When it was discovered that the enemy was retiring, I
moved forward at once and arrived at New Market with my
infantry on the 7th. Rosser pushed forward on the Back and
Middle roads in pursuit of the enemy's cavalry, which was
engaged in burning houses, mills, barns, and stacks of wheat
and hay, and had several skirmishes with it, while Lomax
also moved forward on the Valley Pike and the roads east
of it. I halted at New Market with the infantry, but Rosser
and Lomax moved down the Valley in pursuit, and skirmished
successfully with the enemy's cavalry on the 8th; but on the
9th they encountered his whole cavalry force at Tom's Brook,
in rear of Fisher's Hill, and both of their commands were
driven back in considerable confusion, with a loss of some
pieces of artillery,—nine were reported to me as the number
lost, but Grant claims eleven. Rosser rallied his command
on the Back Road, at Columbia furnace opposite Edinburg,
but a part of the enemy's cavalry swept along the Pike to
Mount Jackson, and then retired on the approach of a part of
my infantry. On the 10th, Rosser established his line of
pickets across the Valley from Columbia furnace to Edinburg,
and on the 11th Lomax was sent to the Luray Valley to take position at Millford.
BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK OR BELLE GROVE.
Having heard that Sheridan was preparing to send part of his troops to Grant, I moved down the Valley again on the 12th. On the morning of the 13th we reached Fisher's Hill, and I moved with part of my command to Hupp's Hill, between Strasburg and Cedar Creek, for the purpose of reconnoitring. The enemy was found posted on the North bank of Cedar Creek in strong force, and, while we were observing him, without displaying any of my force except a small body of cavalry, a division of his infantry was moved
