Thomas J. Jackson to THomas G. RHETT, February 21, 1862

Winchester, Va., February 21, 1862.

MAJOR:

In obedience to prders from the War Department, I arrived here on November 4 last and assumed command of the Valley District. As Romney had but recently fallen into the hands of the enemy, and

Federal forces were at various points north of the Potomac, and might

at any time move upon Winchester by good roads from Romney, Williamsport, and Harper’s Ferry, and the only forces in the field at my disposal consisted of parts of Generals Boggs’, Carson’s, and Meem’s brigades of militia, McDonald’s cavalry, and Captain Henderson’s mounted company, I at once issued an order calling out the remaining parts of the brigades above named. The call was responded to with a promptness that reflects credit upon the militia of the district.

Near the middle of November McLaughlin’s battery and Colonel J. F. Preston’s (now Brig. Gen. R. B. Garnett’s) brigade, composed of the Second, Fourth, Fifth, Twenty-seventh, and Thirty-third Regiments Virginia Volunteers, arrived here. ; , i

Early in December Col. William B. Taliaferro’s brigade, consisting of the First Georgia, Third Arkansas, Twenty-third and Thirty-seventh Virginia Volunteers, of the Army of the Northwest, reached Winchester.

Near the close of December the last re-enforcements arrived here from the same army under Brig. Gen. W. W. Loring, consisting of the brigades of Col. William Gilham and Brig. Gen. S. R. Anderson, with Shumaker’s and Marye’s batteries. The former of these two brigades comprised the Twenty-first, Forty-second, and Forty-eighth Regiments Virginia Volunteers, and the First Battalion Virginia Regulars, and Captain Marye’s battery ; the latter, the First, Seventh, and Fourteenth Tennessee Volunteers and Captain Shumaker’s battery. The quartermaster’s, commissary, and medical departments, under their respective chiefs—Majors John A. Harman and W. J. Hawks, and Dr. Hunter H. McGuire, officers admirably qualified for their duties—were being rapidly organized for active service. Maj. D. Truehart, jr., chief of artillery, was alike successful in the work assigned to him. xu

The governor of Virginia, alive to the importance of driving the enemy from the distriet, not only sent 1,550 percussion muskets to replace the flintlocks then in the hands of the militia, but also fur-

*See also * Correspondence, etc.,” for this period, post.

nished a field battery of five pieces, with equipments and harness comjlete.

: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal having been repaired to such an extent as to render it boatable and of great service to the Federal Army at Washington, I determined, if practicable, to cut off western supplies by breaking Dam No. 5. For this purpose an expedition was undertaken in the early part of December, but, in consequence of the enemy’s resistance and for want of adequate means, the object was not accomplished. A few days subsequently Capt. R. T. Colston, Company E, Second Regiment Virginia Volunteers, who was well acquainted with the locality of the dam and its structure, volunteered to take charge of the working party to accomplish the desired object. As there was reason to believe that General Banks could soon concentrate a large force there, I moved, with Garnett’s brigade, part of the cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel Ashby, and part of Carson’s brigade, to the neighborhood of the dam. General Carson made a demonstration towards Falling Waters and Williamsport, while the remaining troops took such a position as to support the working party.

The work was commenced on the night of December 17, and by the morning of the 21st a breach, supposed to be sufficiently large for the object in view, was effected. Though Federal re-enforcements of artillery and infantry were ordered up and opened their fire upon us, our loss was only 1 man killed.

On the 1st day of the present year Garnett’s brigade, with McLaughlin’s, Carpenter’s, and Waters’ batteries, Loring’s command, consisting of Anderson’s, Gilham’s, and Taliaferro’s brigades, Shumaker’s and Marye’s batteries, and Meem’s command, moved from their various encampments near Winchester in the direction of Bath.

On the evening of the second day’s march General Carson, with part

`of his brigade and parts of two companies of cavalry, under Captain Harper, joined the main body, thus swelling the command to about 8,500 in the aggregate.

On January 3 the march was resumed, and when within about 10 – miles of Bath the militia, under Generals Carson and Meem, inclined to the left and crossed the Warm Springs Mountain for the purpose of attacking Bath from the west, while the main body, General Loring’s command leading, continued to advance via the Frederick and Morgan turnpike. When nearly 3 miles from Bath we were met by a party of the enemy, consisting of probably 30 infantry and as many horse.

After some skirmishing the enemy were driven back, 8 of them being taken prisoners. Another of the party was captured on the following morning.

Our loss was 4 wounded, 1 lieutenant and 3 privates.

Darkness coming on, the command encamped for the night. The militia on the west of the mountain also drove in the enemy’s advance and encamped a few miles from the town.

