The New York herald., 1862-03-27


consisting Of the First Michigan and First Ohio,
drawn up In the rear. The whole Of cavalry
amounted to more than 800 men, and this played
O vory unimportant part In the action either sde
Our right wing was made up Of the Fifth and Eighth
Ohio regiments and Q battery Of the First Virginia
giment. The reserves consisted Of the Twelfth Ind
ana the Thirty ninth Illinois and o squadron of the
Michigan cavalry. General Shields was unable ap-
pear on the field in person, and the command in
the field devolved upon Acting Brgadier Kmble, who
led our centre; and right was commanded
by Acting Brigader General Tyler, while Colonel Sui
van directed tho operations left. The battle ragged
along the whole line with great fury from eleven Ann
till half past two NJ, when General Shields who
ceved accounts of the progress Of the fight his couch
ordered the right where the ragged the hottest
to charge upon the enemy That awful charge.
The left OF the enemy prepared desperately repel
gallant troops, but their rush irresistible the
tide in the Bay Of Fundy Previous this time line
Of battle had been somewhat changed The Eighty
fourth Pennsylvania reinforced right and also bat.
terry Of artillery. Our whole force engaged was
about six thousand men, whllo that Of the enemy
at the lowest estimate eight thousand The rebels had
also changed their line, and extending both
their wings, presented concave front to
army. They had also reinforced their left wing and tho
charge to be made by right all important in its
consequences On it, at three O'clock depended the fate
OF the entire battle The gallant Tyler led the charge
sword in hand, at tho head OF the lne The rebels fired
from the woods with artillery and small arms, while our
advanced against their murderous showers Of lead
and iron, returning few shots and reservng their fire.
Up to this time the armies had not been much to
each other than three hundred yards unless in some
few instances The wood cleared at the point
Of the bayonct our men dischargng their pieces
at twenty and even &e yards distance from
tbo raho nd thaut fhnp, with tho
bayonet. The rebels fought well, however. They
tested the ground foot by foot and marked every yard Of
it with blood. Retiring behind their stone wall, the
ridge, jumped over after them, and drove.bem
along the greatest confusion and with fearful slaughter
upon their centre. Tho panic communicated. Kimble
ordered charge along the whole line, and for short
time the fighting most desperate. The Of the
longer heard, unless in occasional bursts
Of tullexplosions and The rattle Of muskery more
bosterous than ever and sounded like the noise made by
very close thunder clap except that it sharper
ard continuous The rout Of the rebels had fairly
mcncsd, however, and two Of their guns and
four caissons ours, and though many
Of them turned and fired again and again at
our pursuing host, many threw away nrskete
and bayonets without hesitation. Darkness and the
fatigue OF troops however, saved the enemy
for tho time, and retired about two miles and bi
vouacked till yesterday mornng AT daybreak General
Shields ordered tho rebel position to be attacked and
the enemy, after replying by few shots from his ort
lery, continued his retreat Meantime General Banks,
who had been at Harpers Ferry, arrived, and taking
command Of the troops in person. is continuing the
pursuit about ten thousand men. and at the latest
accounts had pressed the rebels beyond Middlcburg,
cutting of many stragglers and pressing tho enemy
very sorely The object Capture his whole force
possible. 1t not till yesterday morning that any Of
the force Of Gen. Williams arrived tho field and then
they were late 10 participate in the action. They
joined in the chase The loss Of the enemy in killed and
wounded will foot up about 900 mon, OF which 225
killed. The number Of prisoners takon from them is
23e These figures independent OF what they have
ost and viii lose in tho pursuit. Tho regiment which
lost the side OF the rebe the Fifth Virginia
Our loss in killed far asccytansd Is less than
and about SEQ Of our men are wounded. Though the
enemy had much larger force, four pieces OF
more than army ,hc selection Of fighting ground and
every other advantage yet all the trophies tue occasion
belong to the Union army.
There wero many deeds Of heroism performed the
battle field While tho Fifth Ohio charging against
the cnemy tho color bearer five times shotd yet
another tantly replaced him at the risk Of hs life.
The last color bearer of the vo private named T.
b. Isdell Tho flag staf broken, yet the glorious
banner never ceased float triumph this gallant
regiment.
The rebels had an Irish battalion of hundred and
fifty men, OF whom forty were killed on the field and
nearly all the rest wounded.
The loss side heaviest in the Eighty fourth
Pennsylvania regiment. or the Ave companies Of three
hundred men, in all engaged, they lost Col Murray
dashpg and brave officer drew a sword one
captain enc lieutenant twenty three prvatcs and non
commissioned officers killed, and sixty-three wounded.
The loss in tho Eighth ard Fifth Ohio regiments abou,
seventy five and sixty. respectively killed and wounded
Iieuteraa. Colonel Thoburn of tho Third Virginia.
among the wounded see These are The only fed
officers killed or wounded in the Union forces. e"
Tho rebels carried kpapsacks with them into action
and all the ratons in their havcrsacls small cake
o! bread 10 each They counted TO certainty
capturing Winchester. Tho only wagons they brought
with them were provision wagons. This explains how
It was that :hey did not lose much besides in their
retreat.
Tho battle eld after the struggle sight TO be
and remembered. The night was dark and cold After
the battle the apbuanccs brsily engaged moving
the wounded. The enemy carried of most Of their
wounded and some Of their dead. The wounded
n,crmngled with the dead, and their sunerpgs before
they were removed the hospitals very poignant.
Yesterday spent In buryng the dead. The CHASTITY
aspect Of the leld yesterday after the wounded
moved, and before the dead wore Inferred was appa
ing. Some with their faces of, som with their heads
on torn into fragments and frghtfuy mangled by
the round shot and shell, and others simply but quito
as onecuay killed by bullet wounds. Is singular that
most of tho enemy killed by bullet wounds shot
through the head the heart showing the remarkable
accuracy with which Western troops tho rifle.
Tho crcmys wounds not 80 fatal to
were to them, and thor weapons were, rs general
rule, decidedly inferior to those used in army.
About the stone wall the enemy strewn almost ON
ton Of zach other in hears Of dead Al this point also
many Of our brave feows.aso bit the dust.
Capt Jones, who commanded tho Irish battalion in the
robs army, is = prisoner in our hands, with both his
eyes shot out by ono bullet.
The calm which has succeeded the mighty tcmrsst of
the pas,ew days here is something exceedingly solemn
Everything around Winchester Is quctcr and
gioomior than ever
Additional Details OF tho Battle.
W. Aiaxnl ns