Battle of Winchester 19 September 1864, 4.30 pm

The Battle of Winchester in the Shenandoah River valley on 19 September 1864, commenced at 4.30 am, when Union forces struggled through the narrow Berryville Canyon, encountering heavy resistance there. The second phase of battle began at 11.30 in the woods outside Winchester and after five hours of intense fighting the Union sweep to remove 10–12,000 Confederates from entrenched positions around the deserted Milroy’s fortress, began to succeed. The Confederates were outnumbered by the Union’s 40,000-strong army and the Confederate commander, Major General Jubal Early, ordered a retreat when the Union 8th Corps and two Union cavalry divisions turned the Confederate left flank. Several Confederate generals, including Robert Rodes, were killed, with several more wounded. The Union also sustained casualties amongst their generals and lost two, including Brigadier General David Russell.