* The next morning (January 4) the march was resumed, General Loring still in front, and continued without further interruption until within a mile or two of the town, when General Loring, without sufficient cause, permitted the head of the column repeatedly to halt, and thus lost so much time as to make me apprehensive that unless I threw forward other troops I would have to remain out of Bath another night. Accordingly he was directed to order a regiment to advance on our left along the mountain which commanded the town. He directed Colonel Maney to execute the order, and it was undertaken with a patriotic enthusiasm which entitles the First Tennessee Regiment and its comCHAR. XIV.) VALLEY DISTRICT, ETC. 391

mander to special praise. Subsequently Colonel Hatton’s regiment, and a section of Shumaker’s battery, under Lieutenant Lanier, were instructed to co-operate with the advance on the left. Colonel Campbell’s regiment advanced along the hill on our right. The forces on the right and left had not advanced far before the enemy fled, leaving their baggage and stores in our possession. The cavalry, under Lieut. Col. William S. H. Baylor, of my staff, rushed into the town, where it encountered and routed the enemy’s cavalry, which fled precipitately towards Hancock, and was rapidly pursued by ours, but could not be overtaken.

So prematurely and repeatedly had General Loring permitted the head of the column to halt, that even his skirmishers were not kept within continuous sight of the enemy. Though I followed after the cavalry and entered the town in advance of the skirmishers, yet both the enemy’s artillery and infantry were out of sight. I moved on towards Sir John’s Run Depot, the direction in which there was reason to believe that they had retreated, until I had advanced sufficiently far to prevent Coionel Gilham from missing the way to the depot. Immediately afterwards I returned to the road leading to the railroad bridge over the Big Cacapon River, and directed Colonel Rust to move to the bridge and destroy it. I then returned towards Bath, for the purpose of following in person the road taken by the fugitive cavalry, and which was the only remaining one by which the enemy could have escaped, and on the way directed Colonel Maney to continue scouring the hill that he was then moving upon, and afterwards to join me.

On my way I met the cavalry returning from the pursuit of the enemy’s, which they had been unable to overtake; but as it was important, if practicable, to enter Hancock that night, the pursuit was renewed and continued until we arrived within sight of the town, when part. of the cavalry was ordered to dismount and scour the woods to our right and front. Soon after some of the Federal cavalry was seen, and orders were given to charge upon them, but the fire from an ambuscade rendered it imprudent to proceed far in this charge.

Lieutenant Launtz and 2 privates were wounded.

Captain Harper and his command in this charge deserve special mention.

Shortly afterwards General Loring came up with infantry and artillery, but as ib was now dark, instructions were given to clear the woods of the enemy by a few rounds of artillery. As the U. $. troops had repeatedly shelled Shepherdstown, and had even done so while there were no troops in the place and it was not used as a means of defense, I determined to intimate to the enemy that such outrages must not be repeated, and directed a few rounds from MeLaughlin’s battery to be . fired at Hancock. Sere UE

Colonel Gilham, while moving with his brigade in the direction of Sir John’s Run Depot, came up with the enemy, but as he neither attacked them nor notified me of the cause of not doing so, nor even of his having overtaken the Federal forces, their artillery and infantry were permitted to escape. P ;

Colonel Rust, in command of his own and Colonel Fulkerson s regiment and one section of Shumaker’s battery, when near the railroad bridge over the Big Cacapon, became engaged with the enemy and sustained some loss, but there is reason to believe that the loss of the enemy was still greater. Colonel Rust and his command merit special praise for their conduct in this affair.

At this point Captain [Geo. D.] Alexander, a meritorious officer of the Third Arkansas, lost his left arm. ae

Darkness rendered it necessary for Colonel Rust to postpone until morning the full execution of his instructions, and he prudently withdrew to a better position for spending the night. i

The next morning (January 5) General Loring was directed to proceed with Colonel Rust/s command, and Colonel Gilham’s, if necessary, and complete the work that had been intrusted to Colonel Rust, if he should find that it had not been already executed. General Loring, having with his artillery driven off the enemy who were defending the bridge, destroyed the structure and railroad buildings, and also the telegraph for some distance, and rejoined me at Haneock.

