Custer's brigade on arriving at Sulphur Springs Bridge, three and a half miles east of Winchester, encountered a body of the enemy, when a sharp skirmish took place, lasting two hours, but resulting finally in Custer being flanked and driven back. Meanwhile Devin's brigade, followed by Gibbs', had moved toward White Post, aiming to arrive by a circuitous route at Newtown, with the design of flanking the enemy, who it was now ascertained had begun to withdraw southward, along the road leading to Strasburg. This object, however, was not attained. The advance under Colonel Cesnola encountered the enemy's skirmishers near White Post, and drove them back on the road leading to Newtown, but on arriving at the road leading south to Front Royal, found a brigade of the rebel infantry with three field pieces in a very strong position, and was checked till the remainder of Devin's brigade arrived, when a severe fight ensued, lasting from eleven o'clock till twelve, but without any decisive result. At four o'clock General Crook came up with his infantry and relieved Devin, and the latter then marched on to the assistance of Gibbs, who had got nearly to Newtown and engaged the enemy, and was now falling back. Devin arrived just in time to check the rebels, who then retreated to the woods, unpursued, however, by the Federal troops, who also retired about a mile and bivouacked, with a strong picket guard in front. The enemy thus by hard fighting succeeded in holding Newtown and in covering their trains, which passed down

safely toward Strasburg. The total Federal loss was about three hundred, chiefly in cavalry, the infantry not having been much engaged, though they suffered severely in marching, from the extreme heat, and lost many men from sunstroke.

Sheridan's army moved forward again on the morning of the 12th, it Aug. having been ascertained that the 12. enemy had retreated. The cavalry advanced, skirmishing most of the way, to Cedar Creek, where about noon they found a force of the enemy on a hill in front of Strasburg, who shelled and drove back the cavalry skirmishers, till they were relieved by the eighth corps, which had now arrived. The remainder of the army in passing through Newtown and Middletown met with no opposition, and on arriving at Cedar Creek bivouacked on the east bank, on the west side of which the enemy held a position in some old breast-works. There was active skirmishing during the remainder of the day, and in the evening some shelling across the creek, but no general engagement. On the 13th, the enemy having fallen back in the night, the Federal skirmishers got into Strasburg, but were compelled to retire again. On the evening of the 14th the heights in front of the town were captured, and on the following morning the small force of the enemy which had held Strasburg for two days withdrew. Their works on Fisher's Hill, however, still commanded the place.

But news had now arrived which caused Sheridan with his whole army to

commence a rapid retreat toward Harper's Ferry. In the Blue Ridge range of mountains which runs along the east side of the valley like a continuous wall, and parallel with which flows the Shenandoah, are several gaps, or depressions in the mountain chain, at long intervals, forming the only practicable routes to and from the valley. The most important of these are Snicker's Gap and Island Ford, which might easily have been held by a few troops; but the precaution of guarding them had by some strange oversight been neglected, and on the 13th, while Sheridan's army was lying in front of Strasburg; Mosby with a few light troops dashed through Snicker's Gap, crossed the Shenandoah, and fell suddenly on the rear of Sheridan's supply train near Berryville on its way to Winchester, about four miles from the Gap. The guard, consisting of Kenly's brigade of hundred days' men, became panic-stricken when Mosby made his charge. A few brave men fought well for a while, but the rest made off as rapidly as possible. Mosby captured and destroyed seventy-five seventy-five wagons, chiefly laden with cavalry baggage, besides securing two hundred prisoners, six hundred horses and mules, and two hundred head of cattle. He then retired, having lost only two men killed and three wounded. The Federal loss beyond prisoners was not much greater. But this disaster in the rear, though not fatal in itself, caused it to be reported that Longstreet with his entire corps was getting into a position across Sheridan's line of communications, and

was cutting off his whole army. The consequence was, that on the 15th Aug. Sheridan got his three corps and 15. the various cavalry brigades in readiness to retreat, and about eleven at night the retrograde movement commenced, the nineteenth corps taking the lead toward Winchester, succeeded the next day by Crook's command, the sixth corps bringing up the rear. With the view of preventing flanking operations on the part of the enemy from the gaps in the Blue Ridge, and to cover the retreat in that direction, Devin's cavalry brigade on the 14th was sent a few miles to the southeast toward Front Royal. In the mean time a body of the enemy, forming a part of Kershaw's division, which had taken part in the recent actions near Malvern Hill, had come by railroad to Mitchell Station, and marched thence to Front Royal, and on the morning of the 16th Custer's brigade, followed not long afterward by that under Gibbs, was sent to the support of Devin. Custer arrived soon after noon and took position on the left of Devin. The line had not been long formed, however, before the enemy suddenly appeared, marching in two columns, one of infantry, the other of cavalry, along the road leading northward from Front Royal to the Shenandoah. A brisk artillery fight then took place, the enemy using eight pieces, though without much effect. Their cavalry having crossed by the bridge and their infantry by the ford, they advanced to carry the Federal batteries, but were repulsed on the right by a charge from two regiments of Devin's brigade, each

of which captured a flag, and the rebels were driven over the the river again. Meanwhile, having secured a good position for their artillery, they attempted to turn the Federal left. A series of charges and counter-charges then took place between a brigade of Kershaw's division, which crossed the river, and Custer's division. The fighting continued till after dark, and when the enemy fell back to recross the river, 150 of them were made prisoners at the ford. The killed and wounded did not exceed a hundred on either side. This affair took place near Crooked Run, a small tributary of the Shenandoah, a little below the confluence of the north and south forks. Early the next morning Custer's and Devin's brigades fell back on the road leading northward to Winchester to follow the infantry column, carrying out as they went orders which had been given for the capture or destruction of all the stock, grain, and hay, and everything else which could contribute to the sustenance of man or beast. Fields and gardens were ravaged and swept clean. According to a Richmond paper, Sheridan's army, as it retired from Strasburg, "literally destroyed everything in the way of food for man or beast. With their immense cavalry they extended their lines from Front Royal, in Warren County, to the North Mountains, west of Strasburg, and burnt every bushel of wheat, in stack, barn, or mills, in Frederick, Warren, or Clark, as well as oats and hay. They have really left absolutely nothing in those three counties. They drove before

them every horse, cow, sheep, hog, calf, and living animal from the country. What the people are to do, God only knows. General Early, two weeks since, gave orders not to have a bushel of grain taken from below Strasburg, as hardly enough was left for the citizens." The enemy followed close upon the heels of Sheridan. The sixth corps, which brought up the rear of the infantry column, had left Winchester on the morning of the 17th, Colonel Penrose's brigade, consisting of only about five hundred men, having been left behind as a support to Torbert's cavalry. About one o'clock the advance of the Aug. enemy, approaching by the New- 17. town and Winchester turnpike, attacked Penrose, who had deployed his small brigade in skirmishing order with the cavalry on his flank, about a mile out of the town toward Kearnstown. The cavalry, however, gave way, leaving Penrose to make the best fight he could behind fences, trees, and walls. Just before dark, the enemy having received large accessions of numbers, were able to flank Penrose's little force, and it was soon broken, losing three hundred prisoners; the remainder, with Penrose and a few officers, making their way through Winchester, escaped toward Clifton and Martinsburg. That night the enemy occupied Winchester; the Federal cavalry bivouacked at Berryville, next day taking up the line of retreat toward Harper's Ferry, harassed on the flanks and rear by the rebel cavalry.

On the 18th, some men in citizens'