View source for Battle of Rutherford's Farm

{{short description|Battle of the American Civil War}}
{{Redirect|Battle of Stephenson's Depot|the 1863 action|Second Battle of Winchester}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Battle of Rutherford's Farm
| partof      = the [[American Civil War]]
| image       = 
| caption     = 
| date        = {{Start date|1864|7|20}}
| place       = [[Frederick County, Virginia|Frederick County]],<br>near [[Winchester, Virginia]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|39|13|9.6|N|78|8|0|W|display=title}}
| map_type    = Virginia
| map_size    = 300
| map_caption = Location of the battle in Virginia
| map_label   = 
| territory   = 
| result      = [[United States of America|Union]] victory
| status      = 
| combatant1  = {{flagicon|USA|1863}} [[United States]] ([[Union (American Civil War)|Union]])
| combatant2  = {{flagicon|CSA|1863}} [[Confederate States of America|Confederate States (Confederacy)]]
| combatant3  = 
| commander1  = [[William W. Averell]]
| commander2  = [[Stephen Dodson Ramseur|Stephen D. Ramseur]]
| commander3  = 
| units1      = 
| units2      = 
| units3      = 
| strength1   = 2,350<ref name=cwsac/>
| strength2   = 3,300<ref name=cwsac/>
| strength3   = 
| casualties1 = '''220''' total<br>36 killed<br>184 wounded
| casualties2 = '''450''' total<br>200 killed and wounded<br>250 prisoners
| casualties3 = 
| notes       = 
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Early's Raid and Operations Against the B&O Railroad}}
}}

'''The Battle of Rutherford's Farm''', also known as '''Carter's Farm''' and '''Stephenson's Depot''', was a small engagement between [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] forces under [[Major General#United States|Maj. Gen.]] [[Stephen D. Ramseur]] and Union forces under [[Brigadier General#United States|Brig. Gen.]] [[William W. Averell]] on July 20, 1864, in [[Frederick County, Virginia]], during  the [[American Civil War]], as part of Confederate [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lt. Gen.]] [[Jubal Early]]'s [[Valley Campaigns of 1864|Valley Campaign]], resulting in a Union victory.

Pvt. [[John Shanes]], Company K, [[14th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment|14th West Virginia Infantry]], received the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions in the fighting near Carter's Farm, where he, "charged upon a Confederate fieldpiece in advance of his comrades and by his individual exertions silenced the piece."

==Background==
Following two unsuccessful Union attacks on his flanks at [[Kabletown, West Virginia|Kabletown]] and Berry's Ferry, General Early ordered a withdrawal from the Confederate position at [[Berryville, Virginia|Berryville]] towards a more secure position at [[Strasburg, Virginia|Strasburg]] on July 19. The movement required the evacuation of the military hospitals and storage depots from the Confederate base of operations at [[Winchester, Virginia|Winchester]]. To cover the evacuation, Early ordered Ramseur's division to Winchester, with orders to stay within the city's defensive works and not to precipitate any unnecessary engagements with the enemy.

Three days prior, Union Maj. Gen. [[David Hunter]] had received an erroneous report of Confederate [[cavalry]] in Winchester preparing for a raid on the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]]. To meet this threat, Hunter dispatched Averell's division from [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]]. Averell got underway on July 19 and crept slowly up the valley, wary of being overrun by Early's army, making it as far as Bunker Hill by nightfall, where he made camp.

==Battle==
[[File:Rutherford%27s_Farm_Battlefield_Virginia.jpg|305px|thumb|right|Map of Rutherford's Farm Battlefield core and study areas by the [[American Battlefield Protection Program]].]]