On the evening of the 4th Lieutenant-Colonel Ashby, who, in command of a detachment composed of some cavalry and an infantry force under Maj. E. F. Paxton, and a working party under Capt. R. T. Colston, had been enlarging the break in Dam No. 5, joined me at Bath. From the most reliable information received the force of the enemy at Bath was 1,500 cavalry and infantry, with two pieces of artillery. The next morning I demanded the surrender of Hancock, stating that if the demand was not acceded to the place would be cannonaded. The commanding officer refused to comply with my demand, and I cannonaded the place for a short time, and proceeded to construct a bridge for crossing the Potomac about 2 miles above the town. This work was intrusted to Col. W. A. Forbes, who eommanded and progressed with it in a manner highly creditable to himself and his command. Colonel Forbes was assisted in this work ky Captain Briscoe, assistant quartermaster, an enterprising and valuable officer.

On the 6th the enemy was re-enforced to such an extent as to induce me to believe that my object could not be accomplished without a saerifiee of life, whieh I felt unwiling to make, as Romney, the great objeet of the expedition, might require for its recovery, and especially for the capture of the troops in and near there, all the force at my disposal.

The invader having been defeated and driven across the Potomac, the telegraph line broken at several points, and the railroad bridge across Big Cacapon destroyed, thus throwing material obstacles in the . way not only of transmitting intelligence from Romney to Hancock, but also of receiving re-enforcements from the east, arrangements were made for moving on Romney.

The next day, the 7th, the command was put in motion; LieutenantColonel Ashby, with his cavalry, brought up the rear; but before leaving Alpine Depot, opposite Hancock, destroyed a large amount of public stores that had fallen into our hands and could not be removed for want of means.

Before night a dispatch reached me giving intelligence of our disaster _ that morning at Hanging Rock, where the enemy not only defeated our militia under Colonel Monroe, but captured two guns.

On arriving at Ungers Store I halted the command for several days, for the purpose of resting the men and ice-calking the horses.

The day that the command left Winchester the weather was mild, but soon after it suddenly changed to very severe, and the snow and – sleet made the roads almost impassable for loaded wagons, unless the teams were specially shod for the purpose.

The enemy evacuated Romney on the 10th. The town was soon occupied by Sheets and Shands companies of cavalry, which were — subsequently followed by other troops. The Federal forces, abandoning

Omar. XIV.) . VALLEY DISTRICT, ETC. 393

a large number of tents and other public property which fell into our possession, retreated to between the railroad bridges across Patterson’s Creek and the Northwestern Branch of the Potomac, which was as far as they could retire without endangering the safety of the two bridges.

Our loss in the expedition in killed was 4, in wounded 28. The Federal loss in killed and wounded not ascertained. Sixteen of them were captured.

After the arrival in Romney of General Loring’s leading brigade,

under Colonel Taliaferro, I designed moving with it Garnett’s brigade

and other forces on an important expedition against the enemy, but such was the extent of demoralization in the first-named brigade as to render the abandonment of that enterprise necessary.

Believing it imprudent to attempt further movements with General Loring’s command against the Federals, I determined to put into winter quarters in the vicinity of Romney, and accordingly gave directions to Lieut. Col. S. M. Barton to select suitable locations for the several ‘brigades, and steps were taken for putting the troops into huts as rapidly as practicable; and having made a suitable disposition of the militia force of that section of the district, for the purpose of not only holding the country and preventing the surprise of General Loring, but also of acting offensively against the enemy as occasion might offer, the regiments of Cols. A. Monroe, E. H. McDonald, and W. H. Harness were each assigned to the region of their homes, thereby securing all the advantages resulting from knowledge of localities and their inhabitants. Colonel Johnson’s regiment was with Colonel Harness in Hardy. In addition to the distribution of militia, three companies of cavalry were left with General Loring, and one of these was the daring company of Captain George F. Sheetz, which was familiar with all that section of country.

To Captain Sheetz I am indebted not only for most reliable information respecting the enemy, for the prisoners from time to time captured, but for the extent to which he has armed and equipped his company at the expense of the enemy.

These forces, in addition to General Loring’s three brigades and thirteen pieces of artillery in the vicinity of Romney, and a defensible

mountain in his rear, which commanded the town, should, with care, have rendered safe the right of the Army of the Northwest. This disposition of General Loring’s forces enabled me to avoid dividing his command, which was thus stretched along the South Branch of the Potomac, his right, under his immediate command, extending towards the Potomac; his left, under Brig. Gen. Edward Johnson, resting upon the Alleghanies with the intervening Moorefield Valley (which is one of – the most fertile portions of the Confederacy), three graded roads extending to the rear, and thus connecting his line with the great valley of Virginia, from which ample supplies, if necessary, could be drawn. I have dwelt thus much on General Loring’s position at Romney in – consequence of the Secretary of War having regarded the position of the troops there so unsafe as to require me to order them to Winchester, and in consequence of the general having favored an application made by some of his officers to the War Department for the removal of his troops from the position which I had assigned them. oe

