Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

[364] from Bunker's Hill to his endangered right. Crook's (Eighth) corps, then in the vicinity of Summit Point, was ordered to join the main forces at the Opequan ford, while Averill and Torbett were to make demonstrations on the Confederate left.

Wilson crossed the Opequan at daybreak, and moved swiftly along the pike, which passed through a narrow mountain gorge, charging upon and

The Opequan Ford of the Berryville turnpike.

sweeping away all opposers, and securing a space within two miles of Winchester, for the deployment of the army. He was closely followed by the Sixth Corps; but the Nineteenth was so delayed by the wagon-train of the former, that the battle-line was not formed until nine o'clock in the morning. Then it stood with the Sixth Corps on the left, flanked by Wilson's cavalry, the Nineteenth Corps in the center, and Crook's Kanawha infantry in the rear, in reserve. In the mean time, Early had hurried the bulk of his troops up from Bunker's Hill to Winchester, and before Sheridan was ready for attack, these were strongly posted in a fortified position on a series of detached hills northwestward of the town. They had a powerful line thrown forward for the purpose of breaking that of the Nationals by a vigorous charge, and seizing the gorge already mentioned, through which, alone, the Unionists, if beaten, might retreat. Averill had followed the Confederates closely from Bunker's Hill, and now formed a junction with Merritt's horsemen. These two powerful cavalry divisions enveloped Winchester on the east and north. Early's position compensated him, in a degree, for his inferiority in numbers, while Sheridan's superior cavalry gave the Nationals a very great advantage. ¹

Between the two armies lay a broken, wooded country, over which it was difficult for troops to move; and to reach the left and center of Early's