Our success was very great, yet I had anticipated results still more pregnant.  Indeed, I had high hopes of capturing almost the whole of Early’s army before it reached New Market, and with this object in view, during the manoeuvres of the 21st I had sent Torbert up the Luray Valley with Wilson’s division and two of Merritt’s brigades, in the expectation that he would drive Wickham out of the Luray Pass by Early’s right, and by crossing the Massanutten Mountain near New Market, gain his rear.  Torbert started in good season, and after some slight skirmishing at Gooney Run, got as far as Milford, but failed to dislodge Wickham.  In fact, he made little or no attempt to force Wickham from his position, and with only a feeble effort withdrew.  I heard nothing at all from Torbert during the 22d, and supposing that everything was progressing favorably, I was astonished and chagrined on the morning of the 23d, at Woodstock, to receive the intelligence that he had fallen back to Front Royal and Buckton ford.  My disappointment was extreme, but there was now no help for the situation save to renew and emphasize Torbert’s orders, and this was done at once, notwithstanding that I thought, the delay, had so much diminished the chances of his getting in the rear of Early as to make such a result a very remote possibility, unless, indeed, far greater zeal was displayed than had been in the first attempt to penetrate the Luray Valley.

The battle of Fisher’s Hill was, in a measure, a part of the battle of the Opequon; that is to say, it was an incident of the pursuit resulting from that action.  In many ways, however, it was much more satisfactory, and particularly so because the plan arranged on the evening of the 20th was carried out to the very letter by Generals Wright, Crook, and Emory, not only in all their preliminary manoeuvres, but also during the fight itself.  The only drawback was with the cavalry, and to this day I have been unable to account satisfactorily for Torbert’s failure.  No doubt, Wickham’s position near Milford was a strong one, but Torbert ought to have made a fight.  Had he been defeated in this, his withdrawal then to await the result at Fisher’s Hill would have been justified, but it does not appear that he made any serious effort of all to dislodge the Confederate cavalry:  his impotent attempt not only chagrined me very much, but occasioned much unfavorable comment throughout the army.

We reached Woodstock early on the morning of the 23d, and halted there some little time to let the troops recover their organization, which had been broken in the night march they had just made.  When the commands had closed up we pushed on toward Edinburg, in the hope of making more captures at Narrow Passage Creek; but the Confederates, too fleet for us, got away; so General Wright halted the infantry not far from Edinburg, till rations could be brought the men.  Meanwhile I, having remained at Woodstock, sent Dedin’s