Battle Of Myersville AAR

July 26, 1862
Department of War, Washington City
Hon. E Stanton

Dear Sir,

It is my honor and duty to report the outcome of a large battle fought this afternoon south of Myersville, Maryland.  The corps performed splendidly and all but destroyed the rebel forces operating in this region.

The unit was on the march towards Silver Run, when elements of General Seitzinger's corps attacked from the west.  This attack was not well coordinated as the enemy did not stop and deploy into line of battle, but rather committed his brigades as they arrived on the field.  The initial assault was against General Platter's division.  General Eden, who took command of 2nd division from an ailing Gen. Simpson, assisted in the defense.  This initial fight was decisive and the enemy scattered.

No sooner had the initial engagement slackened than a brigade of Texans attacked from the north.  This unit ran into 1st division, under the command of it's senior brigade commander, Gen. Palmer.  Here too the enemy came on quickly without much coordination.  In fact they came quite close to my field headquarters.  But the Glorietta Hairlifters rushed into the battle and nearly annihilated the Texas brigade.  Good manners require me to refrain from any further description of the brief but intense fighting that occurred here.

With the enemy dispatched, I prepared to get the column moving again towards Silver Run.  No sooner had orders been written, when a second large rebel force appeared in the south.  This turned out to be the division led by General Neal, the Father General.  The divisions were quickly realigned with Eden's and Platter's divisions deployed to receive the attack.  Gen Palmer's division was kept to the southeast to attack the enemy flank as soon as they fully committed to the battle.

This new attack at first made some progress against Platter's 3rd division.  But 1st division assaulted the enemy right flank and began to roll it up.  General Newton's brigade managed to maneuver well behind the enemy lines and nearly captured the Father General himself.  It was reported to me that General Neal fled in some haste, but left his baggage train which Newton claimed as spoils of war.  Nothing of value was found.  Only a large consignment of bibles, hair shirts and sack cloth were being transported.

In a short time, Palmer's counterattack, which was handsomely coordinated with one from Eden's 2nd division, put the enemy into headlong flight.

No sooner had this second attack been crushed, when two more brigades of Seitzinger's corps attacked General Platter.  Again Eden's 2nd division aided in the defense and this third force was nearly surrounded and destroyed.

General Palmer was ordered to reassemble his forces and begin the march towards Silver Run yet again.  His columns arrived at the outskirts of Myersville, where he found two more rebel brigades blocking his path.  As Palmer began to deploy again, orders were sent to the other two divisions to move up, so the assault would be in full and irresistible.  Unfortunately, darkness fell and the battle drew to a close.

I believe these two brigades are all that remain from the sizable confederate force that was plundering western Maryland.  Both Seitzinger's corps and Neal's division no longer have any military significance.

Our casualties were moderate in nature, considering we were outnumbered by approximately 3,000 men.  Our most recent count shows 1,200 men killed, 4,799 men wounded, a great many only lightly so, and 1,059 men missing, although many are returning to their units this night.  Our estimates of rebel casualties place them at somewhat higher than our own.

I request replacement men and guns be sent as soon as possible.  I am now in a position to take my force south into the Shenandoah.  I intend to make the enemy regret his foray into Maryland.


I remain your obedient servant,

Marcellus T. Georgia, General, Commanding

General Neal’s report to the War Office.  Dated the morning following the battle of Myersville..........  

It has been some little time since my last report, but I have been engaged on God’s work, so you will forgive me.  I now have the honour to report a satisfyingly sanguinary and glorious engagement yesterday.

The previous evening, I had offered General Seitzinger hospitality.  This was a somewhat difficult meeting.  For Seitzinger.  

I impressed on him that my intention was to march directly north to Washington come-what-may.  It was therefore necessary for him to engage Georgia’s Union force, and prevent it from interfering with my division’s march.  I further insisted that he cleanse his corps of "Abomination" (dice, drink, playing cards).  He expressed anxiety that Georgia outnumbered him, but I reassured him that The Almighty would not let him fail.  

But that night I had a revelation.  It became clear to me that his corps contained too many sinners, and that Our Lord could therefore not be counted upon to save him.  I consulted Deuteronomy XXIV, versus 13-15, and the solution was plain.  I resolved to delay my march, and save him myself.  I would not act too quickly however.  It was necessary that Seitzinger and his miscreants should go through purgatory before achieving salvation.  Ideally some thousands of them should first pay the blood price.  The Good Lord would naturally take the most sinful to his bosom, and thus the whole corps would be purified.  I would attack, but not immediately.  I would also keep contact with the abominable Seitzinger to a minimum.

This morning my division was encamped just east of Pleasant Valley, a small hamlet, with a fine 18th C chapel.  After prayers, I immediately sent General Eldridge north with our finest brigade.  He was to maintain the fiction to both Seitzinger and Georgia that my division was indeed moving north.  All commenced well.  An increasingly anxious Eldridge started bombarding me with reports that Seitzinger was on the verge of collapse (as clearly was Eldridge).  I advised him to keep his bible close by, which I do believe gave him comfort.  Unfortunately he shortly afterwards choked on a cheese sandwich, and was unable to continue in command.

I now judged the moment propitious to attack, and advanced the division north towards the Yingling Farm, which I judged to be the enemy southern flank.  Gordon’s Brigade was on our left and Ramseur’s on our right, with Baldwin and Parker’s Brigades in support.  This advance was initially blessed with considerable success, and we took a Union division under General ‘Malpertuis’ Eden in the flank.  Here and further east we captured a number of regimental flags, and Georgia was forced to throw in cavalry to try and delay us.  

