The Battle Rages

The Battle Rages. The Battle of McDowell (May 8, 1862). , "Many of the boys had their guns shot to pieces... They would pick up another gun and go to work as usual." - Pvt. Ephraim Hutchison, 82nd Ohio Infantry, USA, You are standing along the Confederate defensive line during the Battle of McDowell. Beginning around 4:30 pm that day, and continuing for some four hours, Union soldiers advanced doggedly uphill toward this position, loading and firing as they came. On either side of you, Confederate soldiers returned fire with grimy musket barrels and suffering heavy casualties., The assault by Federals, who were both heavily outmanned and attacking from an inferior position, came as surprise to Confederate commander Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson and his troops., Union soldiers used ravines to minimize their exposure to the defenders' fire as they moved uphill. Although greatly outnumbered, the Union regiments moved steadily up the steep and rugged slopes and inflicted heavy losses along the Confederate line. The northerners' rifled muskets allowed them to fire more accurately and at longer ranges, and the setting sun silhouetted the southerners against the sky, making them easy targets - while the shadows of the mountain side hid the Federals from view, and Confederate fire aimed downslope at the attackers tended to go too high., But although the Confederates came under heavy pressure, reinforcements rushed up the hill to this point stabilized the line, and the Confederates held. As the darkness grew, and with Federal troops running low on ammunition, Union Gen. Robert H. Milroy reluctantly ordered a withdrawal, and the Federals pulled back down the mountain to McDowell., (Caption):, This drawing depicts Union and Confederate soldiers fighting intensely just as they did at McDowell. Image courtesy of Library of Congress