The Battle
of Charlestown fought October 18th 1863 was a part of the Bristoe
and Mine Run Campaigns.
General
Robert E Lee sent Confederate Brigadier General John D Imboden’s cavalry on a
raid into the Shenandoah Valley to attack the Union garrison at Charlestown,
West Virginia. Lee was hoping this would
move some of the Union forces in his front.
Imboden got to Berryville on October 17th 1863 where the
Cavalry skirmished with a company of the Union 1st New York Cavalry,
driving them into Charlestown. The Union
Commander Colonel Benjamin L Simpson was inexperienced having been in service
only 17 days, believed that Charlestown was not the target, and so choose not
to move his small force to Harpers Ferry.
Imboden
advanced at dawn on October 18th 1863 driving the Union pickets in
along the south of Charlestown. The
Union 9th Maryland made a stand in the Jefferson County Courthouse,
and left one company from the Loudoun Rangers Cavalry and the 6th
Michigan Cavalry to “take care of themselves”.
Imboden offered to negotiate a surrender with Simpson, but the Union
General refused. The Union Cavalry tried
to fight their way out of Charlestown and head for Harpers Ferry, but northeast
of town they ran into the Confederate 18th Virginia Cavalry and the
62nd Virginia Mounted. The
Union troopers found a weak spot in the Confederate right, cutting their way
out. The Cavalry lost 2 men killed, and
17 made prisoners.
Imboden still
in Charlestown had his artillery brought up, and demanded the Union surrender a
second time. When Simpson turned him
down again Imboden had the town shelled.
Under fire Simpson abandoned the courthouse and moved his men to a field
near where the cavalry had fought.
Imboden had men in the woods facing the field, they fired and deadly
volley into the Union soldiers. Simpson
finally surrendered.
The remains
of the 6th Michigan and Loudoun Rangers were joined by the 17th
Indiana Battery and Cole’s Maryland Cavalry from Harpers Ferry, arrived to
reinforce the garrison, but were about 15 minutes to late. There was a fierce fight throughout the
afternoon, but they were not able to drive Imboden off. Around 5 pm the 34th Massachusetts
Infantry arrived at the fight having marched 18 miles from Barrysville. They attacked Imboden, who choose withdraw
under the cover of darkness with his prisoners and supplies stolen from
Charlestown.
1 comment:
Warfare is a fascinating subject. Despite the dubious morality of using violence to achieve personal or political aims. It remains that conflict has been used to do just that throughout recorded history.
Your article is very well done, a good read.
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