PIEDMONT, Battle of. After the battle of New Market (q.v.), 15 May 1864, General Sigel was relieved, and 21 May General Hunter was assigned to the command of the Union forces in the Shenandoah Valley. The com mand in the field consisted of Gen. J. C. Sulli van's division of infantry, two brigades, under Colonels Moor and Thoburn; Gen. J. Stahers division of cavalry, two brigades, under Colonels Tibbits and Wynkoop, and five batteries of ar tillery. With this force of 8,500 men and 21 guns, Hunter broke camp on Cedar Creek on the 26th to move on Staunton and Lynchburg, marched to Woodstock., and *mice to Harrisoubarg, where, 2 June, he learned that General Imboden was at Mount Crawford, eight miles distant, barring the direct road to Staunton. He avoided Imboden by passing his right by way of Port Republic. From his camp one mile south of Port Republic he advanced early on the morning of the 5th on the Staunton road, met the Confederate cavalry at 6 A.M., and drove them after a sharp skirmish, with a loss of 75 men killed, wounded and missing. At Piedmont, seven miles southwest of Port Re public, Hunter found Gen. W. E. Jones with a Confederate force of 6,000 men and 12 guns, strongly posted, his left resting on Middle River, a tributary of the Shenandoah. Line was formed; Moor's brigade on the right; Thoburn's on the left; Wynkoop's cavalry massed in rear of Moor. Hunter's artillery opened at 9 A.m., and after a fire of less than two hours Moor at tacked the Confederate left and drove the first line back on the second, which was on a curving ridge of heavily wooded hills, and on reaching which Moor was checked and fell back with some loss, the Confederates following, but soon checked in turn by Moor, aided by the cross fire of three batteries. Meanwhile Thoburn had
crossed a ravine to gain the Confederate right flank. Securing an advantageous position, he made a charge on the woods and heights; there was a fierce struggle, in which bayonets and clubbed muskets were used on both sides; Moor and Wynkoop co-operated in the attack; and the Confederates abandoned their position in great disorder, leaving General Jones dead on the field, with more than 1,000 prisoners, in cluding 60 officers. In killed and wounded the Confederate loss was about 600. The next day Hunter captured 400 sick and wounded. Three guns, several battle-flags, and a large number of small arms were captured. Hunter's loss was 420 killed and wounded. General Vaughn, who succeeded Jones in command, fled with not over 3,000 effective men to Waynesboro, and abandoned Staunton. Hunter marched to Staunton on the 6th, where he was joined on the 8th by Generals Crook and Averell, who had marched from West Verginia, with 10,000 men, raising his force to 18,000 men, with 30 He destroyed much public property in Staunton, broke the railroad several miles east and west of it, and on the morning of the 10th marched for Lynchburg. Consult 'Official Records' (Vol. XXXVIII) ; Pond, The Shen andoah Valley in 1864) ; The Century Company's ' Battles and Leaders of the Civil ‘Var) (Vol. 1`