formed his line of battle with Moor's brigade on the right and Thoburn's (Col. Campbell) on the left. Wyncoop's cavalry was in the rear of Gen. Moor.
Hunter directed his artillery to open on the enemy at 9 a. m., and Moor to attack the left flank, which he did and drove it some distance before he was checked and fell back with some loss, but in turn the enemy was halted by Moor's use of a cross fire of three batteries. During this attack and repulse on the right Thoburn (Col. Campbell) crossed a ravine, secured a good position and made a bayonet charge on the enemy, and after a fierce hand-to-hand contest captured the works and more than 1,000 prisoners, including 60 officers. The enemy were routed and Gen. W. E. Jones was dead. Gen. Vaughan, who succeeded Jones, fled to Waynesboro with about 3,000 effective men. Hunter's losses were 780 and the enemy's 2,970. We give Col. Campbell's graphic description of the battle with other men who led the fight.
The troops from Johnstown in the engagement were:
| Captain |
Co. |
Regiment
Col. |
Brigade |
Division |
Army of
Shenandoah |
| John P. Suter |
A |
54th Pa. Inf.
J. M. Campbell |
Second
Jos. Thoburn |
First
J.C. Sullivan |
David Hunter |
| Thomas Lapsley, |
D. |
Same |
Same |
Same |
Same |
| David R. Lewis, |
E. |
Same |
Same |
Same |
Same |
| J. B. Dunlap, |
H. |
Same |
Same |
Same |
Same |
| Geo. W. Camp, |
I. |
Same |
Same |
Same |
Same |
Col. Campbell made the following report to Thoburn of the engagement at Piedmont:
From the time my regiment arrived in the filed, about 10 a. m., it was engaged, under your direction, in reconnoitering the position of the enemy until about 11 a. m., when we were drawn up in line of battle in the extreme of the line, in the woods, and concealed from the view of the enemy. Shortly after gaining this position and before any order to advance was received, it was discovered that to move forward--as our line was then formed--would expose our left flank to a strongly intrenched position of the enemy. I immediately dispatched a messenger to you informing you of the fact. After a personal inspection of the position by yourself, we were ordered to fall back a few hundred feet farther into the woods, keeping well out our line of skirmishers, and to await further orders. Nothing occurred while we remained in this position other than the wounding of two of my men by the shells from the enemy's batteries, which continued to shell the woods all the time we occupied it. About 11:30 a. m. I received orders to fall back (leaving my line of skirmishers, Companies B. and G, to watch
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