I assume Pvt. Nelson stayed behind in camp. There is nothing in his muster rolls detailing him to Washington or mentioning him in a hospital so I assume he made it through the Wilson raid in good order albeit wounded and was camped on the James River.

Come then Uncle Sam, wake up! Since courage never fails you,

Crush all traitors, North or South! Uncle Sam, what ails you?

General Phil Sheridan is appointed to command this hastily assembled army of veterans and General Torbert is given command of all the cavalry. The next four weeks, Pvt. Nelson and his fellow New York cavalrymen spent their time traveling through out the lower valley and southern Maryland, scouting, skirmishing and suffering casualties with the enemy while guarding trains, fords, mountain passes and in general learning the ground. Boonsboro, Pleasant Valley, Harper's Ferry, Cedar Creek, Winchester, Summitfield, Opequan Creek, Shepardstown, Smithfield, Kerneystown, South Mountain, Antietam Creek, Stephenson Station and Berryville are some of the towns and places that became etched into the minds of these New York men during this time. It was here where the men became acquainted with and had to learn how to guard themselves and their charges from so called Guerrillas consisting of Col. John Mosby's 43^rd Virginia Battalion of cavalry.

September 19, 1864, Sheridan becomes the aggressor now that he has a superior number of men of all combined arms. "Boots and Saddles" being sounded at 2 a.m. waken the tired troopers from their slumber and soon the various commands take their positions on the Berryville Pike. With General Merrit and the Second Division of Cavalry on the right flank, Wilson and the Third Division took up positions of battle on the union left flank skirmishing and fighting the enemy since 7 a.m. Once the confederate positions had been determined, the Union Sixth Corps moved up with Merrit's Division spreading even further on the right flank. Same on the left with the Nineteenth Corps moving up to the left of the "Bloody Old Sixth" and Wilson's men extending the union left. Once the infantry pushed the Rebs out of position, it was up to the cavalry to complete the work by harassing the confederate flanks in their retreat. Regimental loss is said to have been two or three men killed and several wounded.

One infantryman from the 114^th New York Volunteers wrote about the September 19 Battle of Winchester this way; "The cavalry of Wilson's Division was upon the field and as we passed through them our men conversed with them, and they were asked; Are there many Johnnies ahead? The reply was; Oh yes! Plenty of them and they are spunky this morning, they mean to fight today. Have you had a fight? Yes, we had a close twist and couldn't budge them and had to wait for you fellows to come up. Our men believed that the contest was to be one of unusual severity in which Gen. Sheridan's gallant and dashing cavalry had been unable to budge the enemy. What splendid soldiers those cavalrymen were. After fighting all of the forenoon, there they stood quietly holding their horses by the wayside as cool and collected as though they had been doing nothing uncommon, while patiently waiting further orders which they soon received, as the sharp report of their carbines was again heard as they were turning the right flank of the enemy and materially aiding us in gaining this "Glorious Victory."