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Civil War & Reconstruction Civil War First Union Occupation General Augur and Falmouth Skirmish

General Augur and Falmouth Skirmish

The newspaper, “The Norfolk Day Book of Saturday” wrote the following about the Falmouth Skirmish:

“Our [Union] loss was five killed and sixteen wounded. The gallant achievement of General Augur in driving back from a strong position an enemy consisting of three regiments of infantry, four of cavalry, and two batteries of artillery, elicits the highest admiration, as does the brilliant feat of the Brooklyn Fourteenth in keeping up with the cavalry and artillery on a march of twenty-six miles, during the hottest day of the season, and then with but three hours rest dashing on after the enemy’s cavalry for four miles.” The newspaper wrote about the abandonment of Fredericksburg by the Confederates: “At 4 o’clock on the afternoon of Thursday the Yankees appeared six miles from Falmouth. Our pickets were driven in, several were wounded. “The enemy being in large force advanced, and our troops fell back to Fredericksburg and set fire to three bridges across the river, also burnt three steamers and twenty-two vessels loaded with one hundred thousand bushels of corn, and one hundred bales of cotton at the depot.  The panic of the inhabitants was tremendous. Our troops evacuated the city. The enemy sent shell after them, which struck the cotton factory, doing much damage. The rolling stock of the railroad company was all saved except eight cars.”