David A. Russell lost his life. My report, written
September 27, 1864, described, in general, a further part taken by
my brigade:

"The broken troops of my brigade were halted and reformed in a
woods behind troops from the reserve, which had come forward to
fill up the interval. As soon as reformed, they were moved forward
again over the same ground they had traversed the first time.
While moving this portion of my brigade forward, I received an
order from Brigadier-General Ricketts, commanding division, to
again unite my brigade near the centre of the corps, and to the
right of the turnpike, near a house. This order was obeyed at
once, and my whole brigade was placed on one line, immediately
confronting the enemy. The four regiments of my brigade, that were
upon the left, kept connection with the First Brigade, Third
Division, and fought desperately, in the main driving the enemy.
They also captured a considerable number of prisoners in their
first advance.

"Heavy firing was kept up along the whole line until about 4 P.M.,
when a general advance took place. The enemy gave way before the
impetuosity of our troops, and were soon completely routed. This
brigade pressed forward with the advance line to, and into, the
streets of Winchester. The rout of the enemy was everywhere
complete. Night came on, and the pursuit was stopped. The troops
of my brigade encamped with the corps on the Strasburg and Front
Royal roads, south of Winchester."

It was Sheridan's design, if Wright's attack had been completely
successful, to push Crook rapidly past Winchester and seize the
Strasburg pike, and thus cut off Early's retreat; but the repulse
of the Nineteenth Corps made it necessary to move Crook to our
right. This caused some delay, during which the Sixth Corps bore
the brunt of the battle. General Hayes, in his report, dated
October 13, 1864, described the part taken by a division of Crook's
command:

"I have to honor to report that at the battle of Opequon, September
19, 1864, the Second Infantry Division, Army of West Virginia, was
commanded by Colonel Isaac H. Duval until late in the afternoon of
that day, when he was disabled by a severe wound, and the command
of the division devolved upon me. Colonel Duval did not quit the
field until the defeat of the enemy was accomplished and the serious
fighting ended. The division took no part in the action during the
forenoon, but remained in reserve at the Opequon b