Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
ARTICLE
Action at Overall may have prolonged the Civil War
Following the defeat of General Jubal Early's Confederate army by General Philip H. Sheridan at the Battle of Third Winchester, Confederate forces were quickly reassembled further to the south to prepare for a Federal attack. While Early regrouped his army at Fisher's Hill near Strasburg, Sheridan quickly dispatched General Alfred T.A. Torbert to take Colonel Wesley Merritt's 1st Division and join Colonel James H. Wilson's 3rd Division at Front Royal. From there, the combined Federal cavalry arm would move along the eastern side of the Massanutten through the Page Valley. If successful, Sheridan would strike Early's left flank with the bulk of his force while Torbert crossed the New Market/Luray Gap and surprised Early on the right.
Anticipating such a maneuver, Early had sent Fitz Lee's Division of cavalry, under Williams C. Wickham, up the Luray Valley. Clashing first with the Federals at Riverton on the Shenandoah River, then later on Gooney Run in Warren County on September 20, Wickham temporarily stalled Torbert's efforts.
By 2 a.m. on September 22, Merritt's and Wilson's divisions had merged to throw a full strength attack against Wickham. By then however, the Confederates had prepared a formidable defensive position at Milford (now Overall) that would prove impossible to attack. Among the group of Federal cavalry that had come upon the Confederate position was George Armstrong Custer who frustratingly scribbled in his diary, "Johnnys in a strong position."
Nonetheless, Wilson opened the action with artillery, which was soon joined by the crackle of Federal carbine fire. The Confederate forces soon responded in kind. While the rolling terrain rocked with a "ringing fire," Wickham rode off to consult with Early over the situation, leaving Colonel Thomas T. Munford to conduct the defense.
The fire continued for hours with little progress made by Torbert. However, late in the afternoon, he appeared to move against Colonel William Payne's brigade, positioned closest to the river. Witnessing the effort, Munford asked his artillery commander, Major James Breathed, if he thought his guns were safe from capture. In response, a bold Breathed replied "If 'Billy' [Colonel Payne] can hold that bridge - and it looks like he is going to do it - I'll put a pile of cannister [sic] near my guns, and all h--l will never move me from this position."
Meanwhile, Munford realized the movement on Payne was a feinted attack, designed to distract from an effort to turn his right flank. In response, Munford sent a squadron of the 4th Virginia Cavalry to the support of the 2nd Virginia. Additionally, three buglers were sent to create a bluff of their own. When given the order, the buglers, spaced at good intervals, sounded the charge, and forced the Federals to abandon the maneuver.
Disgruntled, Torbert broke off the engagement and withdrew from the field. The following morning, Wickham withdrew from Milford while Torbert continued a withdrawal to Front Royal. Late in the afternoon however, the Federal commander learned of Sheridan's victory at Fisher's Hill. Quickly, he wheeled his cavalry back toward the Page Valley, catching up with Wickham's command near Luray. Driving the Confederates from the field near Yager's Mill, Torbert continued across the Massanutten toward New Market - but it was too late. Wickham had successfully held the line and effectively prevented what could have been the entire annihilation of Early's army. Furthermore, the effort, having prolonged the presence of Early in the Valley, may have prevented Sheridan's return to General Ulysses S. Grant's forces around Petersburg, and thereby delayed the end of the war.
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