Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-04-12


sion upon the Inhabitants, some of whom
were III secret communication With the enc
my, that our army had left and that nothing
remained but a few regiments to garrison
this place. jackson was siynalzed to this
effect / saw their signals and OWNED their
meaning.
About 5 O'clock on the afternoon of tho
22d, Ashby, believing that the town was
almost evacuated, attacked our pickets and
drove them in. This success increased his
deIusion. 1t became necessary, however, 10
repulse them for the time being. |, there
fore, ordered toward brigade, and placed
it in front, between Winchester and the
enemy. | only let them see, however, two
regiments of infantry, two batteries of artil.
lery, and small force of cavalry, which he
mistook rs The whole force left to garrison
and protect the place. In little skirmish
that evening, while placing the artillery in
position, was struck by fragment Of a
shell, which broke my arm above the elbow,
injured my shoulder, and danoged me other
wise, to such an extent that | have lain
PROSTATE ever since.
commenced making preparations for any
emergency that might occur that night or
the next morning. Under cover of the night
| ordered an entire brigade (Kinbalrs1 TO
take up strong position in advance.
pushed forward four batteries, having them
placed i'll Il strong position to support tho
infantry. / placed Sullivan's Brigade on
both tianks to prevent surprise and to keep
my flank from being turned, and | held
Iylers brigade III reserve, to Operate against
any point that might bc assailed in front.
In this position awaited and expected tho
cncmy's attack next morning Ny advance
brigade was two miles from the town, its
It, -
along the turnpike leading to Strasburgh
About : O'Clock in the morning, [ sent
forward two officers to rcconnoitre the front
and report indications of the enemy. They
returned in an hour, reporting no enemy in
sight except .Ashby's force of cavalry, infan.
try and artillery, which 10y this time had
become familiar and contemplate TO Us.
General Banks who was yet here in person,
upon hearing the report, concluded that
Jackson could not bc in front possibly, or
be deCoycd so far away from the main BODY
of the rebel army. In this opinion /, too
began to concur, concluding that Jackson
was too sagAciuuS to DC caught in such a
trap. General Banks therefore lett for
Washington His staff officers were directed
to follow the same day ty way OF Centreville.
Knowing the crafty enemy, however /
had TO deal with, ! omitted no prccaution.
My whole force was concentrated, and pro
pared to support himballs Brigade which
was III advance. About l0b o'clock il
became evident We had considerable force
before us; but the enemy still concealed
himself 80 adroitly in the woods that it was
impossible to estimate it. / ordered portion
of the artillery forward to open fire and
unmask them. BY degrees th,r h"e-~---J
show thnn.e.lr--rrUug position, on the centre
and on both TANKS. Our artillery responded,
and this continued until about S4 o'clock in
the afternoon, when | directed u column of
infantry to carry a battery on their left flank
and to assail that flank, which was done
promptly and splcndidly 10y Tyler's Brigade,
aided 10y some regiments from the other
hrigadcs. The fire Of our infantry was so
close and destructive that il made havoc in
their ranks. The result was the capture of
their guns On the left and the forcing back
oi their wing on the centre. thus placing
them in Il position to be routed by q general
attack, which was made about o'clock by
all the infantry, and succeeded in driving
them in flight from the field.
Night fell upon US at this stage, leaving us
in possession OF the field Of battle, two guns
and four caSsluns, three hundred prisoners
and about one thousand stand OF small
arms.
exceed one hundred men; wounded, two
hundred and thirty three. The enemy's
killed and wounded exceed one thousand.
The inhabitants Of the adjacent villages cac-
ricd them to their houses as they were reno
we'd from the ticld Of battle. Houses between
the battlefield and Strasburgh and even far
beyond, have since been found filled with
the dead and dying of the enemy Graves
have been disco-trcd far removed from the
road. where the inhabitants of the country
buried them rs they died. General Banks,
IN his pursuit OF the enemy beyond Stras-
burgh, altcrward, found houses on the road
twenty-five miles from the battlefield filed
in this manner, and presenting the most
gha,tly spectacle. The havoc made in the
ranks OF the rebels has struck this whole
region of country with terror. Such Is blow
had never fallen on them before, and it is
more crushing because wholly unexpected
Jackson and his stone-wall brigade, and all
the other brigadcs accompanying him, will
never meet this division again in battle
During the night they managed 10 carry
off their artillery in the darkness. We
opened upon them by early light next
morning, ana they commenced To retreat
General Banks returned from lIarpers Ferry
between 0 and 10 O'Clock 4. NJ, and placed
hiWsclf 1T my request, at the head of the
command, ten miles from the battlefield,
pursuing the enemy. Reinforccnents, which
we had ordered back from Williams Diyi.
sion, and which / had ordered forward
during the night, now came pouring in, and
/ with all these We continued the pursuit,
pressing them with Nigor and with repeated
and destructive attacks, as far as Woodstock,
, where We halted from mere exhaustion.
/ The enemys suittrings have been terrible,
and such rs they have nowhere else endured
/ since the commencement of this war; and
! Yet such were their gallantry and high state
Of discipline that at no time during the bat
tic or pursuit did they give way to panic.
/ They He'd 10 Mount Jackson, and are by this
time, no doubt, in communication with the
main body Of the rebel army. hope to he
ab.e in Il few days to ride in u buggy, and
place myself at the head of my command,
but have neither sufficient force nor sutii-
cicnt rank TO do that service to the country
that hope and feel am capable OF. No
man could be better treated than ! am by
Gen. Banks, and yet ii he and his command
had been here ON the 23d, you would have
heard nothing of fight, because our willy
enemy would not have been entrappea.
want an efficient cavalry regiment-the Third