At the time I believed that Seitzinger’s men were attacking from the other direction, and indeed that we almost had Eden’s advanced elements surrounded.  This later proved not to be the case.  I see in this a mark of divine favour, in that Our Lord prevented Seitzinger’s ungodly legions from participating in the glory of this particular action.

The men performed splendidly, against huge odds, and a core of survivors established a strong position with our artillery battery to the S of Yingling, which the enemy did not dare attack.  At this point dusk fell.  I expect my men to fight well, so specific citations are unnecessary (and might encourage undue pride).  However credit should be given to Stevens’ Brigade from S Carolina, which fought alongside my boys throughout the afternoon.  This shows what Seitzinger’s men are capable of.

I believe this action reflects great credit on Confederate arms.  From prisoners taken by our cavalry during the evening, it is clear that Georgia’s force suffered total losses of in excess of 11,000 men, the bulk of those being killed and wounded.  That is over 60% of his force.  Our own losses were very similar, but more than half of these were adulterators, fornicators and other sinners from Seitzinger’s corps.  I believe that his regiments will fight much better in future, cleansed of these elements.

They say General Georgia is putting it about that all our forces are wrecked.  That is ridiculous, and there really is no end to the fellow’s mendacity.  Careful and sober counts made by my staff and Seitzinger’s reveal that we had 10,266 men with the colours when dusk fell.  This is over 2,000 more than the Union!  Furthermore virtually all these men were north of the river at Silver Run and Myersville, including Eldrige’s brigade still at full strength.   I see in the latter a mark of divine favour, in that Our Lord prevented this elite force from loss, and thus preserved it for future action.

Last night I marched the other brigades of my division, plus the survivors of Stevens’ Brigade, around the Union army and camped just north of the W Frock Farm, thus uniting my division with Seitzinger’s corps.  Most of our stragglers re-joined us on the march, and I dare say the same is true for Seitzinger.  Although a proper count has yet to be made, I estimate our effective force this morning to be at least 18,500 men, although this does include those lightly wounded.

The Lord’s plan worked perfectly.  Georgia having failed to take Silver Run, or even Myersville, the route to Washington is now open.  My intention now is to take command of Seitzinger’s men, and forthwith march the entire force on that nest of vipers in Washington.  Truly the Lord works in mysterious ways.  I will now be in a position to march in much greater strength.  

This may mean another difficult meeting.  For Seitzinger.

Praise the Lord

The Father General
Commanding General, ‘The Army of Divine Retribution’

I’m coming home dear Lucy—soon: unscathed, undefeated.  Hungry for your touch, your kisses, your love.

This place we fought today, Myersville, will forever be known as hallowed ground.  For I believe God himself intervened in my behalf after General Georgia once again sent us into a trap.  How can one be so incompetent and yet fool Stanton into believing he is the best general in the army?

I hear each day General Georgia’s rants on the faults of beloved General McClellan: “He sees more rebels than there really are.”  “He doesn’t understand the importance of relieving the enemy of his wealth.”  On and on he rambles, knowing how much I respect Little Mac, trying to make me lose my nerve.  But I am of steel and will not succumb to his provocations, as long as he leaves you out of his jabs.  For if that were to happen. . . well. . . I dare not even think of such horror.

Back to the battle, as usual, our morning briefing was below amateur.  General Georgia’s eyes were red as blood, no doubt the result of another long night with the bottle and the Widow Nelson.   He ordered the whole corps northwest to Silver Run (of course my division, that’s right I lead the division now, led the way).  He told us the Father General was there with his entire Army and that we would attack him once formed up.  General Georgia sent the cavalry east, where he thought General Seitzinger to be.  
Less than an hour into our march, Seitzinger’s rebels attacked my columns from the WEST!  Charging down the hill like Celtic madmen, screaming that awful yell.  But I was not unnerved.  In fact, the opposite is true.  I’ve never been calmer under fire.  I deftly turned my division and set them to their work.  (Here I should mention that some vandal stole all of my division’s limber horses during the night before, so my division fought the battle with no artillery support; no doubt, General Georgia now has more horses in his private reserve.)

What a splendid division I command.  The boys fought the entire battle, ignoring loses and always driving the enemy.  We didn’t take a single step back.

But lo and behold, what happened next almost shocked me.  The Father General himself attacked us from the SOUTH!  Can you believe it?  General Georgia couldn’t have been more wrong about the enemy’s position!  General McClellan may exaggerate the rebel numbers, but at least he knows from which direction they will come!

Fortunately for General Georgia, he has me under his command.  As hard of fighting as I’ve ever seen, but we drove them back.  Victory and Glory again.

The Italians fought well under my command.  But they were very fresh, having seen no real action before this day.  But I guess Brig. General Santa Maria has fallen out of General Georgia’s favor, because he didn’t send me a courier ordering me to put them somewhere safe in the line.  But I fear I know the reason why.  Rumor has it a large shipment of gold and silver came to General Georgia from out west, Colorado.  And again. . . lo and behold. . . Brig. General Palmer (now commanding 1st Division) was put into a support position from where he was able to clean up all the broken regiments my boys had shot up.  Already General Georgia is heaping praise on Palmer and hardly mentioning my name, unless in a criticism.

But I've come to accept the fact that General Georgia will never give me any credit.  And that's all right.  All I need is your love and support.

I soldier on for you.

Your Loving Husband,
Brig. General Martin Eden

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