showing an aggregate of 1,768 men. To these were added the 82d Ohio from Schenck's brigade. A few of the 2d West Virginia were deployed as skirmishers. Two twelve- pounders were planted on the plateau in the rear of the Presby-
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terian church, so as to cover the bridge. With much trouble a six- pounder was dragged through a ford and up a hollow to the top of a knob called Hull's hill. Here it could partially enfilade the Confederate line, and was the only piece of ordnance used on either side. Thus the Federals taking an actual part in the battle numbered about 2,400.
In Johnson's brigade were at this time about 2,800 men. The 52d Virginia arriving first was deployed as skirmishers on the left wing of the upper V. The 12th Georgia was stationed around the apex of the same V. The 44th Virginia was on the right, on the side of the deep ravine leading to the turnpike. The 58th Virginia was moved to the support of the 52d.
The attack began about half past four. The 25th and 75th Ohio turned to the right from the bridge and climbed the steep ridge directly toward the lower V. The advancing blue line could be seen from the rear of the town. The 32d and 82d Ohio moved along the slope to the left, the West Virginia regiment keeping the turnpike.
Before long the heights were wrapped in powder smoke. The Confederate skirmishers were driven back from the lower V, which now became the Federal right. There was no attempt to carry the strong position of the upper V, nor did the regiments holding the latter charge downward from their higher ground. The pressure of three regiments against the Confederate right was such that the 25th and 31th Virginia were sent to its aid. The 31st had been posted on the upper section of the loop behind Sitling- ton's hill. Its place was taken by the 21st Virginia with orders to hold the pike at all hazards. On this part of the field, the 31st was opposed to the West Virginia regiment at a distance of a hundred yards. Company C of the former was composed of men from Harrison County as was also a part of the 3d West Virginia. Former companions recognized one another and hallooed across the lines.
By this time, says Jackson, "the fire was rapid and well sus- tained on both sides, and the conflict was fierce and sanguinary." His Third Brigade coming up, the 10th Virginia was ordered to the support of the 52d, and the 23d and 37th to the support of the
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center. Where the two V's approached one another, the firing lines were near together and the engagement was especially severe. The Georgians on their open hilltop exposed themselves with more valor than prudence. They were heedless of the orders to keep within the shelter of the skyline, and in consequence their ranks were steadily thinned by the Federals lying behind the breastwork which nature had thrown up in their favor. On Jackson's right the Federal advance was checked.
The battle raged until half past eight, the flashes of the musket- ry being seen after twilight from the valley below. The Federals had not carried the Confederate position, but they had held their own. Jackson's whole army was now up, and a vigorous counter- attack might have destroyed the Federal column. But night had fallen, the ground was very rough, and the Confederate line was confused. Cavalry could not act to advantage in the narrow de- files, and in the moonlight the bridge could not have been taken without great loss. The Federals having used up nearly all their ammunition fell back in good order and without being molested. They took with them nearly all their dead and wounded. By midnight the disabled Confederates had been cared for, and not until then did Jackson seek rest in a farmhouse.
The moon looked down through the cold night air on 498 Con- federates and 256 Federals lying dead or wounded. The greater loss of the former was due to their more elevated position and the consequent tendency to shoot too high. The Federals were pro- tected by the nature of the ground in a higher degree than were their opponents. None of their officers were killed, although 11 were wounded. But on the Confederate side, 16 officers were killed and 38 were wounded. Among the former were Colonel Gibbons of the 10th, striken by a nearly spent ball which flew over Sitlington's hill. Four captains in the Georgia regiment were also killed. Johnson himself was wounded in the leg near the sinkhole and had to turn over the command to Taliaferro.
Other wounded officers were Colonel Harman of the 52d. Colonel Smith and Major Higgenbothem of the 25th, Major Campbell of the 48th, and Captain Matheny of the 31st.
By the close of the action, the nine Confederate regiments
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History of Highland County
of Johnson's and Taliaferro's brigades, numbering about 4,000 men had taken part. The Second Brigade was very slightly en- gaged, and the Stonewall Brigade not at all, although it arrived by twilight. The regimental losses were as follows: Army of the Northwest: 12th Georgia, 175; 25th Virginia, 72; 31st Vir- ginia, 19; 44th Virginia, 19; 52d Virginia, 53; 58th Virginia, 50: total, 388.
Third Brigade: 10th Virginia, 21; 23d Virginia, 41; 37th Vir- ginia, 39: total, 101.
Second Brigade: 21st Virginia, 1; 42d Virginia, 3; 48th Vir- ginia, 4; 1st Virginia Battalion, 1 : total, 9.
On the Federal side, the 23d, 25th, 75th, and 82d Ohio and 3d W. Va. lost respectively, 56, 58, 39, 57, and 46 men.
On each side the proportion of soldiers killed was unusually small except in the case of the Georgia regiment. This was in part due to the engagement being almost wholly one of small arms. The gun on Hull's hill at length had to cease firing on ac- count of the liability to drop shells among its own men. Judging from the cartridge boxes of the Ohio men there were fired in the battle of McDowell, 300,000 bullets, one in 400 finding a living target. Between the apexes of the two V's the ground was plowed by the passing balls and the brushwood was cut almost completely away. Even small trees weakened and fell.
No prisoners are specified in the regimental returns, although the Federals report taking 4, and the Confederates a few. These may have been wounded men. The Federals left the greater share of their dead in the Presbyterian church. Others were left in the present Bradshaw Hotel and still others in the house now occupied by C. S. Peterson. All were buried at the low bluff on the west side of the street and were afterward reinterred in a national cemetery. The 75 slain Confederates were buried in the woods to the east of where the pike begins its loop around Sit- lington Hill, but their remains were afterward taken to Staunton.
Under cover of the darkness and fog Milroy and Schenck began their retreat to Franklin, removing everything for which they had transportation, this item being deficient. The commis- sary store at the west end of the town was burned. Some boxes of
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ammunition were dumped into Crab Run near the bridge, where years later a small lead mine was discovered. The retreating army halted next day from eight A. M. until two P. M. at Forks of Waters, where it established a temporary field hospital on the Vandevender farm and also stood ready to meet an attack which seemed to be threatened.
Jackson had countermanded the orders for his turning move- ment. His military insight told him his enemy would fall back during the night, and make the attempted flanking a waste of effort. In the morning his troops came into McDowell, where they were halted to receive rations. Captain Sheets and his cav- alry led the pursuit, some other cavalry and the cadets being left in the town. In reporting the result, Jackson took only time to send the following brief message, which it is said was carried by Andrew W. Gillett of Highland :
"God blessed our arms with victory at McDowell yesterday."
In its immediate result the victory was rather barren. Milroy could not expect to carry a strong position held by an equal and finally by a larger number of men as good as his own. Yet in forcing battle upon his adversary, he frustrated a flank movement which might have resulted in disaster to himself. By keeping his enemy busy until night had come, he deprived him, although the whole Confederate force was now up, of the opportunity to de- liver a damaging counter-attack. He inflicted twice the loss he received and effected a safe retreat.
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