Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1862-04-08
From the Richmond Whig.l

The name of Kernstown will shine proudly 10
our annals. The engagement at that place was
the mcst desperate, and, all things considered.
the most successful of the war. 1t was not
defeat; it was drawn battle, at the close OF
which both parties retired, the enemy to great
er distance than our men, who slept almost upon
the battle field Jackson made the attack iD
obedience to orders. The blow was struck for
a purpose, and that purpose was fully accom-
plished; it was, therefore victory. Tie mar
vel is that j ckson's In were able to fight al
al, much less a force Of Fl ve to one in carefully
chosen posi- ion. His troops bad marched forty
| i've miles in day and half-they had beer
marching constantly for week or two before
and when they arrived at the scene OF action,
part of the small army was far in the rear. Fa-
yigued, worn out, the little band of patriots sat
lacked at once and turiousy" the huge enemy
before them. The "Shiive1 & eys"-a gallant
handful of exiles from Wheeling, only 80 strong
were thrown out as skirlnisber- to feel the
enemy, and it tock three regiments of the ian
KEGS To drive them back. The 2lst Virginia
regiment, cor: r:manded by Col Patton, and Coz
tainng eur own noble '.Co F,' from r cb;non,
made spei did f b. Gen. ia kson, we hear
c"mplimented hem for their bravery, and a.
-igned them hereafter the posi- ion OF the advance
guard-a Irnu t'ibu'e to Their pluck and bra-
very The Irish Battalion fought ke gers
n, which is Z e saline thing, like ishmen. Tie
'S.onewail Brigade came up 10 the suppcrt
he 21st, al id its work l;eroically, as we III.
knew it would. The men who held Patterson
whole army at bay, and who woL on the fed ..
Manassas lame thar will live as long as Tia,
English tongue Is slt ken, gathered new laute Is
at kernstown. Five times tie int epid cks,.
led his veterans 10 he charge and drove Lscl
the enormous columns OF the enemy. Nigh tel
npon the combatants bfore the reinforcement
of either party could come up. Twenty -sevtl
hundred Virginians had attacked $4,000 Yan-
kees-the lowest estimate OF the eI.my th. N
selves -and wh n tie nght closed, s3 cur M.
lay dead on the field, with 4l6 Yankee corpses
by their side. OF tie enemy IS wouGded, csl
form some estimate By orr Own. We have l4e
wounded in Stanton, and forty or fifty MOI.
lett on the field, and are now in the hands of tie
ZOE. This makes about three wounded to oue
lied, which would bring the enemy's wounded
lup to 200 Or 1900. l. is probably much lar
ger than that, ter our men are better Shots than
the Yarkees, and ha1 more to shoot at. It il
fair to put the Yarkee loss, in killed, woun ed
and disabled, at $500. We lost 200 prisoners
carried away by their own inpetuosisy, and
: pieces of artillery
No wonder the foe was stunned. No wonder
he induged in none of bis W nred exultstion.-
n, wonder the Ii, 900 Hessans at Snie ker's Gal
came hurrying to the ai:! CT tie $4,000 bewil-
; dered, disaeartened and badly cnt up creatures
near Winchester. No wonder the War Derart.
: ment at Richmond WIS well pleased with wba,
ou. little army had done. Hi tory records few
! such feats as they achieved a, Ke nstown. Toe
much praise cannot be awarded to every maj
epgi ged in this brilliant otfair. The atirc
and adlnirstion of the country begins to gather
about Thomas JaeksuD, ae of cid to Andrew
, Jackson. All honor to him and his men. Dis
i. claiming any invidunu>ness, any State va..ity.
We can bat teel proud OF our diers. We glory
n them all, come iE0gl what part OF the State
they may, and il Zone more than the men o
the Valley