The New York herald., 1862-03-30
INCIDENTS OF CHlvALRY,
hAe- Ac, &c.


INCIDENTS OF cHlvALRY,
Ae- @e, 10.
General shields' Account Of the Battle.
The following letter from General Shields 70 friend
In Washington gives the Generals informal account Of
the battle Of Winchester
HEADQUARTERS GENERAL SHELDs' DIVISION,
WEcHEsrKR, Va, March 26, 1862.
Twin give youa brief account OF our late operations
Ny reconnaissance beyond strasburg the 18th and
10th inst, discovered jackson reinforced, in a strong
position, near New Market within supporting distance Of
the main body Of the rebels under Johnston. was me-
oessaTy 70 decoy him from that position Therefore fell
back rapidly TO Winchester the 20th as In retreat
marching my. whole command nearly thirty miles in one
day. Ny force vas placed at night in secluded posi-
ton, two miles from Winchestsr, the Martinsbug
road. On the 1lst the rebel cavalry, under Ashpy,
allowed thsnseives piskets within sight Of Win
chester. On ths 22d all Of General BankG command,
with ~ exception Of my division, evacuated wnches
tsS, n ysas for Centrsvie. This movement and the
masksk positsen o. my division made impression
upon the inhabitants, Of whom were secret
0nnicatton with the enemy, that army had st end
that nething Femainsd hut few rsgsuts 70 gsrrison
this pacs. Jackson was senalizsd V this eject. Isaw
their signals ana OWNED shsR meaning About ave
seock - the afternoon Of the 22d Ashby believing that
The town was almost evacuated, attacked pcksts
and drove them in. This success increased his
dsiuson. II became necessary, hewsvsr, to re-
pulse them for the the time being. therefore ordered
forward brigade, and placed II In front between
winchester and the enemy. only let thsm see, how
ever two regiments Of infantry, two batteries Of ari
cry and small force Of cavalry, which hs mistosk -
The whole force left to garrison and protect the place
IN little skrmish that evening, while placing the AZ
tileTy IN position was struck BY fragment Of she'll
which broke my above the elbow injured my shou.
DER ma damasedme Otherwise 10 such extent that
Ihavs lain PROSTATE ever sincs commenced making
preparations for any emergency that might that
night the next morning. Under Of the night
ordered an entire brigade Kmbals) totske up strong
position in advance pushed forward four batteries
hayipg them placed in strong position 70 support the
Infantry placed Sulvans brigadoson both nanks to
prevent surprise and 70 keep my TANKS from being
Cd andI held Tyier's brigade in reserve to operate
sgainr. poiAt TIA: zht be assailed IN front. In
tbs position awaited and expected the enemys attack
next morning. My advance brigade two miles from
the town. It's picksts extending perhaps mile farther
along the turnpike leading to strasburg About eight
O'Clock in the morning sent forward two experienced
officers reconnors the front report indications Of
tho enemy They returned in an hour, reporting
my sight except Ashbys force Of cavalry infantry
artillery, which by this time had become familiar
ana contemplate TO Gen. Banks, who yet here
in person, upon hearing this report, concluded that
jackson could not be fn front possibly be decoyed
away SO far from the main body Of the rebel army In
This opinion J. too, began to concur, concluding that
Jackson too eagacious to be caught in such trap
Gen. Banks therefore left for Washington. His STAFF Of
hcers directed TO follow the day by way Of
Csntrsvils. Knowing the crafty enemy however had
70 deal with, omitted no prscaution. My whole force
atod "A
brigade, which was in advance. About halfpast ten
O'Clock IL became evident had considerable force
before u.s. but the enemy still concealed himself 90
Adroitly in tho woods that impossible estimate
H. Iordered portion Of the artillery forward to open
Gre and unmask them. BY degrees they began show
themselves. They planted battery after battery in
strong position, tho centre and both tanks. Our
artillery responded. and this continued until about half
past three O'Clock in the afternoon, when directed
cslumn Of infantry 70 carry . battery on their left
Sank and 70 sssan that flank, which WAS done
promptly and splsndidy By Tylsr's brigade, aided
By some regiments from the other brigades. The
Gre Of infantry was close and destructive that
u made havoc in their ranks. The result was tho
capture Of their guns tho left and the forcing back
q their wing on the centre, thus placing them in
position 10 be routed by general attack.
which made about FIVE O'Clock BY all the infantry,
end succeeded In driving them in fight from the Acld
Nghs fell upon us at this STAGE leaving in possession
q the field Of BATTLE two guns and four cassons three
hundred prisoners and about thousand stand Of small
Our killed in this engagement cannot exceed cne
hundred men. wounded tive hundred and thirty three
TIE snsmys killed and wounded exceed one thousand.
The inhabitants Of the adjacent villages carried them 10
their houses they removed from the Geld Of
battle Houses between the battle neld and strasburg
and far beyond, have since been found filled with
the dead and dying or the enemy. Graves have been
discovered far removed from the road where the nhab
tants OF the country buried them hey died. General
Banks, in his pursuit Of the enemy beyond strasburg
afterwards. found houses tho road twenty-five miles
from the battle nold led In this manner and presenting
the most ghastly spectacle. The havoc made in the
ranks Of the rebels has struck this whole region Of
country with terror. Such blow had never fallen on
them before, and IL 10 more crushing because wholly
unexpected Jackson and bis stone wall brigade and all
The other brigades accompanying him. will never meet
this division again In battle During the night they
managed 10 carry of their artillery In the darknoss wa
opened upon them by early light next morning, and
they commenced 10 retreat. General Banks re-
turned from Harpsrs Ferry between nine and
ten O'Clock A. NJ, and placed himself, at my 70.
Quest, ct the head Of ths command, ten miles from
shs battle fsld pursuing the enemy Rsnforcsmsnss,
which had ordersa hack from Williams division, and
which had ordsrsd forward during tas lsht, nor sans
yoasing in, and with al thsss continued tNs yureu
esnEs them with sEor and with repeated and desiruo
Ifvs satks az far az Noohioek. where be halted IRON
mere Azbaustion The enemy's suaerinss have hssn
ss,r Pie snd such as they havc nowhere else endured
since abe sobmsaeensot " this weT, and yal such ssrs
and heb state Of discipline that al 40
tnis UUrins ths battle OF pursut did they give way 70
panic. They ned 70 Mount Jackson, and ere By this
SINE - doubt In communication with the main body Of
~ rebel AMY hope to be able in few days 70 ride
y buggy and place myself st the head Of my com.
nanS but have neither sufiosns force nor suossnt
saDh " DO that service TO the country that hope and
fsta ~ capable Of No could be bessep treated
thss Pam ~ Gen. Banks; and yst no and hiS oom.
hsod had been herson Me aad you would have heard