Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-07-29
AUGUSTA'S BATTLE

people of the Shenandoah Valley {
| the presence of the hated foe.
Over and over again had this beant
full xalley been robbed and plundere
! and horribly had it's inhabitants suffer
] ed. but nothing could dampen thei
Iardor and love for the cause for whic
their sons were so herOically battling
But the worst had yet to come, TO-
Lincoln had selected a renegade Vir
iginian to still farther try their loyalty
and patriotism. Bill Arp. the noble
Georgian, who has SO recently "passet
over the river" said, "That when a
Virginian fell, he fell further and hard
er than any other man could" Hunter
the apostate, with his vandals came
He crossed the Potomac the latter part
of May and Immediately began hit
hOrrid work by burning the beautiful
homes of his own and his wife's kin.
dred. where both he and his wife had
often been Hospitality entertained. His
intention was to destroy everything
on his march, but fortunately he had
some officers with him more humane
than himself, who protested against
destroying private dwellings. To sat
isfy them he agreed to burn only barns
and mills. Hunter may have agreed
to this, but history shows that he did
not stick to bis agreement, for he not
only, in many cases, burned dwellings
but also hung old men, non combat
ants, and allowed his men to insult
women and commit other Outrages on
the defenseless people.
Gen. Imboden was then in the Val
ley with small force, consisting of
the 18th regiment of Va. cavalry, com
manded by his brother, Col. Geo. I'm
boden; the 23rd cavalry, by Col Robt.
| White; Davis Maryland Battalion of
cavalry, which bad with it a company
of ola men over 55 years of age, CON-
manded by Capt. Henry Harnsberger,
and a company of boys, commanded
| by Capt. Geo. Chrisman; McNeil's
Rangers. and McClanahan's six gun
battery of horse artillery, commanded
by Capt. J. II. McClanahan. The reg
iments were all very much depleted by
Imboden's having the gaps in the
mountains leading into W. Va. to
guard. One of his best regiments, the
62d Va. mounted infantry, had gone
with Gen. Breckenridge, after the battle
of New Market, to Richmond. So with
this meager force, all he could do Was
to fail back, lighting and retarding
the progress of the enemy as much as
possible, hoping to be reinforced.
He first met Hunter about Wood |
stock, on the valley rn-pike, and it
was not until the 4th of June that |
Hunter had succeeded in forcing his !!
way as far as Mt. Crawford in Rock |
ingham county. His movements were
slow, for be took up more time burn
ing and making war on helpless women,
old men and children, than he did |
marching or fighting. Gen. Early says
in his report: 1.-The scenes on Hunters |
route were truly heart-rending; houses !
had been burned and helpless women |
and children left without shelter. The |
country had been stripped of proyis
ions, and many families left without |
a mOrsel to eat. Furniture and bed |
ding had been cut to pieces and old |
men and children robbed of all the |
clothing they had except what was on |
their backs. Ladies trunks had been |
robbed and their dresses torn to pieces |
in mere wantonness.
About the same time Sheridan had |
left the right of Grants army with
orders to make a junction with Hun
ter at Lynchburg, to capture and des
troy that city, and move down On
Lees rear. But he found Hampton
and Fitz Lee at Trevillan's and was
terribly routed, and Hunter at Lynch
burg found lion in his path, brave
old Jubal Early, who hurled him back
into the mountains of w. Va. defeated.
demoraliZed and disgraced.
One can hardly imagine the feelings
of our little band, as they fell back
before the hords of robbers and fire
fiends. At night the sky was lighted
up with burning houses, and all day
refugees were pouring into our lines,
rending our hearts with their tales of
horror.
Gen. Imboden determined to make
final stand on the south bank of North
river, near Mt. Crawford, hoping to
meet reinforcement there, which be did
under Gen. W. E. Jones, who took
command. He had with him Vaughan's
Tennessee brigade (dismounted cav
alry): Goth Va. 45th and Seth infan-
try, also 45th battalion and two regi-
ments, composed of old men and boys
and cOnvalescents from the hospital
at Staunton and workmen in the shops:
Capt. Opie's company of Augusta
farmers; Bryan's Battery, and bat
terry made up for the occasion by boys
from Staunton and Augusta county.
We had good, defensible position
there, and anxiously hoped they would
attack us, but were disappointed. Be-
fore morning our scouts reported that
the enemy had decamped in the night
toward Port Republic. At early dawn
IGen. Jones sent Maj. Sturgis Davis
battalion with Harnsberger's and
Chrisman' companies in that direc-
tiOn, followed by Imboden with his
1.-TWO regiments of cavalry. Davis met
the advance guard of the enemy at
Mt. Meridian, and he reported that his
old men and boys behaved splendidly.
THE boys had their first baptism OF
fire. Gen. Stahl with brigade of
cavalry drove them and Imboden's
cavalry back towards Piedmont, q
t,;Uo IN on 4ha Now u ono roo1 il, An