After thus posting the troops in the western part of the district, and having previously sent General Carson to Bath, General Meem to Martinsburg, and distributing the cavalry along the frontier, I directed General Garnett to return to Winchester, in the vicinity of which his brigade proceeded to construct its winter quarters. The position assigned to

this brigade as a reserve would enableit promptly to move towards any threatened point as circumstances might require, and I am well assured that had an order been issued for its march, even through the depth of winter and in any direction, it would have sustained its reputation, well earned during the past campaign; for, though it was not under fire during the recent expedition, yet the alacrity with which it responded to the call of duty and overcame obstacles showed that it was still animated by the same spirit that characterized it at Manassas. Thus far — all had been aecomplished that I could reasonably have expected.

On January 2 there was not, from the information I could gather, a single loyal man of Morgan County who could remain at home with safety. Within less than four days the enemy had been defeated, their baggage captured, and, by teaching the Federal authorities a lesson that a town elaiming allegiance to the United States lay under our guns, Shepherdstown protected, whieh had repeatedly before, though not since, been shelled; the railroad communication of Hancock with the west broken; all that portion of the country east of the Big Cacapon recovered ; Romney and a large portion of Hampshire County evacuated by the enemy without the firing of a gun; the enemy had fled. from the western part of Hardy ; had been forced from the offensive to the defensive—under these circumstances, judge what must have been my astonishment at receiving from the Secretary of War the following dispateh :

Our news indicates that a movement is being made to cut off Genera] Loring’s command. Order him back to Winchester immediately. ‘

I promptly complied with the order, but in doing*so forwarded to the Secretary of War my conditional resignation. Up to that time God, who has so wonderfully blessed us during this war, had given great success to the efforts for protecting loyal citizens in their rights and recovering and holding territory in this district which had been overrun by the enemy. It is true that our success caused much exposure and suf- – fering to the command. Several nights the troops had to bivouae, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, their tents not coming up on account of the bad condition of the roads, yet every command, except part of General Loring’s, bore up under these hardships with the fortitude becoming patriotic soldiers.

Lieut. Col. J. T. L. Preston, assistant adjutant-general, rendered very valuable service, not only during the expedition, but preparatory to it.

Lieut. Col. William S. H. Baylor, inspector-general, in addition to his duties as a staff officer, gallantly led the cavalry charge at Bath.

Maj. John A. Harman, chief quartermaster, was, much to my regret, unable on account of a serious attack of sickness to accompany the expedition. His duties devolved successively upon Capt. T. R. Sharp and Lieut. Col. M. G. Harman, both of whom discharged their duties faithfully and efficiently.

Dr. Hunter H. McGuire, medical director, and Maj. W. J. Hawks, me DE were untiring in the zealous dischargeof their respective duties.

Lieut. Col. S. M. Barton, acting chief engineer of this district, deserves Special mention.

Maj. A. H. Jackson, assistant adjutant-general; First Lieut. George G. Junkin, aide-de-camp; First Lieut. A. S. Pendleton, aide-de-camp, ard Lieut. J. M. Garnett, chief of ordnance, rendered valuable service.

General Loring’s evacuation of Romney and returning to the vicinity of Winchester was the beginning of disasters. The enemy, who up to that time had been aeting on the defensive, suddenly changed to the

Ciar. XIV.) VALLEY DISTRICT, ETC. o 395 offensive and advanced on Romney; next drove our troops out of Moorefield on the 12th of this month; two days after forced our militia from Bloomery Pass, thus coming to within 21 miles of Winchester and capturing a number of prisoners.

Soon after the intelligence reached me of the enemy’s being in possession of Bloomery Pass I directed Lieutenant-Colonel Ashby, of the . cavalry, to move in that direction with all his available force, which he did with his accustomed promptness, and on the morning of the 16th, after a short skirmish, recovered the position. I am under many obligations to this valuable officer for his untiring zeal and successful efforts in defending this district.

Ido not feel at liberty to close this report without alluding to the . reprobate Federal commanders, who in Hampshire County have not only burnt valuable mill property, but also many private houses. Their track from Romney to Hanging Rock, a distance of 15 miles, was one of desolation. The number of dead animals lying along the road-side, where they had been shot by the enemy, exemplified the spirit of that part of the Northern Army. As Col. G. W. Lay, inspector-general of this department, has recently, by your order, visited Winchester on a tour of inspection, it may be unnecessary for me to say more respecting the condition of this district.

I would respectfully call attention to the report of General Loring, an official copy of which is forwarded herewith. *

your obedient servant,

Major-General, Commanding.
Maj. THomas G. RHETT,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of Northern Virginia.