it was by McCausland's sack
of Chambersburg, was simply too much for the Union command. The
Shenandoah situation had to be cleaned up immediately, and, after some
top-echelon dickering, Grant picked Phil Sheridan to do the cleaning.
On August 7, Sheridan assumed command of the heterogeneous Union
forces in the Shenandoah and began welding them into an army. On the
10th, he started south after Early, and Mosby, who generally had a
good idea of what was going on at Union headquarters, took a small
party into the valley, intending to kidnap the new commander as he had
Stoughton. Due mainly to the vigilance of a camp sentry, the plan
failed, but Mosby picked up the news that a large wagon train was
being sent up the valley, and he decided to have a try at this.

On the evening of the 12th, he was back in the valley with 330 men and
his two howitzers. Spending the night at a plantation on the right
bank of the Shenandoah River, he was on the move before daybreak,
crossing the river and pushing toward Berryville, with scouts probing
ahead in the heavy fog. One of the howitzers broke a wheel and was
pushed into the brush and left behind. As both pieces were of the same
caliber, the caisson was taken along. A lieutenant and fifteen men,
scouting ahead, discovered a small empty wagon train, going down the
valley in the direction of Harper's Ferry, and they were about to
attack it when they heard, in the distance, the rumbling of many
heavily loaded wagons. This was the real thing. They forgot about the
empty wagons and hastened back to Mosby and the main force to report.

Swinging to the left to avoid premature contact with the train, Mosby
hurried his column in the direction of Berryville. On the way, he
found a disabled wagon, part of the north-bound empty train, with the
teamster and several infantrymen sleeping in it. These were promptly
secured, and questioning elicited the information that the south-bound
train consisted of 150 wagons, escorted by 250 cavalry and a brigade
of infantry. Getting into position on a low hill overlooking the road
a little to the east of Berryville, the howitzer was unlimbered and
the force was divided on either side of it, Captain Adolphus Richards
taking the left wing and Sam Chapman the right. Mosby himself remained
with the gun. Action was to be commenced with the gun, and the third
shot was to be the signal for both Richards and Chapman to charge.

* * * *