Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-06-06
ITrom the Y. Y. Tribgncl
THE VI. CAVALRY. THEIK ESCAPF

IleArn from Maj1r Sawyer q the D., Vermont
Cavalry. who arrived b. this city l~Baltimo-ci to-
night. badly irj1rei from his horse fsl inc uron
bis foot, the following .,erestiug details in re-
gard 90 she recent attack upon Gen. Banks al
MidiletoWn and other places. On Friday last
Brig uea- Hatch ordered the Major WITH four
slupauies % the Vermont, and four companies of
the Maine Cavalry 20 make s resounoisaucs toward
Wocistcck. lie c,mplied With the order. and
secured the country 81 fAra woodstock. sud even
went through the town, bat sew 10 sIcns cf the
enemy n tast direction. They returned O. the
camp, which lay between S~trasbur- and Wood
stock. ami ab1at u o'clock she same niEht the en-
tire command o. Gen. Banks received orders 10
strike tents The General said that an attack
was expected, and that all baggage must be sent
O. the rear. Two companies of the lst Vermont
Cavslry. Company A, Capt Platt. and Company
o.. Capt Bean, under Maj1r Collins, With several
companies from other regiments, were ordered o
reconuoitre on Saturday morning toward Winches
ter, over which road Gen. Banks, vita a stroaS
advance, pushed forward
As soon a. the baggage was disposed of a. the
rear, the balance q toe Vermont Cavalry, under
Col. Tompkins, made smother reeounoissanee O.
and through Wooistock. ami even beyond the
town. hlt It'll ssE 10 enemy They returned .
the old camp ground, leaving Company B, Capt.
C0ncer. g. d picket about two miles this side Of
rs 1oistock, with instructions 70 remain out until
{ o'clock ia the Afternoon and watch for the ems
ny. At that tire Capt Conger reported himself,
AMI that be had seen signs Of the enemJ. Short
ly after 1 o'clock this regiment took up march for
Winchester, Gen. Banks having advanced some
hours.
No one entertained the least thought q % a.
tack in this direction, it being generally supposed
that the enemy would make bis appearance from
the d~irectioa Of Woodstock. The regiment pro-
eeedei without molestation until about three
quarters Of 8 mile beyond Ceaier Creek, Nhea
Fhav met the ha~-awa train ~nf-a4fru- in rrrFu-
sion, with loose horses aud mules. struggling men
Leading horses and a grvat disorderly Jan, in
the midst Of which was one company Of General
Banks bcdy-gulrd-soliisrs, Transfers, horses.
mules and wagons were scattered aloug the feld.
Heavy cannoulding at that time was going on
in advance, when Col rompkins, after the bag
gage train bad passed, drew his men Up for a
charge. supporting three sections Of a New York
battery, watch was brought ia position. 1be bat
tery emmenced shellinc the woods from which
hebel skirmishers appeared. Not more than nalf
a dozen shot had been fred before the enemy ap-
pearsd in much larger numbers from the woods.
diselosin. a force Of sb9ut 1000 infantry, sup
porte BY a light battery.
The Rebels yelled snd booted like devils.
Ii became OBVIOUS to Col Iompkins that his reg.
linen; and the scattered baggage-train above re-
ferrei 70 was completely cut Of Heavy ca1nonsd-
iog was still heard in the distances in frcn; toward
Winchester, but no one in the rear guard bad and
idea as to the fate Of Gen. Banks and bis advance,
as his couriers were probably intercepted and Ia
ken prisoners.
In this emergency Col. T~cmpkins drew hi com
mand 10 for q charge, determined to cut his way
through, and from fifteen minutes TO half al hodT
his men stood ike veterans under a most calling
Ere. The battery which be supported ami the
Rebel battery were tlaEing away all this time
As the enemy crowded rp Major Sawyer suggest
ed to the Colonel that the regimen; might be saved
by retresting over the mountain r0ai, which be
knew very well, that they might cut their way
through tie enemy. bat it would be at great sac
rifre.
The Colonel. wac knew well what the sacrifice
Of an advance would be, readily assented to tn
Nsinr's plan. Retreating tehini n knoll, the
regiment and the battery struck Of through the
woods, and BY a sank movement sus,eed,d in
reaching the mountain sr1ae, efs ting thus a SAT-
retreat to Winchester. A part Of the 5th kegi-
ment ". Y. Cavalry, Col De Forest, which also
formed a portion Of the rear guard, efectef their
escspa in the sam manner, and also reached " in
ccester safe. It was during the attacks on the
following day Sunday that Major Sawyer's
horse ~stumbled, and, falling upon him, Injured
his left foot
On account Of the injury be wa unable to par
tieipate in the fght that ensued, AID 'aN but lit
tie Of il. lie says that the correspondent Of the
Hrald was taken prisoner, and that the CORES
ponden; OF the World only escaped BY keeping Ep
with Gen. Banis. II was at trst though that
Col. De Forest was taken prisoner, but after many
hours absence lie came Up with the main body
With many hundreds Of the strsgsierS who bad
broken the ranks aud fed in confusion, and who,
but for his s~xertious, would have been killed OF
taken prisoners