Skirmish Report - Romney, Day 3 - 6:00 a.m. - 6:30 a.m.

A Federal brigade and battery arrived at the Leith Farm (Romney) at 6:00 p.m. on Day 2 of the campaign. It arrived on the Green Spring Road from the direction Hanging Rocks, but it was too late to lend support to Colonel Erastus Tyler's command, which had already been forced to retreat down the Northwest Turnpike to Mechanicsburg Gap.

The Federal brigade could have retired back to Hanging Rock, but it was still there at 6:00 a.m. on Day 3 of the campaign (Jan. 16, 1862). As day broke, two Confederate batteries moved to the front of their infantry and engaged. They were a four-gun battery of mixed guns and a six-gun battery, also of mixed guns. A six-gun battery of 10lb Parrott rifles to the left rear of the Federal line returned fire as a company of sharpshooters moved forward on the right and began firing on the Confederate six-gun battery, later identified as Capt. William McLaughlin's Rockbridge Artillery

The left section of McLaughlin's Battery began to take heavy losses. A Confederate brigade (later identified as Garnett's Brigade) maintained its position to the rear of the two batteries. McLaughlin's Battery lost its Number One gun routed, but the infantry stayed in place. When a combination of sharpshooter fire and counter-battery fire routed the Rockbridge Artillery's Number Two gun, the infantry moved forward.

Garnett's Brigade advanced at the left oblique along Big Run, with the left of the brigade entering the woods east of the stream. This provided cover for most of the brigade, while allowing the four-gun battery and remaining guns of the Rockbridge Artillery to have a clear field of fire as the infantry advanced toward the Federal right.

Garnett's right regiment began to take heavy losses from the Federal sharpshooters (1st Company Andrews' Sharpshooters) as it move along Big Run. It began moving at the double quick and then opened fire. The sharpshooters continued to engage, but where overwhelmed and forced to retreat.

The Federal regiment at the Leith House, the 7th Virginia (US), opened fire on the advancing Confederate line, which started pivoting around the Federal right flank. The 84th Pennsylvania moved up on the Federal right along Big Run, but then fell back slightly before turning to engage. Hesitation by the 84th exposed the flank of the 7th Virginia (US).

As Garnett's Brigade pressed the Federal right, two additional regiments carrying Virginia colors came through the woods and flanked the 84th Pennsylvania. That was too much for the Federal line, which gave way and retreated, withdrawing from Romney back towards Hanging Rocks.

The Federals left 31 dead on the field and had 22 men captured. They managed to carry off between 10 and 15 Confederate prisoners.
(Note: The entire engagement was fought under AI.)