Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-04-01
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The Battle Of Winchester.
FULL PARTICULARS OF OUR VIC.
TORY.

TORY. -
That victory 80 complete and overwhelming
as that at Winchester, should have been acbiey.
cd with comparatively 90 little loss on our aide.
may seem matter OF surprise, when We con.
slider the vastly greater numerical strength of
the rebels, and the natural advantages Of their
position. We should be less surprised than
gratihed, however, to reflect that its attainment
was due TO the watchful skill OF such an officer
as Shields, and the intrepidity OF soldiers en-
listed In the cause Of the Union. In proof of
which we give the following detallp: 's.
THE REcoNNoIssANoE TO srRAsBuRo--lrs oBJEor.
The object Of the reconnaissance made by
General Shields to Slrasburg may now be stat.
ed. 1t was TO throw the enemy into the trap
which has so fatally sprung upon the rebellion.
discovering the number and position Of the
rebels, Gen. Shields retired hastily, posted his
men abonttwo miles north Of Winchester, In a
few tents, as though the force was unable TO at.
tempt pursuing Jackaon's forces. and there, af-
ter the withdrawal Of Gen. Williams's division,
awaited the effect Of his movemenG upon the
enemy. The result showed that the scheme
entirely succeeded. As soon as the rebel Gen.
eFal Jackson heard that the division of General
Williams had moved toward CenterVille, he
Immediately took up his march 10 Winchester.
In the meantime he had received reinforce.
monts, and Generals LOngstreet and Smith, of
the rebel army, had their commands united TO
that Of the boasted Stone Wall jackson. So
prompt and unexpected was the attack of the
enemy, that 1t took our generals by surprise, but
everything was ready for the emergency
SATURDAYS sKIRMisH. a
On Saturday afternoon, at about quarter
past O'Clock, our advanced pckets on the
Strasburg road discovered t1e rebel cavalry, un-
der the madcAp Ashby, about half mile be.
yond them, reconnoitreiDg the woods on both
sides OF the turnpike, and steadily advancing.
Our pickets fell back half mile to the hamlet
Of KernStown, four miles from Winchester
The rebels were thus 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 h-ll"
Steadily did the troopers advance as our men
wheeled to aim and FIRE. That FIRE sent many
of them reeling In their saddles, and threw
the rest into such confusion that before they
could again be rallied our gallant little band
Of infantry was beyond the reach of their pow.
er, without having lost a man killed or wound.
ed -'1 =, -. =
Meanwhile diminishing progressed on other
points along our advanced line and our pickets
we're everywhere rallying on our reserves. Con-
Shields hearing Of the advance Of the rebel
cavalry, supposed II to be q mau@uvre Of Ash.
by alone for the purpose Of watching our move.
ments. As they were approaching 90 boldly
and go closely, however, he ordered four ad-
vanced companies Of infantry, engaged In pro-
tecting the supply train, to rally to the support
of the 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 First, one from the
Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, and one from
the Forty sixth Pennsylvanis, aud one from the
Tweuty-eighth New York. Their regiments
had already marched under Gen. williams
4 GEN. SHIELDS WOUNDED.
A battery of artillery was also ordered for
ward, and Gen. Shields, after ordering on the
division rode to the front, accompanied by bis
staff While engaged directing the FIRE of the
artillery, and the defense generally, Q shell
from the rebel battery OF four guns, which now
began to play on us, burst near him, and q
splinter from II struck him in the left arm, just
above the elbow, fracturing the bone and crea.
ting painful wound. His Adjutant.G General,
Major Armstrong, who was standing near, re-
marked, General, you are wounded in the
arm" "Yes," replied the gallant SHIELDS,
fresh order to the artillery, and continued on
the field till he satisfied himself that all was
right .5.r1
HALT AND BIvouAoK OF THE REBELS.
Our division began to arrive In force on the
field toward dark, and the rebels peroeiyiDg
this did not push their advance, but halted
about three miles from Winchester for the
night, lighted their oamp-fres and bivouacked,
| Ia k.N ~.
Ii was generally believed that general engage
ment would take place on the next day (Sun-
day., and the eXpectants were not disappointed.
SUNDAY BATTLE. -.1 r
About ten O'Clock, reinforcements of five
regiments of infantry and two batteries Of ar
tillery we're announced, arrived from Stras-
burg, under General Garnett, 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 ii 900 men, Eve batteries
Of artillery, with total of twenty eight pieces,
and three battalions of horse, under Asbby and
Stewart. His line Of battle extended about q
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 reb-
el right and center. There is q mud road
branching from the turnpike, mile or 80 from
Winchester, to the right of the road 90 you 90
to StFasburg. This road passed through the
left of the enemy's center, and was one OF
their points of defense. Beyond that there is q
grove Of trees, and further q ridge of hills
with o stone wall running along lie summit
about breast high. This was the rebel line oi
offeuse and defense on the right of our line.
ONSLAUGHT OF THE REBELs.
Our Gaost advanced regiment was the Eighth
Ohio, Of General Taylor's brigade, and on IL
the rebels made furious Onslaught about hall
turning our right flank. The Ohio Eighth met
them gallantly, wIthering them like autumn
leaves before the breath OF winter bv theiI
deadly fre Of rifles. Five several times did the
enemy emerge from the woods, and from be,
hind their stone paFapet, with vastly superior
numbers, and try vainly to accomplish theiI
object. Our left wing, consisting Of the ThIf
teenth Indiana, Seventh Ohio, and battery o.
the Fourth regular artillery, under Captain
J. jerks, had feint made on Il while the real at
tack Of the enemy was being directed agains
our right wing. The feint on the left was
heavy fire of artillery, posted on both sides o
the village and the turnpike, which, however
did triAing damage. Our battery replied, 81
lencing those Of the enemy, though the FIRM
was we'll maintained, for q long time, on botl
: sides. - rr %
20 oUR cENyzR AND RIGHT WING.
Our center cOnsL,.ed Of the Fourteenth IndI
ana, the Eighth and Sixty seventh Ohio, an
= the Eighty fourth Pennsylvania, and two artil
Ilery batteries belonging TO the First Ohio artll
lery, and the cavalry consisting Of tho Firs
MichiOan and First Ohio wara drawn nm In tn