The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-06-16

20 =
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| .szs FORT " 0xS1k 4sasfs.s e So
I Gen. ~ p. Banks has ipaaa his report Of the re-
treat Of his army iron, Stfas,yg IL Nif)iamspor,
on the sstl, and 18Th d.sssef fs,. 1861 We copy
portion oi the docamsst 'e s.
I HEADQUARTERS ARMY t3I1eS4xnoAif--ffsn r.
SsaRton. sscTetarr qf Hdr; Information srua nc.
csived on the evening AZ Muy I'D 1has the enemy.
IN very large force had f3csekTded rs the guard al
Front Royal Col Kcnley. iafxt Maryland R.Qi-
mcnt. commanding bssIng skf bridges and driving
our troofks towards SAxasfsfx with great loss =.
Owing to what was desfa,esf - extsssxgant state
nlent of the ensnrys strenxf them feports were
received with soine tstrusf but regiment Of IN,
fantry With strong jssarhsudnt Of cavalry aud =
section of artillery were in4neately seat 10 fein
force Col keriy. Istsr ip The evening dispatches
from fusitives who had esei.esd from Winchester
informed us that, foL Eenlv,s force had been le.
strcyed with Int am excs;,,ions. and the ensn,s
$1,000 or .00e0 strong wcrv ;,dvaucinS by rapid
marches on w inchcstrr ~ 9is9sssess -
Orders were inmediatoiv siysa tn halt TIN, rein.
forcements &c mt 10 Front kcyal which had moved
by (llfe rent route pnd ri fY,os,, rim,
der experienced officers syeya ANT IN every slirec
thn 70 explore the roads latIj,fr from Front Koyal
70 Htr.sbure MkidletOyyn Neyfowu mud Wihchfs.
ter and asccrtsin the force. position aud purpose
Of this Sudden moyeupas,t ~ The enemy II ,yas
soon found that nm pifsets rrre in posscssitn Of
every road and runors from sery s,1s,srter repre-
vented him in movement in rear of his pickefs in
tue direction Of orr cs4ry,p
The extyaord;nary force of the enemy could no
Iourer be- doubted Il was s,,nsrrnt. Also that
they had more extended purposss than The CAPTURE
of the brave little band at front HAyat-
This purpose eould he ngsbiual iesx flau the de-.
feat Of my own co.ppari q la assihie aaaeufs hy
occupying Wfaefiss{er ma BY this movement inter
aIl possibility Of retreat.
1t was also apparent, from the reports OF fugtives
prisoners Union men, and our own recoiinotering
parties, that the three divisions. Of the snemy's
troops known to be in the Valley and efnbrsciDg at
lense 21,OOU luen, were united, and close upn U.S. IN
some enterprise not yet developed
Ihe euggeston that mad their object been sur
prise they wouid not have given neticeof their ap
pfoach by an attack. on Front Royal was an
Ewered oy the fact that on the only remaining point
OF asssuit--the dtauntOn rOad--our Outposts were
five miles In advance, and daily Nconnossances
mace fOr distance OF twelve miles towards Wood
stock 81
Under rms Interpretation OF the eneniy's plans,
our position demanded instant decision aud action
Three courses were open to us: First, retreat
across Little North Mountain to the Potomac river
on the west. Second, an attack on the enemy flank
on the Front Royal road Third. rapid movement
direct upon Winchester, with view to anticipate
his occupation OF the town by seizng it ourselves,
thus placing my command in communication with
its original base Of operations, in the line Of rein
forceulents by Harper's Ferry and MartiHsburg and
securing safe retreat in case Of disaster s.,; !,
To remain at Strasburg was to be surrounded; to
move the mountains WAS to abandon our train
ut the outset and TO subject command TO flank
attacks without possibility of suceor and to attack
tho enemy In such overwhelming force could only
fesult III certain destruction 1t was therefore de
termined to enter the lists with the eIidmy in race
or battle as he should choose for the possessiop
of Winchester the key of the Valley, aud for US
the position Of. safety
|e TfiHfMARCB
At three o'clock A. NJ. the oath instant. the rein
forcements infantry artllsrx and cavalry sent To
Colonel K.nlv were rersijad tbe aduanee nr.,J
Colonel Donn.i,y,s brigade were ordered to r.turn
tn Str.shurer. ay.r,I 1,,,,Sr1 1;,,,ie, -. ~ is. j.;
our charge oy General shiedss Lssision, were yet
,rard to W;nchastr mdr &c.. ,f aa,.s -,
fantrv- C:ans-,I us.nh ,U;t, .I ~ I % - ~
f,rr. Of envairv and s;r niece. os .r,;;lar,, W.
