Milroy's Attack

Milroy's Attack. "The Deafening Roar of Musketry". , Mid-Afternoon , You're standing on Mill Creek Ridge, the main Confederate defensive line during the battle and the target of a Union assault in the afternoon., Generals Robert H. Milroy and Robert C. Schenck commanded the Union forces opposite this height. At mid-afternoon, Milroy, frustrated by the lack of direction from Union commander Gen. John C. Fremont, decided to take matters into his own hands and attack this ridgeline, aiming to seize the Confederate cannon "at the point of a bayonet." Milroy found a gully that led to Mill Creek, at the base of this height, and urged his men forward., Union soldier Thomas Evans of the 25th Ohio felt that he "was rushing pell mell to probable destruction." Many Federals were. When they were just 500 yards to your right front, Confederates concealed in the tall grass (along with others here atop the ridge) let loose a torrent fire that "mowed down the head" of the company. Evans described "the deafening roar of musketry" and "the crushing of timber by the dread missiles... the unearthly yells of opposing forces and the moaning of the dying and the screams of the wounded.", Milroy directed his men to a forested hillside to his right, just 300 yards in front of you, but here again they received "a perfect storm of bullets" from concealed Confederates. The Federals returned "a tremendous fire into the woods" but "a deadly fire came out of it," and the northerners dropped "rapidly.", Milroy tried again, moving about 1,000 feet to your left , this time with more apparent progress. One witness said the Federals "charged gallantly up the hill where one of the opposing batteries was planted, cutting down the gunners with their fire," another that they were "almost in contact" with the Confederate guns. Milroy felt he was on the verge of success , but orders to withdraw from Fremont were about to leave him "thunderstruck", (captions) , Union Gen. Robert H. Milroy. Courtesy Library of Congress. , Major John DeHart Ross, 52nd Virginia, who was nicknamed "Mad Boy," was wounded during Milroy's assault.