The Battle of Monterey Pass

The Battle of Monterey Pass. North Carolina Turns The Tide. , The 1st North Carolina Sharpshooters and a detachment of Alabama troops, supported by the 6th Virginia Cavalry entered the fight here, deploying a skirmish line and moved forward toward the tollhouse. , As the 6th Virginia Cavalry made their appearance on the battlefield, the men were horrified of the conditions of the fight. They soon broke and fled back toward Fairfield, many of them refusing to come back up until daylight. , The sharpshooters continued to push forward to the toll house after being under heavy artillery fire from a section of Pennington’s Battery. As the sharpshooters received additional support, General Kilpatrick realized he could not hold Monterey Pass any longer, and ordered the rest of the cavalry division westward, to Ringgold, MD. ,
”Before reaching the point the firing became very heavy for a few minutes and then ceased and was followed by the huzzas of the enemy. By this we knew the position had been captured by them and that they would break into that part of the train that had passed that point. We went ahead as fast as we could and as we came near found the enemy had placed a cannon in the road by which (sic) were approaching and were firing grape shot down the same every few minutes..” , Lieutenant Colonel Rufus W, Wharton , 1st Battalion North Carolina Sharpshooters, ”Captain John A. Throckmorton commanding the Sixth Virginia cavalry, came down from the mountain with his regiment. In a rather stirred-up condition, as if something wild and very dangerous had been seen in front. Captain Chew asked where he was going. He replied “Down the mountain. A Yankee battery fired canister into the head of my command, and I am not going there again until daylight.” , Gunner George Neese , Chew’s Battery