Saltville VA082

supportedunresolved Stoneman says Burbridge's advanced guard reported at dawn on the 21st that the enemy had burned and evacuated the place the night before. Breckinridge says he had reported that the enemy gained Saltville during the night of the 20th, and that his advance reached the vicinity at daylight on the 21st.

Timing reported by the two commanders; no message log inspected.

disputedpost_outcome Stoneman says the kettles, machinery, pumps, wells and buildings were destroyed on the 21st, cites Confederate papers for 92,000 bushels of salt at the works and 128 good kettles remaining with 788 broken, and disputes an official report that the wells were not seriously damaged; he captured 8 guns and ammunition. Breckinridge says the salt-works proprietor had told him no raiding force could stop operations for more than a few weeks, and refers to an inclosed letter on the extent of injury (not inspected).

Damage reported by the Union commander and relayed by the Confederate commander; the extent is disputed and is campaign context.

supportedunresolved Stoneman calls the destruction of the salt-works the only thing left to do after Marion; the frozen description says the capture and destruction accomplished the raid's objective. Breckinridge says he had left Saltville to follow the enemy for the reasons given for VA081.

Stated aims from the Union commander and a summary.

supportedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Union victory. Stoneman says all the works were evacuated and in Stacy's possession by 11 p.m. on the 20th with the town in flames; Breckinridge says his troops threatened the place and attacked the pickets on the 21st and that the enemy retired that night and the next morning.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.

supportedpost_outcome The frozen casualty field reads Unknown; the live field reads zero. Stoneman says Stacy's charge captured two guns, two officers and several privates without the loss of a man and with two horses killed. Breckinridge, excluding Vaughn's and Duke's commands (no report yet) and the citizens he says made up most prisoners, says not more than twenty others were taken, most at the capture of Saltville, and that the enemy left two rifled guns at Saltville. He adds that the prisoners from the enemy, including the wounded left in Confederate hands, would reach 200, and that the enemy left at least 800 horses (read '8'00' in OCR).

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Breckinridge's 200 prisoners and 800 horses follow his account of the retreat from Saltville and cover the expedition's withdrawal; they are context and are not assigned to this record.

supportedunresolved The frozen and live commanders are Major Generals George Stoneman and John C. Breckinridge. Stoneman says he directed Burbridge to attack from the north and Gillem from the south, accompanied Gillem's column, ordered Colonel Stacy's dash into the town, and credits Stacy's regiment with the most conspicuous part, adding that Burbridge's force on the right did not act with equal vigor. Breckinridge was not at Saltville when it fell; he says Colonel Preston had no alternative when he evacuated it.

Command roles from the two commanders; the listed Confederate commander was absent from the capture, and the listed commanders do not receive automatic sole credit.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical strength bounds are blank (missing_numeric_strength). No figure in this pass is adopted as a simultaneous opening force.

disputedunresolved The frozen force field reads Divisions, without bounds; the live field reads '0 total (US ; CS ;)', and the frozen description calls the defenders outnumbered. Stoneman's telegram says about 700 home guards under Colonel Preston were found at the works, and his report that his whole force was present. Breckinridge says he left the reserves, some dismounted men and artillerymen under Col. Robert Preston, numbering some 400, when he followed Stoneman.

A Union estimate after the capture and the Confederate commander's figure for the garrison he left days earlier; no return. None is adopted as a matched opening strength.

supportedunresolved Stoneman describes very strong fortifications around the salt-works, says Gillem's column approached within 1,500 yards of Fort Breckinridge, and that Stacy's regiment dashed up the steep hill on which the fort stood, over the rifle-pits and into its gorge. Breckinridge says Preston's force had some pieces in position.

Works described by the two commanders; no map verification. The works predate the attack, but the claim also describes the assault, so the phase is left unresolved.