A high tribute.
This is the highest tribute ever paid to the efficiency of my command.
The inspection reports at that time show that
Sheridan had in his department a total present for duty of 94,026.
Early's total effective, with
Kershaw (whose division was not in the
battle of Winchester), was 21,000.
Sheridan then had good military reasons for burning of the country to drive us out. But to return from this digression.
At
Front Royal,
Chapman saw an ambulance train, under an escort of cavalry, coming down the pike.
As he had not heard of
Torbert's defeat, and that he was retreating down the
Valley, and not dreaming that a corps of cavalry was in supporting distance immediately behind it, he attacked the escort and drove it back on the main body.
Having leaped into the midst of overwhelming numbers, he had to call off his men and abandon what he had won. A body of cavalry was sent around to intercept his retreat, and formed across his path.
Merritt's whole division was in pursuit.
When
Chapman's men came upon the cavalry in the road that barred their way, they opened upon them with their six-shooters and cleared away the obstruction.
There was no time to parley or take prisoners.
The momentum of
Chapman's charge swept away all before it. The enemy had attempted to cut off
Chapman and had got cut off. The fate of war, six of
Chapman's men were captured.
Merritt, in his report, says: ‘It having been decided impracticable to carry the position of the enemy (
Milford) without great loss of life, it was decided to withdraw both divisions.
This was done at dark, and the command on the following day returned to
Front Royal.
Near this town the advance of the reserve brigade encountered a body of guerrillas under
a Captain Chapman, who were in the act of capturing an ambulance train of our wounded.
The gang quickly dispersed with a loss of eighteen killed. (None of
Chapman's men were killed except those who were hung.)
Lieutenant McMasters, of the 2d United States cavalry, was mortally wounded in this affair, being shot, after he was taken prisoner, and robbed.’
