Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-05-30
SKIRMlSH IN


Gen. Banks hss rctreated with his fore,
to Maryland, crossing the Potomac at Wi
Transport. He had moved from Strashur
to W IuchesteT for the purpose & sccurin
the stores and trains from the cneny. an
TO prevent his communication from beng IN
terrupted. His advance guard entered Win
chester at FIVE O'Clock Saturday, with hi
trains and stores in safety. \ strong at
tack was made upon the train at Middle
town, By the rebel infantry, cavalry and an
tillery, but 1t was repulscd, aud a tow wag
ons abandoned 10y teamstcr were secured
On Sunday morning tn. enemy under Gems
Ewe!i and johnson with a superior force
gave battle to Gen. Banks at Winchestc-
zen. Banks fought them SIX hours ard thet
retired IN the direction Of Mertinsbar.. WITH
what lVss Is not known. Banks dcspat-l
at 5 j. NJ. Sunday says The rebels d.
tackled us this morning at DAYLIGHT in great
lnrcc. Their force was ostum1;cd at fifteen
thousand, consisting Of Ewellsaad Jackson.
divisions. The fire 81 the pickets began
with the light and was followed by the ar.
tiilery, until the lines vurc fully under flt
o. both sides. Iac ! ft wing stood firmly.
holding their groFud. and the right dii the
same Tor a uHlc when two regiments
broke lines andeg die FIRE Of the eu,nv. The
right wing fell tack and We, -lcrcd T.
withdraw, and .1e trocrs sr4s,el through
the town in considc-sh l, -%outusi, They
were quickly rerorres on the Other sids and
continued their search in good order to Mar
tinsburC- where they arrived at = 20, PM.
a Distance of twenty tw1 mics. Our trains
aTo.n advance aud will crJs. the river IN
safety. Our entire force engaged was less
than four thousand. consisting Of D,nnellv's
and G0rdon's brigade. with two regiments
of cavalry under Gen. Hatch md two hat
tories oiartillery. Oar Joss was considerable.
as was that OF the enemy. bat cauuot nnw
be stated We were reinforced hy tir lath
Maine, which did good service, and q reci-
ment Of cavalry.
Another dispatch iatri Headquarters
beyond Martipshurg, May >, ; - Z. NJ,
ssys \ prisoner captured th,s afternoon 80.
the rceei force IN oar rcar Is q 20, --rcu-tL-
ercl. That their rrTToss Is r' -ntrr Mary
lsFS - no Qrnts, iaarIcI's Fsrry a1d
N~illidnspcrt. ne confirms all we have helli
it regard TO the rebel force here. We al
passed the Potomac safely. msu. trlils and
all.
Henley forces, reported attacked hv tie
rebels at Front Royal. were the Ist Nrvisrf
Regiment, with a siuadror ct =~el-v ina a
PORTION Of a battery, Sta'i,t-t r..eu cs'rs-
to guard, a mile ard = h.lt from tae main
stem of the Manas--s -,lr-ad. while other
troops guarded -hc track. Cal Kcnloy. Was
not khlci. bIt wounded and jascl prisoner.
c.. Mcclellan reports thres sajrmish,s
or Saturday, and that Gen. Nc.l,y'- brigade
Is now encampcd > miles beyond B.ttum
Bridge. To obtain this position they wcre
forced to engage the rebel Gen. Stewart with
his brigade, composed OF > regiments. IF in
fdntry, ! Of cavalry and = batteries. Our
loss was = killed and wounded. The Oh u
engaged suppose the rebel loss t. be between
50 and GO killed. y number If their dead
were left on the helJ. /
Gen. Stonemans force, on the Nrv hriis7 I
road. has advanced 10 MccLIuicsyillo. hay
Ing a sharp engagement with the enemy on
Friday at Ellisou's Mills, and on Sat
urday at Nechanicsvlie a; EI-lrs 4
Mills they encountered .our regiments Of the /
enemy's infantry with mnc pieces of aiui-
lcry and a command Of cavalry. OF these
two regiments Of infantry and three pieces %
were n the opposite SIDE oi the
creek. The balance % the infantry. COM
POSED Of the d and OH Georgia regiments
under Gen. Howell Cobb, were ro5,el o d
favorable position 60 resist our adgiuge i1
Mecbanicsvillc. Fixlar's and R0hcrt-un
of the p artillery wo.g quietly
brought INTO into action, and after some oue
hundred and fifty roHuCs the Icbals withdrew
with their guns not. however, until one OF
them had been dr-mountcd,-to the village,
covered by thar infantry aud cIyairY. -Four
regiments OF Gcu. DAVIDSON, brigade, with
Wheeler's battery were sent around j night.
On arriving they went into camp within SIX
hundred yards OF the enemy. At daylight,
Saturday, the batteries On both srd s opened.
W heeler's oonhuinE Its guns To Smelling tIe
houses behind which the enemy infantry
concealed. The fire was too bot for tie
rebels, and they Def, the village. a portion
retreating across The ChicihonIny, tho De
falling back TO the railroad Toe
}3dN Y. regiment was the first 81 eutor the
village. The houses showed uum.-takltia
of the accuracy OF our artillery,
'ome Of them being riddlcd ia a d.zen places.
The enemy carried Oft their killed and
wounded. one man excepted. oar casual
ties were . killed and four wounded C-l.
NldsDu OF the ltl E4hAu'H va Nf-EH.f AH
Iurcd by the explosion Of "a shell.
Gen. Stoneman then stnt two tguadrJns Of
the Sth Illinois cavalry under MAJ ClenIcr-
in, 3 miles further up the river, ani caused
10 be DESTROYED the bridge of the Richmond
and fredericksburg railroad. Mechanic
vile, which is now occupied by our trO +,
S five miles from Richmond.
On Friday previous TO Gen. St0neGians
advance to MechanIcsyilie, the rebels were
shelled out. on the opposite side OF the creek
New bridge 10y the battery ~ Major r.
Derson and Captain TidbIll, OF the 2lI Ar
They made no TcsP1us'. but sud
denly broke mp camp and left with their
trains immediately Afterwards
i've COMPANIES OF the In Michigan under
Lieut.. Bowen 81 the typographical engi-
neers, and Lieut.. Custer, OF the 5th cavalry,
with the Typographical corps, crossed
the Chickahomiuy a shoIt distance above
New Bridge. ard 50 men OF the 18th Mich
gan succeeded ia getting ie ween four COM
nanies Of the 9Th Louisiana regiment. who
were out on picket duty at the bridge, AMI a
OF the enemy who were supporting
In the meantime, the balance of the
regiment and d squadron OF the 81 cavalry
approached the bridge from this side, thus
attracting the attention Of the four louisiana
companies. The hrst knowledge the rebels
had of the near approach OF an enemy WAS
the firing from thirty muskcts at pistol-shot
range, masIng havoc IN the ranks, and
causing Il serious panic, While the main body
advanced in front and opened a deadly fire.
The result was that 81 Of the enemy were
prisoners, II wounded, aud between
and seventy left dead On the field.
the prisoners was a lieutenant The
GU our side were one killed,
one mortally and eight slightly wounded
Lieut.. Bowen lad bis horse shot under hm
during tie skirmish.
Four i s-rter- came in from Petersburg
to Norfolk Saturday afternoon, ant ray m
consequence Of ths scarcity OF provisions
the enemy at Richmond De- much dem 'raiiz j,
and a great numhcr OF dcscrtions occur
daily. They state That fu,i hall Of the army
would desert II they C uld have an oppoI-
,,r,.- IT sVr.- IL IL, Hr. So. ~, al q