The Battle of Kernstown-Winchester
July 23-24, 1864
"Crook awakened his veterans before daylight on the 23d. . . . [Soon] they heard a distant rattle of rifle fire."140 Hayes was ordered to march his brigade toward, and if possible, through Kernstown and ascertain the force of the enemy who had been demonstrating there.141"The future president's four regiments swept past the town, shoving back [Confederate Colonel William] Jackson's troopers, who offered only `feeble resistance.'"142 Hayes was able to proceed two miles beyond Kernstown and gather information that the enemy's force consisted of about 1,000 cavalry and two or three pieces of artillery.143 After another advance by Colonel Isaac Duval, Crook and his army returned to Winchester, confident that Early was retreating toward Richmond.144
To Crook, everything seemed to be under control the next morning. "To the south, beyond the Yankees' view, however, the fury was coming in solid columns of marching Rebels, . . . heading for a fight." Early had headed north with about 12,000 infantry and more than 2,000 cavalry.145 Crook sent James A. Mulligan's division in the lead up the pike followed by Duval and Colonel Joseph Thoburn. Hayes, as part of Duval's command, proceeded to form Mulligan's left, placing his command across the Valley Pike and his own left perpendicular to a ridge.146 He was to charge, wheel to the right, and try to flank the enemy.147 The battle raged, and the right and center of Crook's line were gradually pushed back. In the meantime, Breckinridge had been marching ". . . two brigades under cover of some ravines beyond the Federal left flank."148 Hayes got word of this and reported it to both Crook and Mulligan, but was told to continue as planned.149 Breckinridge's two brigades marched over the crest of the ridge ". . . advancing nearly perpendicular to the Union left."150 As Hayes moved forward, Breckinridge fired on his left, continued his approach, and "Hayes brigade simply cracked, its members scurrying up a hill where the brigade commander temporarily rallied them."151
Hayes was able to form a new line perpendicular to the old one and check the enemy long enough to gather the wounded and move them to the rear.152 Then he rejoined Crook and was ordered to ". . . withdraw, . . . fall back slowly, bearing to the right of Winchester going north, and protect the line of retreat on the Martinsburg road."153 McCown's report stated that Hayes' brigade covered "the retreat as far as Bunker Hill, which place we reached about 11 ½ o'clock P.M." The Thirteenth lost "12 killed, 51 wounded, [and] 26 missing."154 As for the performance of the Thirteenth that day, Hayes wrote to his wife that they had "behaved splendidly."155 In his official report, he noted: "The Thirteenth Virginia Volunteers, Col. Brown, was never in a general engagement before. The officers and men of this regiment, under the circumstances, I deem worthy of special commendation."156
The next day (July 25), they continued as rear guard and just south of Martinsburg the 1st Brigade kept the enemy in check while government property was removed from the town. Then the entire army was ". . . moved through Martinsburg to the Williamsport Road."157 They "halted on the banks of the Potomac for the dawn of day."158 The Confederates then occupied Martinsburg, so Hayes was sent back to help the cavalry drive them out. With this accomplished, they held the town for about two hours and continued their retreat.159 On July 26, the Thirteenth "passed the battlefield of Antietam . . . and camped two miles south of Sharpsburg."160 On July 27, the Army of West Virginia reached Maryland Heights, across the river from Harpers Ferry, and the Thirteenth "camped back of Sandy Hook in Pleasant Valley for the night."161
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Copyright © Kimberly Ball Hieronimus Brownlee, 1998-2003. All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in any manner for any media without the express written agreement of the author.