Chapter Eighty-Two
Kill Them All and Let God Judge Them
From “The Blue Eyed Prophet of War” by Robert Lee Thomas
Carlotta Press 1906
"The Army would march with the Federals at their heels from Berryville to Staunton without any further serious threat. Yankee cavalry skirmished constantly with Stuart's horsemen, and the Army of the Potomac dogged their every step, but since Berryville the two armies had not been close enough to battle...
At Staunton General Longstreet showed his first indecision. His initial instinct had been to march south to the safety of Confederate held territory in south west Virginia and North Carolina, but several voices rose up in favor of marching east towards Richmond and Petersburg via Monkfish Gap. The optimists in the army, and there were still several in senior positions, thought they might resupply from captured Union supplies in middle Virginia...
It was not to be. Stuart's scouts reported a large formation of Union infantry near Charlottesville marching on Waynesboro. Kearny had used the captured and restored railroad to transport his negro janissaries as far as Gordonsville. Elements of Williams' XII Corps followed...
As the army moved south Stuart's scouts reported alarming news. There were Union troops dug-in at Whites Gap and Robertson Gap blocking two routes to Lynchburg. It was the Army of the James..."
From “The Life and Letters of John J. Peck” by John Watts de Peyster Jr.
Buffalo 1892
"General Peck had pressed on by forced marches. When he reached Lynchburg there were no reports of the rebel host. The Army had beaten the rebels to the door of the Shenandoah...
With but two corps, each missing a division, General Peck knew his four divisions/twelve brigades would struggle against the Army of Northern Virginia in the open field so he resolved to blocked the passes and gaps. The ground itself would help negate the rebels advantage in numbers..."
General John J. Peck was resolved to crush the Army of Northern Virginia
From “The Fighting Lambs – The Army of the James” by Geoffrey T. W. Werner
Radical Press 1928
"At Balcony Falls the rebels saw the might of the Army of the James assembled in prepared positions on the eastern bank of the North River blocking the crossings.
The artillery of both the VII and XVIII Corps would keep up a sharp fire on the rebels which would ultimately drive them off..."
From “The Blue Eyed Prophet of War” by Robert Lee Thomas
Carlotta Press 1906
"In truth Jackson and Longstreet would have risked a confrontation but their supplies of artillery ammunition were near exhausted and many regiments only had such ammunition reserves as were carried on the soldiers persons...
General Jackson concurred with Longstreet that Jackson would take his "foot cavalry" and try to secure Petits Gap. Lynchburg was clearly in Federal hands so the new destination was the railhead and depot at Danville...
A.P. Hill's Light Division had secured the Gap before the Federals had realized Jackson had gone. Jackson's troops encamped at the hamlet of Liberty while he waited for Longstreet's main force to catch up..."
From “The Life and Letters of John J. Peck” by John Watts de Peyster Jr.
Buffalo 1892
"Realizing the rebel force had side stepped his obstacles Peck sent a message to Kearny. "
I understand the Rebel Army is of more value to the so called Confederacy that this Army of the James is to our nation... I mean to move against Lee [there were only rumors of Lee's injury in Union circles at this time] in the open field and try to deal his army a blow from which it will not recover...even if it costs me this army". On receipt of the message Kearny is supposed to have emerged from his tent clutching the missive exclaiming to Reynolds and his staff "
Johnny Peck has style. He means to kill them all and let god judge them for the damn rebels they are". The Army of the Potomac would redouble its efforts to catch up with the Army of Northern Virginia...
General Peck was already on the move. The Army of the James would match Jackson's foot cavalry and exceed Longstreet's force by marching through the night to the banks of the Little Otter River and a village called Liberty..."
Colors of the Third United States Colored Troops who led the attack
From “The Fighting Lambs – The Army of the James” by Geoffrey T. W. Werner
Radical Press 1928
"Gilmore's I Division of Wright's VII Corps would lead the attack deploying all three brigades in line and advancing. The first troops to wade across the shallow river were the proud men of the 3rd United States Colored Regiment in Israel Vodges brigade. Behind Gilmore Nagle deployed his II Division troops likewise and advanced in support...
Further south it would take longer for General Foster to get his II Division, under Palmer, and III Division ("the Black Division") under Phelps, into position to attack...
For once the rebel General Stonewall Jackson had been caught by surprise. His scouts had overestimated the depth of Little Otter River. Furthermore Jackson knew, with Longstreet, he outnumbered the Union force. He did not expect to be attacked that morning..."
William H. Morris' Brigade advances
From “The War Between the States” by Otis R. Mayhew
Sword & Musket 1992
"For the numbers involved the Battle of Liberty would prove the bloodiest engagement of the Civil War. Although Jackson's force at Liberty, his four divisions of Hill, Ewell, Winder and Early, plus Hood's Division of I Corps outnumbered Peck's Army of the James (William Birney's III Division of VII Corps was further north with the Army of the Potomac and the I Division of XVIII Corps garrisoned Petersburg and the surrounding area) Jackson's troops were critically short of ammunition.
The battle would occur in relatively open fields in daylight. The presence of the largest number of negro troops yet deployed in a major engagement by the Union army only seemed to excite elements of the rebel army to greater feats of courage, determination and bloody minded endurance. Needless to say the negro troops were eager to prove their mettle...
The numbers of killed to wounded and captured was abnormally high. In what was for sometime a stand up static firefight, and later as rebel ammunition ran out, a brutal hand to hand contest, neither army had much stomach or opportunity to take prisoners. It is one of few engagements where ample evidence exists on both sides that wounded men were shot or bayoneted in the heat of battle...
Years later General Jackson would say that "
after every battle a man says "that was the hottest fight I was yet in" and believes it true. In all my years in Mexico and the late war I know that the hardest fight I ever saw was at Otter River [Liberty to the Union]"...
The bloody contest would last all day. The initial stalemate turned as Longstreet's troops arrived. Late in the afternoon General John B. Hood led his division of Texans, Georgians, Alabamans, South Carolinians and Mississippians in an effective flanking attack which forced Peck onto the defensive. As night fell Peck disengaged his army, concluding he had done enough damage and drew off towards Lynchburg before the remainder of Longstreet's force joined Jackson...
Wild's "African" Brigade goes in against Ewell's Division
The Battle of Liberty would have a profound effect on the attitudes of many rebels. "
I have been told by many learned men that you cannot make soldiers of slaves. And if slaves seem good soldiers, then our whole theory of slavery is wrong. Well I saw slaves fight that day and no man can tell me they were not good soldiers and brave men." (General Richard Ewell to his brother Benjamin)...
The Army of Northern Virginia would again march south towards Danville, bereft of ammunition, bereft of winter coats in the ever cooling season, and in many cases bereft of hope..."
