Federals Take Three Churches

At noon on Day One, the Federals were near the Old Romney Road to west of Three Churches. They had just driven a small Confederate force from the J. Saville farm and were preparing to launch an attack on new Confederate positions in town. The Union troops were the 1st Brigade of Lander's Division. Their commander, Colonel Nathan Kimball, had been detached to special duty north of Romney and the brigade was under command of the next senior officer, Colonel Thomas Osborn. They were not yet away that Colonel Kimball had been wounded and captured that morning during an assault on the Leith Farm. 

Colonel Osborn faced two "brigades" of Virginia Militia (each about the size of a regiment) under command of Brigadier General Gilbert S. Meem. The two brigades took position along a stone wall; one north of Old Romney Road near a church, and one to the south of the road, south of an orchard.

The militia was supported by the Rockbridge Artillery, whose commander was killed in fighting around Romney during the previous campaign. The battery was now under command of Lieutenant William S. Poague, who placed a gun in the orchard and the others in town near two of the three churches for which it is named.

Colonel Osborn decided to concentrate his attack on the enemy's left flank, instead of a direct assault on both militia brigades.

Federals prepare to advance on Three Churches and assault Confederate positions to the west.

Confederate right to the north of Old Romney Road at the west edge of Three Churches.

Confederate left along the stone wall south of Old Romney Road and just south of the orchard.

Lieutenant Poague's forward gun in the orchard.

The Confederate position just prior to the Federal assault, slightly after 12:00 p.m.

Union troops begin to engage the Confederate left.

Confederate Militia on the left returning fire from behind the stone wall, as artillery fires in the center of town.

As Federal intentions become clear, the militia brigade on the right displaces and moves through town to refuse the Confederate left flank.

As the Federal right tries to move on the Confederate flank, the Federal left (39th Illinois) takes heavy losses from canister fired by Poague's gun in the orchard.

The Federal right engages the Confederates' refused flank, and attempts to advance on a stone wall perpendicular to the Confederate main line.

With one "brigade" behind the stone wall and the other in an open field of corn stubble, the Confederates keep the Federal advance at bay.

As the Federals attempt to press their assault, a massive explosion on the east side of town shakes the ground and sends fiery debris across the battlefield. The Confederates have destroyed an ordnance depot.

Only momentarily fazed by the explosion, the Federals push forward and take the inner stone wall off the Confederate left.

Shortly after the explosion, the Confederate artillery starts pulling back and limbering.

With Lieutenant Poague's Battery limbering, the Union infantry makes another push and forces back the refused left flank in the corn field.

The militia at the stone wall hold their position until all of the guns are safely to the rear, and then they are given the order to retreat.

With the supply depot destroyed and the Confederates in retreat, the Federals advance through Three Churches town without further opposition.

As Colonel Osborn's men rest and tend to their wounded at Three Churches, Meem's militia is marching northward towards Rannel's Tavern.

The morning contact at Three Churches on Day One of the campaign has been resolved with the Federals taking the town and the Confederates being forced to retreat from the locality. The only active engagement left during the morning phase of Day One is at Romney, where the Federals have also taken the town, but Confederates are still in the immediate vicinity and contesting the locality.