Ramseur's division arrived at Winchester the morning of July 20, whereupon he dispatched his cavalry under [[John C. Vaughn]] and [[William Lowther "Mudwall" Jackson|William L. Jackson]] to Carter's Farm north of town to scout the enemy's position.  Confederate skirmishers found the Union encampment at Bunker Hill about 7{{nbsp}}a.m. and reported their presence to Ramseur. At 9{{nbsp}}a.m., Averell's force broke camp and set down the Valley Turnpike, fighting the Confederate skirmishers the entire way. By 11{{nbsp}}a.m., the Federals arrived at Stephenson's Depot where they encountered Vaughn's and Jackson's dismounted cavalry supported by artillery on a small ridge. The artillery opened fire halting the Union advance and prompting Averell to bring up his artillery, leading to a protracted duel.

About 2{{nbsp}}p.m., Vaughn sent a courier to Ramseur apprising him of the developments and recommending that the infantry be brought up to ambush the Union force. Despite Early's orders to stay within the defenses of Winchester, Ramseur saw the chance for a great victory and agreed with Vaughn, dispatching his infantry to the developing battle.  Within the hour the infantry arrived and was concealed in a woods atop the ridge. As the Confederate infantry was arriving, the Union assault got underway. As the Union charge approached the woods, the concealed Confederate infantry unleashed a volley of musket fire that checked the Union advance and threatened to turn its left.

Unfortunately for the Confederates, the woods in which they hid formed an acute angle with the Turnpike, leaving their left protruding towards the Union advance. Union cavalry covering the Union right soon smashed into the exposed Confederate left flank, turning it. The Confederate center and right continued to deliver devastating fire against the Union center and left, but slowly regiment by regiment of the Confederate left began to turn in full retreat towards Winchester until finally the whole Confederate line collapsed in retreat. Despite Ramseur's effort, the line could not be reassembled before it reached the defenses of Winchester. Still unsure of the whereabouts of the rest of Early's army, Averell declined to pursue the retreating Confederates, thus ending the battle.

==Aftermath==
The battle resulted in a resounding Union victory, but strategically resulted in little else except some much needed boosting of Union morale after a string of defeats by Early's veteran troops. The evacuation of Winchester continued undisturbed, and Ramseur, despite his insubordination resulting in unnecessary losses, received nothing more than stern talk from Early.

Pvt. [[John Shanes]], Company K, [[14th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment|14th West Virginia Infantry]], received the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions in the fighting near Carter's Farm, where he "charged upon a Confederate fieldpiece in advance of his comrades and by his individual exertions silenced the piece."

The site of the battlefield has recently seen heavy development. Located on the north end of [[Winchester, Virginia]] the battlefield now hosts a shopping center and office complex.

==References==
<references>

<ref name=cwsac>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121108214157/http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/CWSII/VirginiaBattlefieldProfiles/Reams%20Station%20I%20to%20Rutherfords%20Farm.pdf CWSAC Report Update]</ref>

</references>
*Patchan, Scott C. ''Shenandoah Summer:The 1864 Valley Campaign.'' University of Nebraska Press; Lincoln, Nebraska, 2007.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20210426132353/https://www.nps.gov/cebe/learn/historyculture/battle-of-rutherford-s-farm-july-20-1864.htm National Park Service battle description]
<!-- *[https://web.archive.org/web/20121108214157/http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/CWSII/VirginiaBattlefieldProfiles/Reams%20Station%20I%20to%20Rutherfords%20Farm.pdf CWSAC Report Update] -->
*[https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battles-detail.htm?battleCode=VA115 National Park Service battle detail]
*[https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/john-shanes Shanes's Medal of Honor citation]

{{Frederick County, Virginia in the American Civil War}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Valley campaigns of 1864|Rutherford's Farm]]
[[Category:Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War|Rutherford's Farm]]
[[Category:Union victories of the American Civil War|Rutherford's Farm]]
[[Category:Frederick County, Virginia, in the American Civil War|Rutherford's Farm]]
[[Category:Battles of the American Civil War in Virginia|Rutherford's Farm]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1864|Rutherford's Farm]]
[[Category:1864 in Virginia]]
[[Category:July 1864]]