This small action during the American Civil War had taken place in the Shenandoah Valley and named after the town in that region. The battle site and environs are isolated by the North Fork of the Shenandoah River to the west, the Massanutten Mountains to the east, and the Mount Jackson Meem's Bottom bridge to the north. The area's major topography includes the village of New Market, which was inhabited during the battle, the valley turnpike, which divides the battle areas in two sections and follows a north-south route, the Luray road that follows a east-west track through the village, the Luray wood east of New Market, the ravine and its prominences west of NM, a gulch north of NM, Smith's Creek, and Rude's Hill. The area had been deluged by rains. It is possible that it had rained during the action, periodically. The ground proved particularly soft and difficult to traverse with artillery, wagons, and cavalry. Some exceptions may be the "macadamized main street" and the packed dirt roads, wood and orchard. Smith's Creek is also difficult or non-traversible because of increased flooding, deep and fast-running waters. There were, approximately, a total of 11,650 combatants from both sides, although not all had been committed to action. Using 1:20 representational ratio (RR), this would equal about 526 historical-rendered casting, representing artillerists, mounted cavalry, and infantry. The major portion of the action had taken place between the village area and Bushong's house with Dunker Church near Rude's Hill being a pre-disengagement area for Union formations. The area from the village of NM to Dunker Church in which the engagements of the battle had taken place measures about two square miles. This doesn't include the space necessary for General Imboden's early flank manuever east of Smith's Creek. Union Battle Formations M-G Franz Sigel 1st Infantry Div. B-G J. Sullivan 1st Bde. (2350) Col. A. Moor 28th Ohio* veteran L-C Gottfried Becker 116th Ohio* regular-veteran Col. James Washburn 123rd Ohio regular Maj. Horace Kellogg 18th Connecticut regular Maj. Henry Peale 2nd Bde. (2350) Col. J. Thoburn 54th Pennsylvania regular-veteran Col. Jacob M. Campbell 34th Massachuetts [500] green-regular Col. George D. Wells 1st W. Va.regular-veteran L-C Jacob Weddle 12th W. Va.regular Col. William B. Curtis 1st Cavalry Div. (1100) B-G J. Stahel (+) 1st Bde. Col. W.B. Tibbets 1st N.Y."Lincoln" (600) veteran L-C Alonzo W. Adams Maj. Timothy Quinn 1st Maryland P.H.** green-regular Maj. J. Daniel 1st N.Y. Veteran*' veteran Col. R. Taylor 21st N.Y. green-regular Maj. C. Otis (+)14th Penna. Det.** regular-veteran Capt. A.F. Duncan 2nd Bde.*** Col. J. Wynkoop 14th Penna. green-regular 15th N.Y. green-regular 20th Penna. green 22th Penna. green The Union Artillery Bde. (28/700) Capt. H. Dupont Bty. B, 5th U.S. Arty. [4/100] Capt. Henry Dupont Bty. G, 1st W. Va. Lt. Arty. [6/150] Capt. Chatham T. Ewing Bty. D, 1st W. Va. Lt. Arty. [6/150] Capt. J. Carlin Lt. E. Chalfant 30th Bty. N.Y. Lt. Arty. [6/1501 Capt. Albert von Kleiser Bty. B, Md. Lt. Arty. [6/150] Capt. A. Snow Confederate Battle Formations M-G John C. Breckinridge Wharton's Bde. (1620) B-G G.C. Wharton 45th Va. veteran 51 st Va. regular-veteran (L-C J.M. Massie, prior CO) 30th Va. Bn. (3 coys.) veteran (Col. A.T. Harrison, prior CO) (+) Echols' Bde. (2120) B-G John Echols (+) 62nd Va. Rgt. [500] veteran (dismounted role only) Col. George H. Smith 23rd Va. Bn. veteran Ltc. Clarence Derrick 26th Va. veteran Col. G.M. Edgar 22nd Va. regular Col. G.S. Patton Reserve (210) VMI Cadets (4 coys.) regular Ltc Scott Ship, Capt. H.A. Wise (-) Imboden's Cav. Bde. (1000) B-G John D. Imboden 18th Va. veteran Col. George W. Imboden 23rd Va. veteran Col. Robert White The Maryland Bn.**** regular- veteran Gilmor and Davis Partisans veteran McNeill Imboden's Horse Artillery McClanahan's Va. Bty. (6/80) regular-veteran Capt. J.H. McClanahan Lt. Carter Berkeley Confederate Artillery (8/130) Maj. W. McLaughlin McLaughlin's Bty. [6/80] regular- veteran Maj. William McLaughlin VMI Cannon Section [2*****/50] regular Lt. C.H. Minge Notes: *These regiments did not partake in the battle. **Conjecturally about 300 troopers. ***Conjectually about 200 troopers. ****Very small quantities. *****The Cadets used 3" ordinance rifles. Most manpower strengths are systematized and conjectural, based on 6500 available Union combatants and 5150 available Confederate combatants. Artillery are fairly accurate in numbers. Commanding officers have not been included in manpower estimates for this article. ACTION HIGHLIGHTER 1. An advance formation of Union infantry and cavalry had contacted part of Imboden's Cav. Bde. at Mount Jackson on the 14th. This forced the small force of confederates to retreat to NM, Some skirmishing in the vicinity of NM. 2. General Breckinridge has begun his first assaults with artillery support and Wharton's Bde. crossing the ravine west of the village. 3. General Imboden had moved his Cav. Bde. and Horse Arty. east across the Luray road bridge to threaten the Union's rear left wing. 4. The Union line must retire to a safer posture. The confederates enter NM without contest. Some Union cavalry had attempt to engage. 5. The Union line is reformed near Bushong's house. The Cadet Corps and the dismounted 62nd Va. charged across open ground and through a gulch to capture von Kleiser's bty. This was partially successful. Col. Thoburn ordered to counter-charge confederate formations. Capt. Carlin withdraws in a hurry and prematurely from line of battle. The 12th W. Va. had refused orders to protect btys. in line. 6. The Union line isa reformed near Dunker Church. The 28th and 116th Ohio are found in a defensive line on Rude's Hill. Confederates halt and awa;t to replenish their ammo when the wagons arrive. 7. After conference with his senior officers. General Sigel had elect to break-off engagement and retire across the Mt. Jackson bridge. The bridge is purposely destroyed. For more reading, please see the March 1997 HMGS Midsouth DISPATCH an BATTLES AND LEADERS OF THE CIVIL WAR Vol. 4 Thomas Yoseloff, Inc. Back to Dispatch Dec. 98 Table of Contents Back to Dispatch List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by HMGS Mid-South This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com