Battle of Cedar Mountain

Sketch of Battle of Cedar Run

On the morning of August 9, Jackson's army crossed the Rapidan River into Culpeper County,[15] led by Maj. Gen. Richard S. Ewell's division, followed by Brig. Gen. Charles S. Winder's division, with Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill's division in the rear. Just before noon, Brig. Gen. Jubal Early's brigade, the vanguard of Ewell's division, came upon Federal cavalry and artillery occupying the ridge above Cedar Run, just to the north-west of Cedar Mountain.

As stated before, Virginia was in the middle of an August heat wave. By 14:00, it was 98 °F (36.7 °C) and fighting did not commence until 15:30, the peak of the day's heat. Early in the contest, Jackson's army's movements were greatly hindered by this heat. The initial action consisted of a nearly two-hour artillery duel with neither side gaining a clear advantage. Some artillerymen suffered heat stroke as they frenetically fired their guns. The effective Federal artillery fire plunging around the Crittenden Gate had severely disrupted the Confederate deployment.[6]

Early brought up his guns and an artillery duel began between the opposing forces as Early's infantry formed a line on the eastern side of the Culpeper-Orange Turnpike (which ran roughly parallel to present-day U.S. Route 15)[16][17][18] on the high ground on the opposite bank of Cedar Run.[19] As the rest of Ewell's division arrived they formed on Early's right, anchored against the northern slope of the mountain and deployed their six guns on its ridge. Winder's division formed to Early's left, on the west side of the Turnpike, with Brig. Gen. William Taliaferro's brigade closest to Early, and Col. Thomas S. Garnett's on the far Confederate left in a wheat field at the edge of a woods. Winder's artillery filled a gap on the road between the two divisions. The Stonewall Brigade, led by Col. Charles R. Ronald, was brought up in support behind the guns. A.P Hill's division, still marching up the Turnpike, was ordered to stand in reserve on the Confederate left.[20]

A little before 17:00, as the artillery fight began to wane, Confederate Brig. Gen. Charles S. Winder fell mortally wounded.[21][lower-roman 2] He had been ill that day and was taken onto the field in an ambulance wagon. While attempting to direct his troops, he was struck by a shell fragment. Winder's left arm and side were torn to pieces, and he died a few hours later.[22] As a result, command of the division devolved on William Taliaferro, who was completely ignorant of Jackson's battle plan. Dispositions on his part of the field were still incomplete; Garnett's brigade was isolated from the main Confederate line, with its flank dangerously exposed to the woods. The Stonewall Brigade was to have come up to support them, but remained a half mile distant behind the artillery.[23]

Before leadership could properly be restored to the division the Union attack began.

The Federals formed a line on a ridge above Cedar Run, with Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford's brigade forming the Union right in a field across from Garnett and Brig. Gen. Christopher C. Augur's division on the Union left to the east of the Turnpike. Brig. Gen. John W. Geary's brigade was anchored on the Turnpike opposing Taliaferro, while Brig. Gen Henry Prince's brigade formed the far left opposite Ewell. Brig. Gen. George S. Greene's understrength brigade (only two regiments) was kept in reserve in the rear.[24]

Due to Banks' effective artillery fire, many Southerners were still struggling to get into position when Banks sent his infantry forward. He led off with General Christopher Augur’s division, which launched an attack through the fields east of the Culpeper Road. Geary and Prince were sent against the Confederate right. The Federal advance was swift and threatened to break the Confederate line, prompting Early to come galloping to the front from Cedar Mountain where he was directing troop dispositions.[25]

Augur sent his first two brigades in two massive lines forward through a thick cornfield.[25][lower-roman 3] Rebel batteries on his left on the slope of Cedar Mountain across the South Branch of Cedar Run opened up with solid shot into his the blue ranks in the corn.[26][lower-roman 4] The firing intensified as they neared the Confederates' line. The artillery kept up a galling fire.[27][lower-roman 5] A small depression and a split-rail fence shielded Early's men, and the Federals, fighting without much cover save for that offered by the cornstalks, were getting the worst of the shooting match including Augur himself who received a wound in the foot.[25]

Early's stabilizing presence and the raking fire of the Confederate guns halted the Union advance on the Confederate right.[24] On the left Crawford attacked Winder's division, sending three of his regiments[6][lower-roman 6] directly across the wheat field while six companies of the 3rd Wisconsin, from the brigade led by Brig. Gen. George Henry Gordon, advanced on Crawford's right flank through an overgrown bushy field just west of the wheat field. Crawford's assault rapidly crossed the wheat field while the attention of Garnett's men was occupied by Geary and Prince's attack on the Confederate right. The Federals crashed into the woods directly into the flank of the 1st Virginia Infantry Battalion, who under the pressure from attack on two fronts broke for the rear. The Federals pushed on, not waiting to reform their lines, rolling through the outflanked 42nd Virginia until they found themselves in Taliaferro's and the artillery's rear. Just as Crawford's assault had begun, the Stonewall Brigade had come up on Garnett's left and formed their line along the southern end of the bushy field. [25]

