Battle of Cedar Mountain

“Battle of Cedar Mountain, fought Saturday, August 9th, 1862, between the Federal troops commanded by General Banks and the Confederate Army led by Generals Jackson, Ewell, Winder, etc.- final repulse of the Confederates. General Pope’s report of the battle is as follows: “On Saturday, August 9th, 1862, the enemy advanced rapidly to Cedar Mountain, the sides of which they occupied in heavy force. General Banks was instructed to take up his position on the ground occupied by Crawford’s brigade, of his command, which had been thrown out the day previous to observe the enemy’s movements. He was directed not to advance beyond that point, and if attacked by the enemy to defend his position and send back timely notice. The artillery of the enemy was opened early in the afternoon, but he made no advance until nearly five o’clock, at which time a few skirmishers were thrown forward on each side under cover of the heavy wood in which his force was concealed. The enemy pushed forward a strong force in the rear of his skirmishers, and General Banks advanced to the attack. The engagement did not fairly open until after six o’clock, and for an hour and a half was furious and unceasing. I arrived personally on the field at 7 P.M., and found the action raging furiously. The infantry fire was incessant and severe. I found General Banks holding the position he took up early in the morning. His losses were heavy. Ricketts’s division was immediately pushed forward and occupied the right of General Banks, the brigades of Crawford and Gordon being directed to change their position from the right and mass themselves in the centre. Before this change could be effected it was quite dark, though the artillery fire continued at short range without intermission. The artillery fire, at night, by the Second and Fifth Maine batteries in Ricketts’s division of General McDowell’s corps was most destructive, as was readily observable the next morning in the dead men and horses and broken gun carriages of the enemy’s batteries which had been advanced against it. Our troops rested on their arms during the night in line of battle, the heavy shelling being kept up on both sides until midnight. At daylight the next morning the enemy fell back two miles from our front, and still higher up the mountain."” —Leslie, 1896

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