▁them ▁in ▁High land ▁County . ▁ ▁The ▁occupation ▁of ▁the ▁high ▁mountain ▁pass ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁a ▁bitter ▁winter , ▁with ▁much ▁suffering ▁and ▁disease ▁among ▁the ▁Southern ▁troops . ▁Early ▁Union ▁vict ories ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁West ▁Virginia ▁had ▁solid ified ▁control ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁mountains ▁of ▁Virginia , ▁emb old ening ▁a ▁Union ▁move ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁Sta un ton ▁to ▁Petersburg ▁Pi ke . ▁Perhaps ▁thinking ▁that ▁Confeder ate ▁mor ale ▁was ▁low , ▁a ▁Union ▁brig ade ▁of ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁under ▁Brig . ▁Gen . ▁Robert ▁H . ▁Mil roy ▁attacked ▁Johnson ▁and ▁his ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁Confeder ates ▁at ▁sun r ise ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 3 . ▁ ▁Battle ▁Mil roy ' s ▁advance ▁and ▁a ▁Confeder ate ▁sc out ing ▁party ▁had ▁sk irm ished ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 2 . ▁The ▁next ▁morning , ▁Mil roy ▁divided ▁his ▁troops ▁into ▁a ▁two ▁pr ong ed ▁attack ▁to ▁fl ank ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁camp . ▁The ▁first ▁column ▁advanced ▁up ▁the ▁Sta un ton - P ark ers burg ▁Pi ke , ▁eng aging ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁right ▁side ▁for ▁several ▁hours ▁before ▁withdraw ing . ▁Be ause ▁of ▁the ▁difficult ▁mountain ▁terrain , ▁the ▁second ▁Union ▁column ▁arrived ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁column , ▁therefore ▁unable ▁to ▁su u port ▁the ▁main ▁body ▁of ▁Union ▁troops ▁on ▁the ▁right ▁as ▁planned , ▁but ▁then ▁attacked ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁left