The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-04-05

Farther Particulars A Bloody
Com bat.
THE RscoNNo1sANcK ON sAruRpA,

THE RECONN01SANCk ON SATURDAY..
The object of the recon nnoisance made b.
Gen Shields. to Strasburg, was to throw
the enemy into trap. Discovering tn,
nun Der aud position of the Rebels. Gener q
Shields retired hastily, posted his men abou
two miles north of Winchester. in q few
tents, as though the force was unable TO at
tempt pursuing Jackson's forces. and there
after the withdrawal of General Williams
division, awaited the effect of the movement
upon the enemy.
The result showed that the scheme wa:
entirely successful AS soon as the rebe
Jackson heard that the division OF General
Williams had moved towards Cen;erville,
he Immediately took up his march to Win
chester. In the meantime be had received
re endorsements, and Generals Longstreet
and Smith, of the rebel army. had their
commands united to that of the boasted
Stone Wall Jackson. So prompt and un-
expected was the attack Of the enemy that
it took our Generals entirely by surprise.
but everything WAS ready for the emer-
gency.
ArrAcKBY THE REBEL CAVALRY
On Saturday afternoon. at about quarter
past two O'Clock, our advanced picket on
the S,rasburg road discovered the rebel cav
airy under Ashby, about halt a mile be-
ycnd them, accommodating the woods on
both sides of the turnpike. and steadily ad-
vancing: Our pickets consisted of few
men of the Fourteenth Indiana infantry at
that point, and they fell back half mile to
the hamlet Of kernstown, four miles from
Winchester The rebels. observing our
pickets fall back, were confirmed In the be-
lief that our forces here did not exceed five
thousand men.
They then gave chase. Coming up with
our men Ashby cried a, the top OF his voice.
There they are boys; now give them hell
Steadily did the troops advance as our men
wheeled to aim and FIRE. That fire sent
many OF them reeling from their saddles.
and threw the rest into such confusion that
before they could again be rallied for a
charge our gallant little band of infantry was
beyond the reach of their power. without
having los, man killed or wounded.
GEN. SHIELDS WOUNDED.
Meanwhile skirmishiny progressed on
,ther points along our advanced lines. and
our pickets were everywhere rallying on
our reserves, General Shields hearing OF the
advance of the rebel cavalry. supposed it to
be maneuvre Of Ashby alone for the pur-
pose Of watching our movements. As they
were approaching SO boldly and SO closely.
however, he ordered four advanced com
panies Of infantry, engaged in protecting
the supply train. to rally to the support of
the more advanced pickets, aud try to hold
the rebels in check till be could move down
the division:
These four companies were made up OF
one from the Maryland First, one from the
Twenty eighth Pennsylvania. one from the
Forty-sixth Pennsylvania and one from the
Twenty eighth New York. Their regiments
had already marched under Gen. Williams
A battery of artillery was also ordered for
ward, and Gen Salelds, after ordering out
the division. rode TO the front, accompanied
by his staff While engage. directing the
fire of the artillery and the defense general
ly, shell from the rebel battery OF fonr
guns, which now began to pay on US. burst
near him; and splinter from it struck him
just below the elbow; fracturing the bone
and creating painful wound.
His Adjutant General, Major Armstrong.
who was standing near, remarked, "Gener
al, YOU are wounded in the arm" sYss."
replied the gallant Shields. .but say moth
ing about it," He then gave a fresh order
to the artillery. and continued on the field
till he satisfied himself that all was right.
SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY
The rebels halted about three miles from
Winchester, for the night. lighte their
camp 6res. and bivouscked. while our army
Law between them and the town. It was
generally believed that general engage
ment would take place on the next day.
Sunday and the expec.ants were not dis
appointed. That night was one OF terrible
suspense on both sides.
No one knew what the rebels DELAYED
their advance for, while it was our policy to
postpone battle, 10 view of the prepender.
a,ing force Of the enemy, in order 70 allow
re endorsements to arrive from the division
OF Gen Williams, the rear guard Of which
had already advanced ten miles toward the
Shenandoah.
Morning explained the reason of the en-
emy's halt. About 10 O'Clock re-enforce-
ments OF five regiments of in fantry and two
rived from Sirasburg, under Gen Garnett,
which proceeded from their lines. The at
tack was not long delayed.
The enemy advanced his army, which
now consisted Of sixteen reg giments of infau-
try. numbering eleven thousand men; FIVE
UAtteE19S Oi "ibi q boihi "a
eieh, field pieces and three battalions of
horse, under Ashby and Stewart. His
line of battle extended sboat a mile on the
right of the village of Kernstown, and a mile
and three-quarsers on the left of it, and the
village lay on the road between the rebel
right and center.
POSITION OF oUR FORCES.
The positioa chosen by our forces was
nearly mile from the rebel batteries,
which they had posted upon the hills near
the little town Of kernstown, like our own
troops, mostly at the right hand side Of the
road. few guns only being posted upon
the left Tyier's brigade had the right wing
Kimban commanded the middle. and Sulli-
van the isft wing. All Of them were pro-
tected from the Ere of the enemy By the in-
tsrvening hills. upon which were placed our
artillery, confronting the Rebel batteries
upon the top of the opposite hills. with
about mile distance between them. The