was made by the enemy, which increased in intensity and fury as the day wore on and which finally culminated in what was known by the troops engaged, in order to distinguish it from many other conflicts near this place, as “Crook's Battle” of Winchester. The heavy portion of the fighting took place in and around the village of Kearnstown, and was at first apparently favorable to our arms. Gen. Crook, finding that he was being outnumbered and outflanked, ordered our line to fall back. The 54th took a conspicuous part in the fighting of this day, sustaining many casualties. Being unable to cope with the whole force of Gen. Early, Gen. Crook retreated to the Potomac and crossed it at Williamsport on the 26th. During the whole of the remainder of July and all of August the 54th participated in a series of marches and countermarches, in Maryland and the Valley of Virginia, the exact object of which was known only to those attached to the forces concentrated under the command of Maj.-Gen. Sheridan, shortly after “Crook's Battle” of Winchester, and marched with that officer to Cedar Creek and with him fell back to the neighborhood of Halltown, near Harper's Ferry. While at this place, in the presence of the enemy, the regiment participated in the frequent reconnoissances made to develop his strength and purposes. On the morning of the 28th of August, the enemy having left our front, we broke camp at Halltown and marched beyond Charlestown, and on the 3d day of September left the latter place and advanced to Berryville.
On this day an unexpected and vigorous engagement took place at Berryville, lasting far into the night and ending in the repulse of the attacking rebels. For four days the Army of West Virginia bivouacked near Berryville and then were transferred from the extreme left of our line of infantry to the extreme right at Summit Point. We remained at Summit Point until September 19th, receiving and distributing supplies, and repairing as far as possible the ravages of an active campaign by receiving recruits and convalescents and those returning from furloughs.
On the morning of the 19th day of September, 1864, about daylight, the whole army was in motion, the 54th marching with its appropriate division across fields towards the crossing of the Opequon at the Berryville pike, the march being enlivened by the booming of the cannon. We arrived at the crossing about 11 o'clock P. M. and the sound of the battle - Sheridan's last battle of Winchester - then fiercely raging beyond the small creek, being distinctly audible at the latter hour. Our regiment was ordered to advance and with quick step moved to the front, passing in our advance the wounded as they were being borne to the rear, and each moment nearing the scene of conflict, now temporarily lulled. We formed in line in the rear of woods some distance to the right of Winchester pike; we advanced in line through the woods and relieved a portion of the 19th Corps
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