Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-04-01
Details of the Battle In Virgin
ta---Gen. Shields victory

gives the I0lhwmS details oil the battle at
that place:
The ball of the campaign on the Pnto-
mae was brilliantly opened at Winchester
on Sunday las, apd the rebels have suffered
a dreadful reverse.
The object Of the Reconnaissance made
by Gen. Shields to Strasburg may now be
stated. Ii 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 about two miles
north OF Winchester, in few tents, as
though tie force was unable to attempt
pursuing Jackscn's force, and there, after
the withdrawal of Gen. Williams division,
awaited the effect Of his movement on the /
enemy. The result showed that the scheme /
entirely succeeded. As soon as the rebel /
General jackson heard that the division of |
General Williams had moved towards !
CeDtreville, he Immediately took up his 1
march to Winchester. In the meantime he /
had received reiDforcements, and Generals |
Longstreet and Smith, of the rebel array, /
bad their commands united to the boasted
Stone Wall jackson. 81 prompt and un
expected was the attack of the enemy,
that IT took our Generals entirely BY sur
prise, but everything was ready for the
emergency.
On Saturday afternoon. about quarter
past two O'clock, our advanced pickets on
the Strasburg road discovered the rebel
cavalry, under the madcap Ashby, about
half mile beyond them, accommodating
the woods on both sides Of the turnpike.
and steadily advancing Our pickets con-
sisted Of a few men Of the Fourteeth Iudi-
sns Infantry at that point. and they fell
back bali mile TO the hamlet Gf Kerns-
town, four miles from Winchester. The
rebels, observing our pieke;s fell back, and
were confirmed in the belief that our forces
here did not exceed FIVE thousand mer.
They then gave chase. Coming up with
our men, Ashby cried at the tip o. his voice
There they are, boys; row give them
hell" Steadily did the troopers advance
as our men wheeled to aim and Are. That
Ere sen, many Of them reel ny from their
saddles, ard threw the rest into such con-
fusion that before they could again be raj.
lied for charge, our gallant little band of
infantry was beyond the reach os their
power, without having lost a man killed or
wounded. Meanwhile skirmIshine pro,
gressed on other points along our advanced
line, and our pickets were everywhere
railying on our reserves.
Gen. Shields, bearing of the advance Of
the rebel cavalry, supposed it 20 be man.
ouvre of Ashby alone for the rurposa Of
watching our movements. As they were
approaching 50 boldly and closely however
he ordered four advanced carnpanies of in
!antry, engaged in protecting the suptly
tram. to rally To the support Of the more
advanced pIcke:s,an1 try to hold the rebels
~ check MI be could move down the
. dr 90 10
ordered forward, aud Gen. Shields. after
ordering out the division, rode TO the from.
accomP panied by his staff. While engaged
| GiIecting the hreot the artillery and the
defence generally, shtl from rebel hats
terry ct four guns, which now began to play
on u, burst near him. ard srlinter from
Il struck Linn in the left arm. Just above the
elbow. irac:uring the b, ne and creating a
painful ~ouEd. His Adiutant General.
| Mayor Armstrong. who was standing near.
remarked General, yen are wounded in
| the arm YES" req lied the gallant
shields. but say nothing about it," He
( then gave fresh order ~ the artillery and
continued Il the fill rill he satisfied him
sell mat all was right. a man from Ohio
aid horse were killed On the way by the
enemy guns, but these we've all the casu-
altles thai occurred on our side till the
skirriish OF the Erst day was ended
lie wound of Gen. Shields caused n
pang throughout the entire diei,ion. ard il
u Semarkal Re thst he should have been The
hrst man struck on our side,
Morning explained the reason Of tho
enemy's halt. About 10 O'clock ;nf,-ca
ments OF t9e regiments IF infantry ard
two batteries o: artillery were arno3ocea
arriving from Suas5urg. under Gen Gar
nett, 10y the vociferous and pr,Ion,rad
cheers which proceeded from their lies
The attack was not long DELAYED Tho
enemy adve Eced has array, whisb now con
siSts oh sixteen Tegizaents ef infantry
numbeTiag ii 900 men; and FIVE batts,iss
OF artillery, with total Of eigbtv aigb,
held pieces. and three hataflions Of hnr-e
under Ashly and Stewart His line If
battle extended about mile on the r,xh,
OF tee village OF kernstawn, and sriIe
and three quarters On the left of j, and rbs
ViEago lay on the road between the rebeI
right ana centre. There j. mud road
prahcnlAE from the turnpike "a mile or So
""'" " ih9ntster to the right Of the roaS
a. you 20 70 oFashurg- This yuad passed
'pe i''' VI 'ne ehemys centre. ard was one
u uF9 P''nts u! defence Beyond that there
Is gr"Ve ut trees. and farther n ridge IF
aus SIN st'ne wall running along It's
summit about breast high This was tba
rebel line Of offence and defence on ~, re
, right Of eur line. Our most adysr.ea 80
imtnt was the Eighth Ohio. and ON :, ~
, rebels mode a furious o2slsurht about boIf
I iaT5 40 n, NJ, on Sunday, with the inten-
,lnn OF turning our right fiank. The Obio
highth met them gaiiautly IS itheripp tban,
Ike autumn leaves before the breath If
winter 10y their deadly fire of rifles. Five
several times did the enemy emeroe from,
| the woods and from behind their stone
! parapet with vastly superior numbers and
Try Sainly to accomplish their object.
The battle ragged along the uboIo lin
with great fury from Ii A. M till bsiS naa.
T. NJ, when Gen. Shields. who reeaiyad
accounts of the progress of the 4 Oh, ~ -
couch, ordeted the right, where the cnn,ss,
ragged the hottest, to charge unon tho anaN
| my. That was aa awful charoe Tba
! ielt OF the enemy prepared desnera,s,v -
retel our gallant troops, but their rusb WIS
as irresistible US the tide in the r. e
fundy. Previous to this time our line az
battle had been somewhat changed The
h'ghyfoTth PeuEsy lvania reinforced our
right, aud also battery of artillery. Our
whole force now engaged was ahout
SIX thou>and. while that of the enemy was
at the lowest estimate eight thousand.
The rebels had also changed their lire
and, extending both their wings. presented
a concave front to our army. They had
also reinforced their left wing, and the
charge to be made by our right was all
important in its Consequences On il. at
three O'Clock, depended the fate of the
entire battle. The gallant Tyler led the
charge. sword in hand, at the head of the
lice. The rebels fred from the thick
woods with artilley and small arms,
while our nen advanced against their mur
derous showers oflead ard iron, returning
few shots and reservIng their FIRE. Up to
this time the armies had not been much