General Rosser Defeated at Mount Jackson "The Savior of the Valley"

by Frank Leslie

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General Rosser Defeated at Mount Jackson "The Savior of the Valley"

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Frank Leslie

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Painting - Painting

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General Rosser Defeated at Mount Jackson "The Savior of the Valley." As Union cavalry carried out “The Burning” in early October 1864, Confederate cavalry followed close behind, ordered by Gen. Jubal A. Early “to pursue the enemy, to harass him, and to ascertain his purposes.” Among the cavalry were reinforcements sent from Petersburg, the “Laurel Brigade” under Gen. Thomas Rosser, called by some the “Savior of the Valley.” Many members of his brigade were Valley natives, and the Federal destruction left them “blinded with rage at the sight of their ruined homes.” Eager for vengeance, they hammered relentlessly at the Federals on October 6-8, forcing them back “in one continuous running fight” – and, as one southern officer remembered, “in many cases [taking] no prisoners.” The Union commander, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, was infuriated by the attacks. On the night of October 8, he summoned his cavalry commander, Gen. Alfred Torbert, and ordered him to “whip the rebel cavalry or get whipped” – and to “finish this ‘Savior of the Valley’.”

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November 20th, 2021

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