Thursday, September 22, 2011

A Fight At Fisher's Hill

The Battle of Fisher’s Hill a part of the Valley Campaign was fought September 22nd 1864 near Strasburg, Virginia.

The Union had about 30,000 men in the Shenandoah Valley under Major General Philip H Sheridan.  They were opposing about 10,000 Confederates fighting under Lieutenant General Jubal Anderson Early.  After the Third Battle of Winchester the Confederates took up a strong position with their right on the North Branch of the Shenandoah River and left on Fisher’s Hill.  Union Major General George Crook began the attack September 22nd 1864 at about 4 pm.  The Union infantry pushed Confederate Cavalry causing Confederate Major General Stephen Dodson Ramseur to refuse his left flank.  With Ramseur’s line pushed in the Confederate’s fell back to Waynesboro, Virginia.

Union Brigadier General Alfred Torbert with 6,000 cavalry then moved against about 1,200 Confederate cavalry under the command of Brigadier General William Wickam.  Torbert was supposed to move behind Early and cut off any retreat of the Fisher’s Hill area.  Torbert was pushed back by the Confederate cavalry and Early go t away.  The battle resulted in 1,235 Confederate casualties and 528 Union.

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