History of the Nineteenth Army CorpsIrwin, Richard B. (Richard Biddle)
History
History of the Nineteenth Army Corps
Irwin, Richard B. (Richard Biddle)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories; United States. Army. Corps, 19th
"Back to your camps!" had been the watchword ever since Sheridan
showed himself on the field. Dwight's men were the first to stand
once more upon their own ground, but by that time Sheridan's army
had executed, though without much regard to order, a complete left
wheel. While the infantry took up its original positions, the
cavalry pursued the flying enemy with such vigor that an accidental
displacement of a single plank on a little bridge near Strasburg
caused the whole of Early's artillery that had not yet passed on,
to fall into the hands of Sheridan. Thus were taken 48 cannon, 52
caissons, all the ambulances that had been lost in the morning,
many wagons, and seven battle flags; of the artillery 24 pieces
were the same that had been lost in the early morning. From every
part of the abandoned field great stacks of rifles were gathered.
The prisoners taken were about 1,200, according to the reports of
Sheridan's officers, or something over 1,000 by Early's account.
Early also gives his loss in killed and wounded, without distinguishing
between the two, as 1,860, and reports the capture of 1,429 prisoners
from the Union army in the early hours of the day. Of these he
had made sure by sending them promptly to the rear. Ramseur was
mortally wounded in the last stand made by his division, and died
a few days later in the hands and under the care of his former
comrades of Sheridan's army.
Sheridan's loss was 644 killed, 3,430 wounded, and 1,591 captured
or missing; in all, 5,665. Of these the Sixth Corps had 298 killed,
1,628 wounded--together, 1,926; the Nineteenth Corps 257 killed,
1,336 wounded--together, 1,593. Crook lost 60 killed, 342 wounded
--together, 402; the cavalry 29 killed, 224 wounded--together, 253.
The missing were thus divided: Wright 194, Emory 776, Crook 548,
Torbert 43. The greatest proportionate loss of the day was suffered
by the 114th New York, which had 21 killed, 86 wounded, including
17 mortally, and 8 missing--in all, 115 out of 250 engaged. Its
fatal casualties reached 15.2, and the killed and wounded 42.8 per
cent. of the number engaged. These figures are from the corrected
reports of the War Department. The missing exceed the captured,
as set down in Early's report, by only 132. Among the killed and
mortally wounded were Bidwell, Thoburn, Kitching, and that superb
soldier and accomplished gentleman, General Charles Russell Lowell,
who, although severely wounded in the morning, at the head of his
brigade held fast to the stone wall until, in the last decisive
charge, his death-blow came. Grover received a second severe wound
early in the final charge that broke the Confederate left. Birge
then took his division.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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