History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

640 SIXTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 1864
The battle raged along the entire line with varying success, until towards
evening, when General Sheridan rode along and informed the troops that
Averell was in the enemy's rear, the Eighth Corps on his flank, and that if they
would press on he would rout Early completely. Soon the order to advance was
given, and the whole line charged with new zeal, sending the foe " whirling up
the valley." The Third Division, composed chiefly of Milroy's old command,
was the first to reach the heights of Winchester from which it had been driven
a little more than a year before. The loss of the regiment was very severe.
It went into the engagement with only two commissioned officers, and these
Lieutenants, the companies being led by veteran Sergeants, many of whom
were prevented from being mustered as officers on account of their superiors
being prisoners.
Early retreated to his stronghold at Fisher's Hill, just back of Strasburg.
At this point the valley becomes quite narrow. A ridge extends across it
stretching from the brink of the Shenandoah to the mountains on the left,
which had been strengthened from time to time by the construction of breastworks and forts, and was justly regarded as next to impregnable. The rebel
chieftains had often fled to this stronghold for safety, when hard pressed, and
had never been driven from it. But Sheridan, more daring and fruitful in resources than his predecessors, had no sooner arrived in front and measured the
ground, than he decided to attack. The Third Division was sent two or three
miles to the right, skirmishers were thrown out, the line advanced, and after
a sharp engagement the enemy's pickets were driven in. The greater part of
the night was spent in throwing up breastworks. When day dawned the
enemy's main line of works was discovered not a mile distant. At ten in the
morning the corps was moved to the right a short distance, and being formed
in two lines advanced to the right and front driving in the enemy's skirmishers,
until it reached a large mill, five or six hundred yards from the rebel works,
under the protection of which it remained until evening. After this manceuvre, which was executed to cover the real design, the Eighth Corps was sent to
the extreme right, and ascending the mountain on the enemy's left succeeded
in thrusting itself forward upon his rear. Quietly forming, it suddenly burst
from its concealment, and charging down the mountain side struck full upon
his flank and rear, driving the astonished foe in utter confusion along the whole
line of his works. Arrived at the point where the Third Division lay, it joined
in the pursuit, and until the victorious column reached the Strasburg Pike at
sundown, the enemy fled before it in wild disorder, losing many prisoners, and
all his guns in position along that part of his works. He continued his retreat
up the valley, and Sheridan pushed on after with untiring zeal. The troops
were kept upon the march during the entire night succeeding the engagement.
After the first day Sheridan marched in three lines of battle, stretching across
the valley, the artillery moving in two columns on the turnpike in the centre.
The lines of the two armies were frequently in sight of each other, the one retreating and the other as steadily advancing, and from every hill-top the
enemy's trains could be seen winding along the road in the distance. On the
evening before the army reached Harrisonburg, his rear guard, which was
handled with remarkable skill, was so closely pressed that the coming on of
night alone saved it from capture. Before dawn of the following day the
Sixty-seventh was in position on the skirmish line, and at daybreak the whole
army advanced, but the enemy had disappeared.