ch.ryad ,.r;,h fha ,.r,tao.i, - .h -. - aa s a., ,
,,,nn ,n1 tha a.,r,,; - g, - ~ GA 60 &c. ca Ca o .:h 80,
,r.n,nnrtotn s w.. TT, ,ro,,;aI y, ;,i
=, rsp.n in s.n. r ,h .o, G t,,,. M ,,ss,S
on1 h,iJ .ha ,,n,, j.; ,, on No"s .. -: 's,''e. !.
tt..L h;no :: H.. ~ ou' ~
, 80 ti " 80, % .,,i -. ~ - - = ~ 80 i-, :
f,a 49, ,as ~ .s,,1',,, ~. GU. non
Coin,j n,unaI, ~ fromt Tn.i e e, ,.a,,, en5 =, a.,
ccntre and S:ney,I H.,, j., H.. 80 '''' - ~"
The coImmn had ,s, c,s - az ia, .,.o.,
miles from Strashrr. With +h .n1nta e ~. =
guard still in trout of StTasbnrp yhsn inprm..ion
was received ,rop the font thai the e.uZs had at
tack ed The troin and was in f, nnssrs;"n "r f,a
road AZ Midd;etoun This reuor, was fo,, r,a., In.
, the ro,,,r, of 6,nitiyes, ref,,aces md ,yssass
which cam. tumLlnr to The rear in fe.rfu, cnuf,,
sion -
VI
was in front the troops were ordered to III. head
% the column aud The train 4, tie rear and IN view
of possible necessity of our return TO strasbu-
Can't James w ALERT Yopncrsuhral forns y-bo
associated " it'll him the Zo,Iayes TAfriaue Cant
Colts was ordered to urenar,. c,lar Greek bridge
for tn. flames in order to prevent a purs in that
direction by the enemy In the execution Of this
order Capt Albert aus! the Iousyes were cut eff
from t,,,. column which thpy io;ucd at Williams.
mort They had nj Strasburo "a xprv sl,ar, eo,,ijirt
with the enemy in which his cavalry sEtfersd se,
ver,jy = -
.- TIE FIRST CONFLICT.
The head of the reorganized coIiIn,n. Col Don
nell, commanding encountered The enemy in force
at MiiiIeto,yn about thirteen 1nes from Wirches
ter. Three hundred troops had been seen in toy, H.
but soon appeared that larger forces were in the
ns.. no oiisa"G Ha,'eo' anu Tue f"fty-siAth
thc ,vaods ON The right and d;sloI,.e Tho ..nsor.s
skirmshrrs ~Cbev 1yere sun,;or.si by :, sse,;nn IS
Cotha,n's New york Rattsry tiy. co.na'';.s os
the enemys cavalry were ;.coyer.d in Nm omen
field in the rear of tie woods. and our art,i.rv
masked at frst by the infantry. onena,i Are ,non
them Tbev stood Are for a utb;is hnt a.. l~ir.h
retreated pnrsued bv our sk;rmishers The T,.s
A., a; cbtI Ea,v yorL' 7 ;.,t I'll prn - = 49, -
brmsSbt mn ard mnier h,vv r Of ;n,ary "t, noM .,,
artillery the enemy wore driven hracL ,nar than
Two ,n;,.s from the n;L Col nonna,i ,.;n,s =;
formed at that noint NV citizen in cr,:, alarm that
four thousa,,d Nor, ,ysra ~ tho ,,.11s hn,I H.
man wer;, sn IONS IN cou,;nue.the Sh, MT a. .h;
~ ould b.y Jafstsd o h;s. h .h iSs s e :, aI .hna
abe time With the excsnt;ov IF s,na,i onard tI,av
were ordere, to res,1m, he march ''''
The affair ac.nrrsI ,,,. n,, -,,,,, o,s.r,...,;o,
and have prss, naasnrs in v,,nchn, far ,h "a
nrahe coul,,ct * ,;cars and r,sm W. ,.as ..,,a
man LiI,sI ard .o,os ,,onnsad Tha loss f IT, ~
emv camLI not ,,s ta;ns, ~ '''s :. 'A0 '''
This sn;sc5s With tho chan,. .,f from. .,,,,;.,
nearly ap h"nr hut - saved onr consr uaa ~
enemy vieorouslv attacked our fr.,;r ,sIfls ~ sh
head Of the column II would have. been thrown inf
such dfe confasion az to have made 4 snccesst,,i
continuation of our march impo,sible ~ :.
Pending this engagement. Col. BrodI,ead. of the
First Michigan Cavalry was ordered TO advance
and If possible to cut his ,vav through and occupy
Winchester Ii was the report Of this energetic Off
Ger that gave us the first assurance that our course