Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-04-04
THE BATTLE or WINCHESTER.
lowing letter from Gen Shields to a friend in
Washington, giving the Generals informal ac- d
count oil the bnttlc OF Winchester u

fltf tIftV
80 b'',"b w . '"'oi' i'"' ~
count OF the battle OF winchester
HgApQrARrEus GEN SHIELDS DIVISION,
WINcmsrEH. Va. March 20. 1862 :
win give you bntf account of our late opera tons
Ny tecounoissancc beyond Sirasburg, the 18th and
l9h inst discovered Jackson reinforced, in strong po
siuon, near newmarket, within supporting distance NJ
the main body u the rebels under Johnston. II
ccssafy 20 dccny him from that position. Therefore
fell hack rapidly Winchester the 20h n in
treat. marching INV whole command nearly thirty miles
in one day Nv force was placed At nipht In secluded
position two miles from Winchester on the Martinsbure
road On 2st he rebel cavalry, uAdcf Ashby. show
ed themselves ~ pokcts within sight NJ Winchester.
On the 22d all OF Gen Banks command. with the cx-
ccpion Of my division, evacuated Winchester en- route
flt Ceuircville This movement and the mas ked pos-
ton n my division made impression upon the inhab
itanis some " whom were n secret communication with
the enemy, that our army had LEFT and that nothing re-
maiucd but few regiments 10 garrison this place Jack.
was sigualized 10 this n Ct their signals and
OWNED their meaning About 8 o'clock la the afternoon
uf the Z2i, Ashby, believing that the almost
evacuated attacked pickes and drove them in This
success increased his deluson. 1t became necessary
however 20 repulse them for the time being. there
fore ordered forward brigade, and placed in front be-
tween nchester and the enemy. only bet them see.
however two regiments of infantry two batteries " ar
tcry and small force n cavalry which hc mistook as
the whole force left 20 garrison and protect the place.
To little skirmish that evening while placing The
uufr, iu position was struck by fragment VI shell.
which broke my above the elbow. Injured my shout
dors and damaged me otherwise 20 such extent that
have lain PROSTATE ever since ! commenced making
preparations for any emergency that might occur that
nisht ur next nornipr Under cover OF die might or
dcrcd entire brigade lkimhasl 20 take up strong
position in advance. pushed forward four batteries.
having them placed n strong position 20 support the
infantry. placed Sulvans brigade on both tanks, 90
prevent surprise aud o keep my TANKS from being turn
ed and held Tyer's brigade in reserve 20 operate
against any point h, miqht he a.saiod In front In
this position awaited and expected the cucmys attack
next morning Ny advance htiv tdc was two miles from
the town. ts pickcis extending perhaps mile farther
along the turnpike ding 60 stra.burs
About O'Clock Zoo the morning sent forward two OK
pereuccd officers TO rcoouuoue the front and report
dicstous of the enemy They returned n an hour re-
la I'd n any
w, infantry aud nrtuery. which by this time had become
hmiIar and contemplate Go us. Gen Banks, who was
yet here u person, upon hearing this report concluded
mat jackson could not be u front possibly OF be dccoy-
cd away Cor from the main body OF the rebel army
IN this opinion J. 'o began % concur, concluding that
Jackson was foo sagacou' to be- caught m such fap
Gen Banks therefore lch for Washington His staff Of
tcers directed to follow the dav by wa, u
CUtreyilc Kuuairg the ciRfty enemy, however. had
was oouccntrs ted, and prepared TO support kmballs
brigade which was in advance.
About nhi past Ten O'clock Il became evident we had
c3n,'1eT'os force ueioIe us out me enemy SUI con-
ceaied himself 80 adroy IN the woods that 10 was i'm
l,rN forward 100 open hre ana unm.sh them b{ degrees
ucl btRai 20 sbo" themselves. Ihey planted battery
amer battery m strong position on 'he centre and on
both hanks our sfu"efy responded and This eontinu
cd until about hArast three O'Clock in the afternoon,
"hen lrcltd column oi infantry TO carry battery
their left flank and o assa that flank, which done
promptly and sIlcndidy by 1yer's brigade aided by
regiments from the other brIadcs The FIRE of
infantry was so close and destrueye that il made havoc
iu their ranks The result the capture OF their guns
the lcf and The forcing back OF their wing an the
thus placing them in position 10 be roui led by
general attack, whioh made about five O'Clock 10y all
the infantry and succecdCd driving them u ght from
the field.
sion uf hr field Ut battle, two guns and four caissous,
three hundred prisoners and about thousand stand n
small arms Our killed In this engagement cannot ca-
coed hundred men, wounded two hundred and thirty
thrice. The cucmys killed and wounded exceed one
thousand The inhabitants of the adjacent villages car
t,d them to their houses as they were removed from the
Nf N hot NE hat rsN aHI
burgh aud even ia beyond, have since been found filed
with The dead and dying Of the enemy Graves were
found FAR from The road where she Inhabitants Of the
country buried them as they died Gen Banks in his
sut %, me eney tonpd
filed ia This mauuer, and presenting the most ghasty
spee,taTle.
this whole region n country NIX terror. SnrS bioS
had never fallen on them te'oTc, and is crushing
,d " "S ,h, J''kson ana MS stone Val
ncy,r meet this division again in battie during the
night they manaecd to carry off their artillery in the
morning and ths' eommaneed o rerea a en BANKS aeS
returned from Harper's Ferry between and 10 o'clock
"A ANA paS' g.. , al my .' g g, ihS head
iog ths enemy Rciuiorceuens. which we had ordered
e1ek from Williams division and which had ordered
vim al ihese We rsn7aned The pursuit. nlesS Them,
vim vgor and with repeated aud destructive attacks as
me ercny sfire. have bse te,i sH5 s, ~
they have nowhere else endured since the commence
b .,a ~ Iu ~ ,uCH we,s tnei, aan,ry ana
or pursuit did they give way TO panic. TRey fed to
Mount 3aeAs3n, ana are ny ms umf no doubt in COM
hope 10 be- ale in few GAYS to ide in bogg, and aoe
my .df at ihe head Of my command but have neither
m cn, 'T se ,5 ' Gs 10 l 10 ,t ieIy'e To-
men coold be batter treated than am BY Gen Banks
Sa9 }t ~ ne ana ms gommana had 9ecn mere On the
our uily enemy would not have been Unnamed /
want an cth lent cavalry regment---.the Third United
ul5 ,o SEE , segrr,,3y g WI IN
II The, siye me a chance. JAMES SHIELDS.
GENERAL SHrE1Ds.-Gen. Shields, who is
lust now in active service was at the siege Of
Vera Cruz and when severely wounded. he
continued on the field. urgipp on his men. nm
I'll ball passed through his lung, struc, him
down. lie was carried from the battlefield
and was reported so near dead that obituary
notices appeared of the gallant General in
n,,riy oil ia ,,,,rs az H., oo,,,.r, H.,
-, = "'t ~ fF~i' wy 0'+""l' ~"
IN the nclghborhaod OF the battle-g ground his
life was for weeks dpsnaired Of and rho anec-
uote ol MS cure lH rehalkaole, as Woulu APP
pear improb able did the man not live at the
,roso,, ,;r,, 81, ,,o-;f,, tho ,,,,or,.,. l., 49,
F'U'~" "",~ W 'Vi'y 'Hc 9."'Siile"'' ~ oP-
pears thit he was entirely given over by the
army surueons when Mevicsn doctor said
nc Mnu'A ave II Hc WouIu let MN remove the