Cumberland Surrenders

Cumberland Surrenders. Between the Line. , In June 1863, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered Gen. John D. Imboden to protect the army's left flank as it marched north through the Shenandoah Valley. Imboden was to draw Union forces into Hampshire County, West Virginia, and destroy bridges and communications. After Lee routed the Federal garrison at Winchester, Virginia, on June 15, Union Gen. Benjamin F. Kelley ordered the remaining troops to New Creek to protect the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and to prevent Imboden from heading west. Kelley's orders left Cumberland wholly unprotected, between the two armies' lines, and in a state of near panic., At dawn on June 17, the 18th Virginia Cavalry and Confederate artillery arrived east of Cumberland off Williams Road near here. When residents approached them to ascertain their intentions, they fired the cannons, and shells landed near McKaig's foundry. Two trooper under Confederate Col. George W. Imboden (Gen. John Imboden's brother) then delivered a letter to Cumberland's acting mayor, Valentine Buckey, demanding that he surrender the city "as an act of humanity." Terms were negotiated, and about 30 cavalrymen entered Cumberland, where they seized horses and forced merchants to open their shops. They then bought footwear and dry goods using Confederate script. According to a Federal report, "the only damage of any kind was at the telegraph station," where equipment was destroyed and wires were pulled down. After only three hours, the Confederates withdrew through Greenspring, Paw Paw, and Bloomery Gap, and headed north to Pennsylvania.