Opequon VA119

supportedunresolved Pond says that when Averell sent word on the 18th that he had been attacked by two infantry divisions, Sheridan eagerly changed his orders of march and moved directly against Winchester, and that Sheridan then unexpectedly had to fight Early's whole army. Early says a report of cavalry on the Berryville road brought him to Ramseur's position, where he found the enemy advancing with his whole force.

Attributed knowledge from a history and an interested report; no message log inspected.

supportedunresolved Pond says marching two corps through the long gorge consumed many hours, that Sheridan had ordered surplus wagons parked, and that Crook's troops found the ravine filled with wagons, artillery, ambulances and stragglers. Early says his trains were put in motion for their security, and Pond that he saved his trains and stores.

A history's account and an interested report; no transport return inspected.

supportedunresolved Pond says Sheridan hoped to strike the two divisions supposed to be near Winchester and overwhelm his adversary in detail. Early says his move to Martinsburg was to thwart reported repairs of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Stated aims from a history and an interested report.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen result reads Union victory and the live result Union Victory. Early says he had defeated the enemy's infantry but the superior Union cavalry turned the scale, and he retired through the town; Pond says Early's forces broke through Winchester in complete retreat.

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

disputedpost_outcome The frozen and live casualty fields read 8,630 total (US 5,020; CS 3,610). Early gives his infantry and artillery loss as 226 killed (read 22G in OCR), 1,567 wounded and 1,818 missing, total 3,611, with no full cavalry report; Pond reproduces an unsigned memorandum giving 199 killed and 1,508 wounded, total 1,707. Pond puts the Union loss at 4,900 to 5,000, saying exact figures are not ascertainable because his table's figures for Crook's Army of West Virginia include its slight Fisher's Hill casualties; he derives Early's 3,900 to 4,000 by adding to Early's reported 3,611 a cavalry loss assumed to be in the Union cavalry's ratio, about one-eleventh of the whole, and says nearly 2,000 were prisoners. Early reports hearsay of 5,800 Union wounded in Winchester hospitals.

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. Early's September 1-October 1 cavalry figure (348 killed and wounded) spans several actions and is not added. Pond's Confederate range is derived from Early's figure and is not an independent count; his Union figures for Crook's command overlap VA120 and must not be added to Fisher's Hill losses.

supportedunresolved Early says he ordered Rodes, Gordon and Breckinridge to Ramseur's aid and put Fitz Lee in charge of the cavalry on his left. Pond says Emory reported to Wright at the Opequon, that Sheridan directed Thoburn's charge in person, and stresses Sheridan's presence at every important point. The frozen commanders are Lieutenant General Early and Major General Sheridan; the live page gives Early as Major General.

Command roles from an interested report and a history; neither listed commander receives automatic sole credit, and the live rank is not adopted.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. Imported numerical estimates remain unchanged; this pass does not validate them as simultaneous opening forces.

disputedunresolved The frozen and live force fields read 54,440 total (US 39,240; CS 15,200); the source basis is not given. Early says Sheridan's infantry was nearly if not quite three times his own and his cavalry much superior, and on September 25 put the odds at three or four to one. Pond's appendix computes 17,195 without Kershaw by adding an assumed 1,700 for Fitz Lee's division, from its June 30 and July 10 inspection reports, to the September 10 "present for duty" figures, and gives Sheridan's September 10 field return as 45,509 corrected, excluding about 2,500 of Averell's cavalry. Pond derives an effective strength of 6,797 for Grover's division just before the battle from an after-action return (4,890 effective after action plus 1,907 losses for the ten days preceding September 20).

Early's ratios are interested estimates; the appendix figures are dated nine days before and do not measure the force engaged. Pond's 17,195 is his mixed-date reconstruction, not a return total, and Grover's 6,797 is derived. None is adopted as a matched opening strength.

supportedunresolved Pond says the Berryville pike passes through a wooded ravine two or three miles long after crossing the Opequon, that the ground near Winchester was undulating and generally open with patches of woods, open and excellent for cavalry north of Red Bud Run, and that the battle was fought without field-works. Early says he stopped his men in old rifle-pits built by Johnston.

Ground described by a history and an interested report; no map verification. Pond's "without field-works" and Early's stop in Johnston's old rifle-pits are in tension; neither is resolved.