Today in History:

873 Series I Volume XLII-I Serial 87 - Richmond-Fort Fisher Part I

Page 873 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.


Numbers 358. Diary of the First Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, of operations August 1-October 18 including operations in the Shenandoah Valley, August and September.*

August 1 and 2. - Affairs unchanged.

August 3. - Colonel Carter, with some artillery moves down the river, escorted by two regiments of cavalry, to annoy the enemy's transports.

August 4 and 5 - Quiet and without change.

August 6. - General Anderson visits Richmond to meet the President and General Lee. Soon after I receive orders to join him with the staff.

August 7.- Leave Richmond at 7.30 a.m. by rail and arrive at Mitchell's Station at dark.

August 8. - Last of Kershaw's division arrives to-day.

August 9 and 10. - Quiet. Waiting for our transportation.

August 11. - Cutshaw's artillery horses and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry division arrive. Hear of Early at Bunker Hill.

August 12. - With Kershaw's division and Cutshaw's battalion of artillery we move from Mitchell's Station soon after sunrise and halt at Culpeper at midday. At 4 p.m. Kershaw moves for Hazel River, on the graded road, followed by the artillery battalion, and camped for the night on Hazel River. Fitzhugh Lee's division moves from Culpeper Court-House, and passes the infantry at night.

August 13.- March resumed. Camp two miles north of Flint Hill.

August 14. - March continues at sunrise. Troops arrive at Front Royal in afternoon. Kershaw posts a regiment on picket at the ford on the South Fork, on the Winchester road, and one on the Berryville road a mile from town.

August 15. - Enemy reported to have a brigade of cavalry at Cedarville, on the Winchester pike and an infantry force on the Berryville road. The enemy sends a scouting party across Island Ford, which however, soon retires.

August 16. - About 12 noon information is received of the advance of four brigades of the enemy's cavalry to Cedarville. To hold Guard Hill and cover the passage of the Shenandoah, Wofford's brigade of infantry and Wickham's of cavalry and artillery are sent to seize the position, which is done with the loss of but 8 or 10 men. Wofford, however, moves off to the right to attack the enemy's cavalry, which had now come up in force, and just at that moment, having charged and driven back our own cavalry, pitches into Wofford and drives him back in confusion and with loss. Brigade is subsequently moved across the river.

August 17.- Our whole force moves across the river and follows the enemy down the Winchester pike. The enemy retired, burning the grain, barns, and grass as he marched. Passing through Cedarville, Nineveh, and Ragtown we encounter, with the squadron of cavalry at our head, a detachment of the enemy's cavalry and give chase to them for four or five miles. Wickham, with the two brigades of cavalry, had turned off to the right and followed toward White Post the

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*For portion of diary here omitted, see Vol. XXXVI, Part I, p. 1056 and Vol. XL, Part I, p. 760.

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Page 873 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.