A gap, however, still remained between the Stonewall Brigade and Garnett's Brigade and Crawford's men streamed through the gap. Taliaferro had sent the 10th Virginia, from his own brigade, to help support Garnett's left, but they too were rapidly forced to withdraw. Unaware of the disaster to his right, Col. Ronald ordered the Stonewall Brigade forward in the bushy field, routing the vastly outnumbered 3rd Wisconsin in a matter of minutes. About to pursue the retreating Federals, Ronald suddenly learned the right flank of his brigade, held by the 27th Virginia, had fled when they discovered Crawford's men in the woods to their right and rear.[6] Jackson ordered the batteries withdrawn before they could be captured, but Taliaferro and Early's left were hit hard by the Crawford's advance and threatened to break.[28]

Engraving of the Battle of Cedar Mountain, 9 August 1862, from a sketch by Alfred R. Waud

A photograph showing Cedar Mountain in the distance. This photograph was taken from near the location of Pope's headquarters, located in the centre-left of the union line. In the late stages of the battle, Ewell's division formed on the slopes of the mountain and attacked towards the location of the camera, in the unionist centre, and routed the union army.

At this dire point, Gen. Jackson rode to that part of the field to rally the men and came upon members of the 27th Virginia, part of what had once been his old brigade. Intending to inspire the troops there, he attempted to brandish his sword; however, due to the infrequency with which he drew it, it had rusted in its scabbard and he was unable to dislodge it.[6][29][lower-roman 7] Undaunted, he unbuckled the sword from his belt and waved it, scabbard and all, over his head. He then grabbed a battle flag from a retreating standard bearer and yelled at his men to rally around him.[17][30] The rallied troops joined with advancing reinforcements from Maj. Gen. A.P. Hill's division to blunt Crawford's advance. Meanwhile, having learned of the collapse of Garnett's position and the rout of the 27th Virginia, Col. Ronald ordered the Stonewall Brigade's remaining four regiments to wheel to the right, bringing their battle line into the western end of the wheat field in Crawford's rear. Under pressure in their front from fresh troops of Brig. Gen. Lawrence O'Bryan Branch's brigade and with the Stonewall Brigade about to cut them off from the rest of the Union army, Crawford's men began streaming back through the wheat field. An advance by the 5th Virginia resulted in the capture of large numbers of Federals, as well as three Union battle flags.[28] "Pen and thought combined cannot do this subject justice,” recalled a captain in the 5th Connecticut. “It was as if the men had deliberately walked into a fiery furnace and I only wonder how many escaped from certain death upon that field.”[31] Crawford ordered his final reserve regiment, the 10th Maine, to hold off the Confederates long enough for the rest of the brigade to withdraw. Standing alone against elements of three Confederate brigades, the 461 man regiment lost 179 men in a fight that some survivors claimed lasted as little as five minutes.[28]

With the Union right flank disintegrating, Gordon was ordered to advance his brigade, including the now-reformed elements of the 3rd Wisconsin routed earlier during the fight in the bushy field with the Stonewall Brigade. Establishing their position line along the tree line on the northern edge of the wheat field, Gordon's three regiments held against attacks by the Stonewall Brigade, Branch's Brigade, and additional reinforcements under Brig. Gen. James Archer. The Confederates, however, were only holding Gordon's attention while additional fresh troops worked their way west around Gordon's right flank. With little warning, parts of the Stonewall Brigade and the brigade led by Brig. Gen. William D. Pender smashed into the flank of the 27th Indiana. The advancing Confederates “blazed a withering volley into the faces of our men on the right,” recalled one of the Indiana soldiers. “Following the volley they charged literally into the midst of [the 27th Indiana's flank companies] and, at the point of the bayonet, demanded their surrender.”[32] Gordon's line was quickly rolled up from right to left and his men streamed for the rear.[28] Meanwhile, Jackson had ordered Ewell to advance as well. Ewell, having difficulty silencing his guns, was delayed, but the Union left began to waver at the sight of Crawford's retreat and were finally broken by a charge down Cedar Mountain by Brig. Gen. Isaac R. Trimble's brigade.[33]

Despite bringing up Greene's reserve brigade in support, by 19:45 the Union line was in full retreat. In a last-ditch effort to help cover his infantry's retreat, Banks sent two squadrons of cavalry at the Confederate line. They were met with a devastating volley from the Confederate infantry posted behind a fence on the road, allowing only 71 of 174 to escape.[34] The Confederate infantry and Brig. Gen William E. Jones's 7th Virginia Cavalry hotly pursued the retreating Federals, nearly capturing Banks and Pope, who were at their headquarters a mile behind the Federal line.[35] After a mile-and-a-half of pursuit, Jackson grew wary as darkness set in, as he was unsure of the location of the rest of Pope's army. Finally, several Union infantrymen captured by the 7th Virginia Cavalry informed the Confederates that Pope was bringing Sigel forward to reinforce Banks. Accordingly, Jackson called off the pursuit, and by around 22:00, the fighting had ceased. By this point, Brig. Gen. James Ricketts's division of McDowell's corps was arriving, which effectively covered Banks's retreat.[36]