Brigadier General John D. Imboden: Confederate Commander in the Shenandoah

9. The 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign

Chapter 9 The 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign F ollowing Fitzhugh Lee's raid in the first week ofJanuary 1864, Imboden's Northwestern Brigade had reunited and gone into winter quarters near Mount Crawford. It spent the next six weeks resting and replenishing. In early 1864 clothing and shoes were in short supply, but medical supplies were apparently adequate, despite an outbreak ofchicken pox.I During this period Imboden was away from the brigade, tending to personal matters in Staunton. In his absence, Col. George Smith ofthe 62d Virginia Mounted Infantry commanded the brigade. Although Smith did his best, the men had been too long in the same area under less than strict discipline, and friction soon developed with Maj. Gen. Jubal Early-which would probably have been the case even had Imboden not been away. Early always had a low opinion of "irregular" cavalrymen who believed they had enlisted only for limited service in the areas near their homes. Indeed, Early developed a strong prejudice against Imboden's troops. In any case, Early complained that he was much inconvenienced, and that in Imboden's absence his cavalry failed even to carry out proper reconnaissance. Matters came to a head when a lieutenant in Imboden's 193 194 Brigadier GeneralJohn D. Imboden Brigade killed a sergeant in the streets ofStaunton. Early exploded in a complaint both to Smith and Fitzhugh Lee.2 Historian Douglas Southall Freeman has noted that it was typical of Early neither to forget nor forgive. Early continued to complain frequently and with some vehemence in private conversations that the greater part of Imboden's Brigade was inefficient, disorganized, poorly disciplined, and unreliable. He also stated that he believed many of its members had deserted ftom other Confederate units. Freeman concluded that Early's two great failings as a general were, first, his tendency, as Robert E. Lee had noted, to fight battles by division instead of throwing his entire force into battle and, second, his "singular ineptitude" at handling his cavalry, which Freeman traced to Early's assignment in the Valley. Indeed, this experience seems to have soured Early toward all cavalry in general. As Freeman observed, "he made no effort to acquaint himselfwith that arm or to study its place in tactical co-ordination. For this neglect, whatever its origin, he was doomed to pay."3 Freeman noted that Early: devoted more energy to criticizing than to disciplining them. A military student who reviews Early's limited correspondence on the subject is left in doubt whether the faults the General attributed to most ofhis cavalry were or were not alleged to cover Early's own lack ofskill in handling mounted troops.4 ... "Old Jube," in short, acquired a violent dislike ofthe troopers who garrisoned the Valley and probably, without being aware of it, became prejudiced against cavalry in general.s Lee himselfwas not happy with discipline in Imboden's command. In September 1863 he wrote Imboden: "Prominent citizens of the valley have made serious complaints of the conduct of Captain Shearer's company ofGilmor's battalion. I wish you would see to it. Ifthey cannot be brought under proper discipline, and continue to harass our own citizens by their bad conduct, they had much better be disbanded."6 In any case, when Imboden returned, he was incensed to learn of Early's attitude and the complaint to Smith. Although Early had not raised the matter in Imboden's presence or made it a personal issue, on February 12 Imboden protested Early's charges in a formal, dignified, The 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign 195 and well-reasoned letter to Lee, in which he noted: "the fact that [General Early] is my commanding officer justifies me in the effort I now make to defend myself and command against sneers unofficially and publicly made which are calculated, if true, to bring me and my command into disrepute and contempt. I hope to be able to prove that Gen. Early has done me and my command gross injustice by yielding to the promptings ofprejudice rather than reason."? Imboden demanded that a court of inquiry look into the matter and that its findings, adverse or positive, be published in the Valley.s Early stated that reports ofhis remarks had been "very greatly exaggerated ." He did, however, reiterate his opinion that Imboden's command was in fact very poorly disciplined and that, as a result, he would be reluctant "to...