Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-04-16
correspondence of the New York World
From General Banks Corps.

9'NBt RG, va, April Z.-Our victor.
/ soqs column has again advanced seventeen
miles into the territory of the enemy, and
Is stlll advancing upon turnpike which
could hardly be exccllcd in the facility
which 1T affords fqr the transportation of
large army, and the immense amount of
baggage which it required for its comfort
and subsistence.
CQlonel Gordon's Brigade led the ad
vance, deploying the Second Massachusetts
Regiment as skirmishers, and Company NJ.
Captain Denlson, of the First Michigan
Cavalry, acting as an advance guard, and
charging the enemy Fatreating through the
town OF Woodstock, and again through Ed
inburg and across the bridge over the
Shenandoah, which was burned to prevent
the pursuit.
This town, which We nov occupy, is a
small village Of 800 inhabitants, pQssibly,
and 60 miles distant from Sta2nton on the
line OF the railroad from Richmond. The
turnpike, which we are now upon, contin-
ues TO Staunton, passing through Mount
Jackson and HarriSonburg, two towns of
some Importance. Staunton is l03 miles
from ltichmond. We have already in our
progress from the Potomac, pushed on six.
ty-five miles, more than half the distance
towards Staunton
Woodstock, the town occupied yesterday
by Colonel Gordon, with Company NJ, of
Colonel Broadhcad's Cavalry, is twelve
miles frQrq S:rasburg, principally situated
on the turnpike, and of about 900 inhab
itants. General Banks, with his Staff,
rode on to the advance, and was in Edin-
burg last evening, when the enemy ceased
their firing.
No hlndrapce to its progress is made, ex-
cept the occasional and sudden appearance
ot Ashby, with his 500 horsmen and his
three cannon, who, at some convenient
point, as we approach, throws at US half
dozen shells, only two or three of which ex-
plode, and dashes away again as rapidly as
he approached.
This he vas doing continually yesterday,
but without much harm to our troops
One man, however, was killed, Jas. Martin,
OF Company g, Twenty, ninth Pennsylva,
Ma Volunteers. Capt Richardson, who
stood by him, received a slight wound in
bis hand. This occurred short distance
from town, and had not Col Gordon, Ac
ting BrlSadler General ordered his men
into double, quick, so accurately had the
Rebel Colonel obtained the range, that
many of our men would doubtless have
been killed by their shells Fortunately,
there was no other accident than those above ,
lad the Rebel General been disposed TO
make stand the many defensible positions
on the road over which we have passed
would have enabled him to have met US
with the greatest advantage of position.
At one point We were compelled to rise
a steep hill, cross high but narrow bridge
of stone, ascend still farther by road, cs
the left of which ther ocks rose steep above
US, and on the right of which they fell
beloW Us to the bed of the
deep and narrow stream which We had Just
crossed.
Such place would have made an excel
lent Thermopylae, had the valiant Jackson
chosen to verify the long yaunted deter
nination to resist inch by inch the advance
of the invaders foot, and welcome to in
lospitable graves the insolent Yankees.
Warned by the recent defeat, which his
zen tull aekowledged to the citizens in the
leighborhood through which they passed,
le prefers to run, and as it was necessary
% giye him so long space for his flight,
t hardly seems likely that we can catch
lim now. His main force is several DAYS
4 advance, and be burns tie bridges be-
lind him and seriously impedes the progress
# our pursuit The cause of the short de-
ay now is the burning of the bridge across
he Shenandoah at this place, and there is
mother bridge between this and Mount
Jackson, nine miles distant, which is, no
!oubt, lkewis burned, and the depth and
apidity of the river prevent the possibili-
y Of fording it. This will be hindrance
o our progress, but the span is not wide,
ad they will soon be connected by tenn
,orary bridges. Several fine structures
lpQq the Manassas Gap Railroad, which
Mount jackson and Washington,
lave been utterly destroyed
Ravines spanned by difficult engineering,
nd long and high bridges acress rivers
nd creeks, have been destroyed beyond
he possibility of being early reconstructed. $
The Rebels have pretty effectually preven- {
ed the use of this railraoad for our present :
military purposes. Several small streams
lave been forded on account ofthe destruc-
ion Of the bridges by the retreating forces
lne which we have lately passed had been
,uilt only month before
We have passed into another belt Of
ountry The fine Residences and wa,ithv