FISHER'S HILL, VIRGINIA
September 22, 1864
Company F, 126th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, suffered the
following casualties during the Battle of Fisher's Hill:
John W. Crooks - Wounded September 22, 1864 at Fisher's Hill, Virginia
George T. Guiney - Wounded September 22, 1864 at Fisher's Hill, Virginia
Robert J. Walton - Wounded September 22, 1864 at Fisher's Hill, Virginia -
Wounded October 19, 1864 at Cedar Creek, Virginia
Battle Summary:
Fisher's Hill, VA., Sept. 22, 1864. 6th, 8th and 19th
Corps and Cavalry; Army of the Shenandoah. After the battle
of Winchester on the 19th the Confederate forces Under Gen.
Jubal A. Early retreated to Fisher's Hill, A precipitous bluff
on the south bank of a little stream called Tumbling run, a
short distance south of Strasburg. Here Early Took A position
that was almost impregnable to direct assault, and which he
considered himself able to hold against the superior force
under Gen. P. H. Sheridan. So confident was he that he at
once commenced intrenching across the Shenandoah Valley, which
at this point is only a little over 3 Miles in width, and
removed the ammunition boxes from the caissons, placing them
for convenience immediately behind the breastworks.
Sheridan's army closely pursued the retreating enemy from
Winchester and the evening of the 2Oth found the 6th and 19th
corps encamped on the heights of Strasburg, with the cavalry
to the right and rear. The 8th corps, commanded by Maj.-Gen.
George Crook, was on the north bank of Cedar creek and during
the night was moved, unperceived by the enemy, to a position
in the Woods on Little North mountain on Early's Left. On the
morning of the 21st Capt. E. D. Taft, Chief of artillery,
directed the batteries placed to the rear and left of
Strasburg to open fire on the enemy's works and under cover of
this fire the 6th Corps, Maj.-Gen. H. G. Wright commanding,
and the 19th Corps, Under Maj.-Gen. W. H. Emory, were moved
into position opposite the right center of the Confederate
line. The 128th N.Y., supported by the 22nd IA., charged and
carried a line of rifle-pits and then threw forward a strong
skirmish line about 200 yards farther in advance, which
position was held until the general attack on the 22nd. On
the night of the 21st Crook was sent farther toward the
enemy's rear and Ricketts' division of the 6th corps was
placed opposite Early's Left Center. Averell's cavalry
division was pushed forward on the mowing of the 22nd to drive
in the Confederate pickets in front of Ricketts' position.
Averell dismounted a portion of his command, and in connection
with the 6th Md., which was thrown forward by Ricketts,
gradually pressed back the enemy's skirmishers until noon.
Then Ricketts moved his position rapidly to the right,
Keifer's brigade in the first line, closely supported by
Emerson's, and drove the enemy from two hills which he held in
considerable force. Of this movement Ricketts Says in his
report: "So rapid was their flight that they abandoned shelter
tents, blankets, and a considerable amount of infantry
ammunition." The division continued the pursuit until within
Long Rifle Range of the main works on Fisher's Hill, where it
was formed in line behind a ridge out of range of the
artillery. The Confederate signal station on Three-top
mountain mistook the movement of Ricketts for the main turning
column and so notified Early, who took steps to meet it.
About 4 p.m. Crook engaged the enemy's skirmishers and thus
his presence in the rear was discovered. The part taken by
his command from this moment is best told by his report: "The
intervening ground between us and the open country was covered
with rocks, underbrush, and almost impenetrable cedar
thickets, and intersected and broken by numerous ravines, so
that by the time we arrived at the foot of the mountain and
emerged from the Woods Our Lines were completely broken but
without halting to reform, with cheer upon cheer the charge
was continued for a distance of Four Miles, up Hill and down
Hill, Across Fields and through Woods, After the disordered
and rapidly retreating foe."
In this charge and pursuit Ricketts' division joined,
capturing 4 pieces of artillery and over 200 prisoners.
Several guns were captured by Crook, though in his report he
says: "I did not permit any of my men to remain with the
artillery, from which we had driven the enemy in our advance,
so as to get credit for its capture, as I needed every man at
the front to make the rout of the enemy as total and complete
as possible, and not at the rear to guard captured guns."
While Crook and Ricketts were getting into position for their
grand charge, a heavy cannonade was kept up on the left, and
as soon as the Confederate line broke the remainder of the 6th
and all of the 19th corps dashed across Tumbling run, scaled
the bluff that Early thought was unassailable, driving
everything before them. An attempt was made to make a stand
about a mile from the original position, but the Confederates
were so badly panic-stricken that only a few could be rallied
and they were soon forced to abandon their position. The
Union loss at Fisher's Hill was 52 killed, 457 wounded and 19
missing. Early reported his infantry loss as 30 killed, 210
wounded and 995 missing. As Crook's First Charge Fell on
Lomax's cavalry, and as Sheridan reported 1,100 prisoners, the
total Confederate loss was probably not far from 1,400.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 5
