Just after entering the town, Crook and I met, in the main street, three young girls, who gave us the most hearty reception.  One of these young women was a Miss Griffith, the other two Miss Jennie and Miss Susie Meredith.  During the day they had been watching the battle from the roof of the Meredith residence, with tears and lamentations, they said, in the morning when misfortune appeared to have overtaken the Union troops, but with unbounded exultation when, later, the, tide set in against the Confederates.  Our presence was, to them, an assurance of victory, and their delight being irrepressible, they indulged in the most unguarded manifestations and expressions.  When cautioned by Crook, who knew them well, and reminded that the valley had hitherto been a race-course—­one day in the possession of friends, and the next of enemies—­and warned of the dangers they were incurring by such demonstrations, they assured him that they had no further fears of that kind now, adding that Early’s army was so demoralized by the defeat it had just sustained that it would never be in condition to enter Winchester again.  As soon as we had succeeded in calming the excited girls a little I expressed a desire to find some place where I could write a telegram to General Grant informing him of the result of the battle, and General Crook conducted me to the home of Miss Wright, where I met for the first time the woman who had contributed so much to our success, and on a desk in her school-room wrote the despatch announcing that we had sent Early’s army whirling up the valley.

My losses in the battle of the Opequon were heavy, amounting to about 4,500 killed, wounded, and missing.  Among the killed was General Russell, commanding a division, and the wounded included Generals Upton, McIntosh and Chapman, and Colonels Duval and Sharpe.  The Confederate loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners about equaled mine, General Rodes being of the killed, while Generals Fitzhugh Lee and York were severely wounded.

We captured five pieces of artillery and nine battle-flags.  The restoration of the lower valley—­from the Potomac to Strasburg—­to the control of the Union forces caused great rejoicing in the North, and relieved the Administration from further solicitude for the safety of the Maryland and Pennsylvania borders.  The President’s appreciation of the victory was expressed in a despatch so like Mr. Lincoln that I give a facsimile of it to the reader: 

[In the handwriting of President Lincoln] “Executive department “Washington, Sep. 20, 1864

“Major-general Sherman
“Winchester, Va.

“Have just heard of your great victory.  God bless you all, officers and men.  Strongly inclined to come up and see you.

“A.  Lincoln.”

This he supplemented by promoting me to the grade of brigadier-general in the regular army, and assigning me to the permanent command of the Middle Military Department, and following that came warm congratulations from Mr. Stanton and from Generals Grant, Sherman, and Meade.