Battle
Early arrived in Lynchburg at one o'clock on June 17, having been sent by General Robert E. Lee. Three hours later, Averell encountered McCausland's and Imboden's dismounted cavalry entrenched at the Quaker Meeting House, four miles from the city. The Confederates were driven back after Col. Carr B. White's brigade moved in to support Averell. Two brigades of Maj. Gen. Stephen Dodson Ramseur's division occupied the area around a redoubt two miles from the city and hindered the Union advance.
Hunter made Sandusky his headquarters and planned the attack on Early's defenses. That night, trains could be heard moving up and down the tracks. Also, various instruments such as bugles and drums were heard by Hunter's troops. Even the people of Lynchburg made noise by having bands play and citizens scream. Their goal was to make the Confederate army seem larger than it really was.
On June 18, Major Generals Arnold Elzey and Robert Ransom, Jr. arrived from the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. Elzey assumed command of Breckinridge's infantry and dismounted cavalry while Ransom superseded Imboden as commander of the mounted cavalry. Early elected to remain defensive and wait for the rest of the Second Corps to arrive. The redoubt now known as Fort Early was at the center of the Confederate line, with Maj. Gen. John Brown Gordon's division on the left and Brig. Gen. William G. Lewis's brigade on the right. McCausland commanded the right flank, which included a redoubt, and Elzey's command defended the area between it and Lewis' brigade. Col. Scott Shipp's VMI cadets were placed in reserve at Spring Hill Cemetery while the inner defenses were occupied by the Confederate Home Guard.
Hunter, still not convinced that Lee had sent reinforcements to Lynchburg, deployed Sullivan's and Crook's divisions in front of the Confederate center, with Averell in reserve, and sent an order to Duffié to attack the Confederate right. Reconnoitering the line in an effort to find a weak spot to push his infantry through, Hunter ruled out a direct attack on the redoubts, for they appeared too strong. He allowed Lt. Col. Henry A. du Pont to deploy his thirty-two cannons. Crook was sent to flank the Confederate left, but marched a few miles before finding it impracticable. The Confederates attacked Sullivan and du Pont, who managed to hold them at bay until Crook returned. The Confederates fell back after a half hour of fighting, but spent the next hour and twenty minutes attempting to break through the gap between Sullivan and Duffié before withdrawing to their earthworks. A regiment of Col. Rutherford B. Hayes' brigade pursued them but were beaten back.
Meanwhile, McCausland succeeded in holding off Duffié's assaults. As ammunition ran short, both Hunter and Duffié became convinced that they were outnumbered. Early then prepared to begin an attack of his own, but Hunter retreated at nightfall.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Lynchburg
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