Friday, Sept. 19, 1862. From Private Mike Hubbert’s diary:
“Rained last night very hard. Our Army all came across the River last night to the Virginia side, leaving many of our wounded in the hands of the Yankees. We camped two miles from Martinsburg, on the [Opequon] River,” which flows northeast into the Potomac.
Gen. McClellan’s army made a half-hearted attempt at pursuit, running headlong into Gen. D.H. Hill’s troops at Shepardstown who “drove them [back] across the [Potomac] river with great slaughter,” according to quartermaster clerk William H. Hill.
“Many of [them] were drowned in crossing back,” wrote Hubbert on Sept. 20, adding that on this clear and warm Saturday, the brigade “went to the crossroads on the Winchester Turnpike and remained all day” returning to their previous camp after dark.
The next day, Sunday, it was clear and warm as “Our Army moved to the north side of the [Opequon] River and will rest there a few days.”
Monday, the 22nd, Hubbert recorded:
“All quiet as regards the enemy. Our army is very much worn out and that is not all, it is almost starved out. Our rations have been beef and flour since we left Richmond and not more than half enough of that. Many times we have had green corn and apples issued to us and were glad to get that.”
