Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-06-07

MluuletOWn aUu when we reached New
town, miles Into q small grove at the far.
thest end Of the town, in from Winchester.
numbers OF the enemy's cavalry were seen,
aud We dashed into the village nnd out
which several Of the enemy were seen as
soon os we arrived in sight. Forty of our
soldiers had been captured in the town on.
lya lew hours before our arrival, with a
small quantity of baggage. Most Of the
captured were sick. One Of them who was
killed-David DickerSon was his name, |
thiuk-was of Co. B, 66la Ohio regiment.
| saw q lady who was with him Immediately
after he was shot. lie asked for a paper,
wrote upon it his name aud regiment, aud
wished that his family should be informed
of bis death. Two hundred of the rebel
cavalry had been in the town in the morn
ing, aud n man who had cume in from
Front Royal road stated that a large force
Of nfuntry were but few miles away. We
passed through, however, without meeting
them and went on to Winchester aud en-
camped.
The intention Of the rebels was to cut of
our communication with w .nchesier, Ewell
TO attack in front and jackson fellow mp in
the rear, pluciug us between to fires.
Our early and rapid march prevented the
accomplishment Of their contemplated plan
to crush us between the upper and neither
mill stone, aud the disas er they would have
accomplished was pos pOned until the fol-
lowing doy-Sunday. This in The front.
The other end of our column encountered
the force which was to have been sent to
attack our rear. First the Z uaveo dAfri.
que, body Guard of General Banks had
been stationed in the rear to burn the bridge
across Cedar Creek, three miles from Sras.
burg, after all had passed except the cav.
! ally, under Gen. Hatch, who were yet to
come up aud would ford the river. While
they we're besmeariug the bridge with tar,
uususpecting any danger, the enemy charg-
ed dowp upon them from the mountain on
the left, cutting them up in a most unmer.
ciful manner, and capturing all of them eX-
cept five. All the rest are gone. The
others, whether killed, wounded or prison
ers it is impossible for one to ascertain.
The rOpid fight Of cavalry caused great
panic among the ieamsters, who fled from
| their wagons, while some upset them and
others of them broke down, cattle got loose
and joined in the general stampede, and
horses breaking loose joined their neighing
and gallopping to the great melee The
rebel cavalry came up and more than hun
dred wagons were taken possession of by
the emmy.
The cavalry which were behind have suf'
fered much more than am able now defin
itey to speak Of They were ordered al
daylight, when the infantry, and artillery
and baggage had started toward Winehes
ter, TO make reconnaissance to Woodstock
to see if anything could be learned Of the
anticipated attack in the rear They we're
cut off by the cavalry of The enemy and
unable to return.
Company A, however, Of the Vermont
cavalry were all lost, captured or killed, ,ex-
cept Capt. Platt, his lieutenant, and half a
dozen men, who made good their escape
from the tolls of the enemy most creditably
Major Collins is among The captured, aud
Major Sawyer, whose horse fell under him,
aud injured his foot, made good his escape
with no further injury.
The loss in the cavalry it is impossible to
state at present with any accuracy. After
wandering through the roads and forests
they arrived in Winchester by midnight,
and the remnant of them were on hand the
next day.
The letter writer said at Winchester
Saturday night, and Sunday morning, dur.
ing his breakfast the retreat again commen-
ced. He says:
saw flames rising from the burning
buildings not far off, and heavy columns OF
smoke roll upward from them. All the
streets were IN commoti6n. Cavalry were
rushing diSordery away, and infantry.
frightened by the rapidity of their mounted
companouS, were in CONSERVATION. Pres
emily the euemy'S cannon doomed in the
rear. and a small cloud of smoke in the sky
suddenly appearing, and then diSSolVing,
showed where the ball had exploded Some
shells fell among our men, aud the panic
was quite general for short time. Guns,
knapsackS, cartridge-boXeS, bayonetS aud
bayouet cases lay scattered upon the ground
in great profuSion, thrown away by the
panic stricken soldiers General Banks ri
ding continually among the men, and ad-
dressing them kindly and firmly, Shamed
lhem to a consideration Of their unbeftting
conversation. At length, stationng him
self and staff with several others across a
field through which the soldiers were rap
idIy fleeing, the men were ordered to stop
their fight, were formed into line, and
made to march on more in sOlder-like
manner.
What occurred in the extreme rear of the
column | am unable TO state with much
confidence.
| must reserve, for fear Of misstatements
more particulars of the fight of Winchester
Ii was fought not far from the ground up
on which the preVions battle was fought
The numbers Of the enemy are variously
stated.
The column retreated, after the slight
panic to which l have alluded, in good or
der, pursued by the enemy beyond Martins
burg,
Many of the soldiers who had been pre-
cipitats in their fight have crossed the riv
er, aud are now at Williamsport and at this
place. The cavalry and many of the mules
forded the river, the water coming nearly
over the horses backs in the deepest of it
oud rnnninO mite RAPIDLY, too