The Battle Begins

The opening attack of the battle took place in these fields and woods around 5 a.m. on October 19, 1864. The surprise was complete, and Union troops were completely routed in the heavy fog and predawn darkness of early morning. Colonel Joseph Thoburn's attempts to rally his men failed, and he was later killed during the retreat through the streets of Middletown. Part of this ground was where Thoburn's troops were positioned before they were overrun by the Confederate assault. Joseph Thoburn, 1825-1864, had enlisted as a surgeon after the firing on Fort Sumter in the 1st Virginia Infantry, a pro-Union regiment from near Wheeling, Virginia, now West Virginia.

Virginia · United States