Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-04-03
The Battle of Winchester.

The Battle. of Winchester.
The accounts by Telegraph and other
wise of the great battle of Wipch,st ster iu
which SO many brave Ohio volunteers gal
lautly participated, have been disconnect-
ed and incomplete. The following is a
full and clear narrative of the conflict,
which will be read with interest.
THE REcoNNoIsANcE on SATURDAY.
The object of the reconnaissance made
10y Gen. Shields TO Strasburg was to throw
the enemy into trap. Discovering the
number and position of the rebels, General
Shields retired hastily, posted his men a.
boat two miles north of Winchester in a
few tents, as though the force was unable
10 attempt pursuing Jackson's forces, and
there, after the withdrawal of Gen. VIII
liaIns' division, awaited the effect of the
movement upon the enemy. The result
showed that the scheme was entirely sue
cessful. As soon as the rebel Jackson
heard that the division of Gen. Viii.
larns had moved towards Centreyille, he
Immediately took up his march to Win
chester. In the meantime be had received
reinforcements, and Generals Longtreet
and Smith, of the rebel army, had their
commands united to that of the boosted
Stone Wall jackson. So prompt and IN
expected was the attack of the enemy that
it took our Generals entirely by surprise,
but everything was ready for the emergen-
cy.
AN ATTACK BY REBEL CAVALRY.
On Saturday afternoon, at about quarter
past two o'clock, our advanced pickets on
the Strasburg road discovered the rebel
cavalry under Ashby about a mile beyond
them, reconnoiteriDg the woods on both
sides of the turnpike, and steadily advanc
ing. Our pickets consisted of a few men
of the 14th Indiana infantry at that point
and they fell back half mile to the ham
let of Kernestown, four miles from Win.
chester. The rebels observing our pickets
fell back, were confirmed in the belief that
our forces did not exceed five thousand
men. They then gave chase. Coming up
with our men Ashby cried at the top Of
his voice, "There they are boys; now give
them hell" Steadily did the troops ad.
vance as our men wheeled to aim and fire.
That fire sent many of them reeling from
their saddles, and threw the rest in such
confusion that before they could again be
rallied for charge our gallant little band
of infantry was beyond the reach of their
power, without having lost a man killed
or wounded. ~-.y,
GEN. SHIELDS WOUNDED.
Meanwhile skirmishiug progressed on
other points along our advanced line, and
our pickers wore everywhere rallying. on
our reserves. Gen. Shields hearing of the
advance of the rebel cavalry, supposed ii
TO be movement of AshbY alone for The
purpose of watching our movements. AS
they were approaching SO boldly and SC
closely he ordered four advanced compan.
les of infantry, engaged in protecting the
supply train, TO rally TO the support of tie
more advanced pickets, and try to hold The
rebels in check till he could move down
The division. These four companies were
made up of one from the Maryland Frst
one from the Twenty eighth Penn, one
from the Forty sixth Penn, and one from
the Twenty-eight New York. Their
regiments had already marched under Gen
Williams. A battery of artillery was also
ordered forward, and Gen. Shields, after
ordering out the division, rode to the front
accompanied by his staff. While engaged
in directing the fire of the artillery and all
generally, shell from the rebel battery o.
four guns which now began to play on us,
burst near him, and splinter from it struck
him Just above the elbow, fracturing the
bone and creating a painful wound. His
Ajt.-Gen., Major Armstrong who was
standing near, remarked, 'General you are
wounded in the arm" "Yes," replied the
gallant Shields, "but say nothing about it.
He then gave fresh order to the artillery
and continued on the field till he satifed
himself that all WAS right.
sAFVRpAX NIGHT AND SUNDAY.
The rebels halted about three miles from
Winchester for the night, lighted then
camp fires and bivouacked with our army
between them and the town. 1t was gen
orally believed that general engagement
would take place on the next day (Sun.
day., and the expectants were not disap
pointed. That night was one of the terri.
BILE suspense on both sides. No one knew
what the rebels displayed their advance
for, while it was our policy to postpone a
battle, in view of the preponderating force
of the enemy, in order to allow reinforce
menis to arrive from the division of Gen
Williams, the rear guard of which had al
ready advanced ten miles towards the
Shenandoah.
Morning explained the reason of the, en-.
emy's halt. About ten O'Clock reinforce.
ments of five regiments of infantry and
two batteries of artillery were announced
as arrived from Stasburg, under Gen. Gar
nett, by the vociferous and prolonged
cheers which proceeded from their lines.
The attack was not now long delayed
The enemy advanced his army, which now
consisted Of sixteen regiments of infantry,
numbering eleven thousand men; five bat
teries of artillery, with total Of twenty
eight field pieces and three battallions of
horse under Ashby and Stewart. His line
of battle extended about mile on the right
of the village of Kernstown. and mile
and three quarters on the left of it, and the
village lay on the road between the rebel
right and centre.
POSITION OF OUR FORCES. o..
The position chosen by our forces was
neary mile from The rebel haltaries which