as to devastate the valley so far as to
destroy its future usefulness as a granary and a storehouse of the
Confederate army of Northern Virginia.

Following the instructions turned over to him by Hunter, Sheridan
moved out from Halltown on the 10th of August, and marching through
Charlestown, took up a position threatening the crossing of the
Opequon and Early's communications at Winchester. Crook, on the
left, rested on Berryville, Emory held the centre, and Wright
prolonged the line to Clifton. Torbert covered the right flank at
Summit Point, which lies eleven miles east-northeast from Winchester,
and the left, with the main body of the cavalry, nine miles south
by east from Winchester, at White Post, where his presence strongly
emphasized the menace to Early's rear. The position thus held
presently became known as the Clifton-Berryville line. While
worthless for defence, it had the double advantage of covering the
short roads to Washington through Snicker's Gap and Ashby's Gap,
and of elbowing Early out of his favorite position at Bunker Hill,
at the same time that by throwing back the right flank toward
Clifton, Sheridan's road to Charlestown and Harper's Ferry was made
safe. Early quietly let go his hold on the Baltimore and Ohio
railway, and, just as Grant had anticipated, hastened to place
himself across Sheridan's path at Winchester.

On the morning of the 11th of August, Sheridan took ground to the
left, meaning to seize and hold the fords of the Opequon, Wright
at the turnpike road between Berryville and Winchester, Emory
farther up the creek at the Senseny road, and Crook on Emory's
left, probably at the Millwood pike. The cavalry covered the right
of the Sixth Corps, and on both flanks threatened Winchester.
Early, who had moved on the previous day from Bunker Hill to a
position covering Winchester from the south, was in the act of
retiring on Strasburg when Torbert ran into his cavalry. Sharp
skirmishing resulted without bringing on a general engagement. At
night Early held and covered the valley turnpike between Newtown
and Middletown, while Sheridan, who before crossing the Opequon
had heard of Early's movement, and had simply continued his own
march up the right or east bank, rested between the Millwood crossing
of the Opequon and Stony Point on the road to Front Royal.

The melancholy failure attending the explosion of the mine before
Petersburg and the continued reduction of Grant's forces,