Evacuating the Valley with the 3rd Wisconsin

In May of 1862, General Stonewall Jackson's Valley army pushed the Federal forces under General Nathaniel Banks out of the Shenandoah Valley. It was a discouraging defeat that set off something of a panic in Washington, but Captain Andrew Clark of the 3rd Wisconsin felt certain that the troops were not to blame.  

    "There was something wrong somewhere in withdrawing so many troops from General Banks and leaving him with so small a force so far in the enemy’s country," Captain Clark wrote. "We were three months driving the Rebels from the valley and have lost all we gained and considerably more in three days, which makes it rather discouraging for us who have worked night and day. But we have one consolation: we have done our duty and cannot be blamed for the disaster."

          Captain Clark’s missive describing the First Battle of Winchester and the subsequent retreat of General Banks army from the Shenandoah Valley first saw publication in the June 12, 1862, edition of the Waupun Times.

 


Camp of the 3rd Wisconsin Vols., near Williamsport, Maryland

May 27, 1862

Editors of the Times,

          Presuming that our friends would like to hear from our company in relation to the several skirmishes, fights, and retreats our regiment has been in since the 24th instant, I take the liberty to send you a statement of what came under my observation.

          We had no intimation that the Rebels were advancing upon us until Friday the 24th about sundown when we had a message from Captain Hubert of Co. G who was guarding a bridge six miles from Strasburg on the Manassas Gap Railroad stating that his company had been attacked by five companies of cavalry and two of infantry and he asked for reinforcements. Our regiment immediately marched to their assistance reaching them about 9 o’clock. We found they had had quite a skirmish, losing one man killed and several wounded. But they held their position, the Rebels falling back about dark. We here learned that the 1st Maryland had been attacked at Front Royal and driven back.

We lay at Buckton Bridge until about 8 o’clock on Saturday morning when we marched back to Strasburg and found the division leaving. The wagon train had already gone and we could get no rations. We soon had orders to march and when we got to Cedar Creek we learned that the Rebels had got around in our rear at Newton and had cut off our train and captured some of our sick who had started in the night.

Between Cedar Creek and Newton we had several skirmishes but succeeded in getting off the most of our train and passing it through Winchester. Two companies of our regiment and a battery of six guns fought the Rebels near Newton for three or four hours and drove them back. About 20 wagons, a part of a company of cavalry, and about 100 infantry that had gone back towards Strasburg when headed off at Newton found that a large force of Rebels were coming down from New Market. They turned back again and succeeded in making their way around the enemy at Newton and went on to Hancock, arriving here today.

Our regiment got to Winchester about dark and was formed in line of battle along a stone wall a little out of town and pickets were sent out. We lay on our arms without having had anything to eat all day and having marched 21 miles. Between 12 and 1 o’clock that night the firing commenced between the pickets off to our right and was kept up at intervals until daylight when we were ordered to a position further to the right where the right wing was formed in line of battle- the 2nd Massachusetts on our right with the 27th Pennsylvania and 39th Pennsylvania on our left.

Our regiment, with the three named and a field battery of four guns, forming the right while three regiments and a battery of six guns formed the left. There were also two guns near the center. The 10th Maine and a small force of cavalry was held in reserve. Our whole forces besides the cavalry was about 3,500 infantry and 12 field guns. The Rebel force, as near as I can judge, was about 15,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalrymen, with plenty of artillery. Some of our officers say they counted 28 Rebel regiments, making at least four to our one.

This period map, drawn by Jedediah Hotchkiss, depicts troop positions during the First Battle of Winchester. Confederate troops, under the command of Stonewall Jackson, made a heavy assault on the right flank of Banks' army, breaking their hold on the town. 

At the time our regiment was marching up to take its position in the line, the fight commenced and we were fired on all the way while we were marching. The artillery opened and the action became general all along the front and was kept up for 3-4 hours, the artillery firing constantly and the infantry engaged at different points. About 7 o’clock, the Rebels sent five fresh regiments to turn our right flank and succeeded in outflanking us for half a mile when, as the batteries were short of ammunition, it was evident that we should all be taken prisoners if we did not retreat, the order was given to fall back.

Our regiment fell back about 50 rods, halted, faced about, fired a volley, then continued to fall back in line until we came to the edge of the town when we again halted by a stone wall. Here we fought some 15 minutes, holding five Rebel regiments in check that were in front of us until most of our men had passed the town and the Rebels were doubling around us when the order was given to retreat through the town. This we obeyed in very good order, the Rebels charging through after us and firing on us from two ways.

When we emerged from the town, their advance was within 12-15 rods of us. Our cavalry here charged upon and checked their advance for a little time. The citizens, both men and women, fired on our men from the houses as we passed, killing several and wounding others. After getting clear of the town, we fell back some 3-4 miles where a halt was called, a line formed, and our battery had a smart brush for 10 minutes. We then moved on to Bunker Hill and made another stand. And in this way we continued our retreat until we came to Martinsburg and halted. The cavalry was ordered to the rear, charged on the Rebels, and captured three pieces of artillery which they brought off with them. This stopped the pursuit and we moved on to the river opposite this place where we arrived about dark and lay until about daylight this morning and then commenced crossing.

          It is impossible to ascertain our loss at present but there were missing from our regiment this morning about 90 men, but I think some more will get in as three of my men have arrived since I commenced writing this statement. Captain Hammer of Mayville is one of the missing and Lieutenant Giddings is reported killed. Seven of my company are missing but I am hopes that most of them will yet come in.

Major General Nathaniel Banks

          General [Nathaniel] Banks had command. As far as I can judge both officers and men did all they could under the circumstances. I might relate many instances of personal valor but have not the time. Our regiment came off the field in the best order of any and was the only regiment that made a stand in or near the town. Cos. D and E were the last to leave the stone wall at the edge of the town and we were all mad because we had to leave. But if we had stood five minutes longer we should all have been captured. Lieutenant Bently of Co. F was captured before he got clear of town but got away; he was again captured but got off a second time.

          There was something wrong somewhere in withdrawing so many troops from General Banks and leaving him with so small a force so far in the enemy’s country. We were three months driving the Rebels from the valley and have lost all we gained and considerably more in three days, which makes it rather discouraging for us who have worked night and day. But we have one consolation: we have done our duty and cannot be blamed for the disaster. All we ask now is a force sufficient to drive them back again and we’ll do it or drive them Negroes and all to a hotter place than they have been used to, if no meaner.

          So long as the treacherous farmers are allowed to keep their slaves to raise food for the secesh devils, so long will they keep up the rebellion. Here we have been guarding and taking care of their property and as soon as we had to leave they shoot down our men in the streets from their own houses. That does not look like loyalism. They are all secesh in the valley of the Shenandoah as far as I have been with very few exceptions, and not only secesh, but a treacherous, cowardly set of devils.

Source:

Letter from Captain Andrew Clark, Co. D, 3rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Waupun Times (Wisconsin), June 12, 1862, pg. 2

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