The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-06-22
THE BATTLE OF WINCHESTER.
AUTHENTIC DETAILS OF THE CONTEST.
Advance Of the Rebels and Bravery Of
y the Union Troops.
: TIE REBEL ATTACKS REPULsED.

3 OUR LOSSES HEAVY,
&C.. &C., &c.
Mr.. r, g. Chapman's Letters.
HEADQUARTERS, MARYLAND HrGssrs I
OPPOSITE HARrEas FERRy, June Is, 1868 !
That you have not before received the details OF the
eevera severe battles Al Bervyville Bunker Hn, WIN.
chester and Marusburs has been owing 70 the fac. that
IN mail communication between this point and Baltimore
Aas been cut or since Monday night by The suspcn-
sson Of railroad communcatioD could not telegraph
you for the rsasou that the War Department. has pro
hosted correspondents from sending the wires any
war news Of whatever chsyacter. Another reaeon has
been the one which always nnd 70 be the most insur
mountabe-makns true report from the thoosaDd and
e stories told by those returning varying from
NE other In ali essential particulars However think
the following narrative Of events n this quarter may be
relied upon, a. ! havo CLEANED II from the conversa
sons havo had with ofcers--staT line and Ded-now
here give hrst account OF the battles OF Saturday
and Sunday, June Is and n, at Winchester as they
ware tho most severe Ones and consequently the most
important.
fhe locality OF Winchester is too well known need
any word Of description; but pen and ink Wow
Of in topography win ass1t the reader in under
standing the character Of tho late battles. Tho
map which send herewith will be Of The town
q Winchester s In a valley, 70 the west Of which
rises Icdgc Of bluffs, where built two principal
earthworks. known tho "Main Work" and the "star
Bort" To the south Of the and mile distant
there Is small mill stream known Mil run, upon which
has been built aew Touring establishments. The read
70 stasburg directly south from the business part
q the town, while that TO Bcrryviie east to Rom
nay west to Mar,nssurg north and to Front Royal,
ha n mi rOr chps
Yer common road branches or the Front Royal pike
eastward, towards Mllwood, and just beyond Mill
an unimportant horougharo, known the Cedar creek
road leaves the Strasburg pike 10 the eastward and
winds OF 10 TO know where. and presume
goes nowhere in particular. The Martins burg, Romney
0sasburg, Berryvlle and Front Royal roads all old
fashioned Virginia turnpikes but . very diap
dated condition. The country tho south Of the
erocn, but highly cultivated where cleared OF It's
Forests, while 70 the N much more undulating
end ledgy
SATURDAY
For several days prior Saturday, the 18th instant
General Miroy, who in command Of the post, had
esen expecting visit from the rebel General
ewell whose forces reported advancing
shs valley from the direction Of Luray ssrasburg
Front Royal; and . consequence he was not sur
Ursed by no unprsbared for. their appsarasce.
esrong pickess KEEPS well out bosh roads, and
spon those leading Nlwood aud Csaar creek shs
Eighteenth ConnecsIcut. Eghty.seventh Pennsylvania.
One Hundrsd and Twenty third Ohio, Ono Hundred and
Usath Ohio, Twefth Virginia infantry and Thirteenth
Rsassysvania cavalry with Battery L, Of the Fh regular
artillery, posted TO the south Of the town 70 dispute
- rss ncxsss pawus IN.
RAsly In shs mesaing Of Saturday the picksts the
Front Royal pFke driven by the advance Of the
enemy and the Eighteenth Connecticut, Colonel VIM. q.
NY, with section os Battery L, Fifth regular artillery,
supposd BY the Eshty Peunsyivanis sent
sut the Front Royal road feel for the enemy. rhk
sbrcs had gone but about milo and quarter from the
sst IN tie edge Of dense ihcfst about two hundred
yards west Of the road and the opposite side Of
tenant spooner Immediately wheeled his into bat
cary a knoll upon the right Of the road, while the
eighteenth Connecticut position in the rear cover.
ID BY the hill upon which the field pieces were planted
and the Eighty seventh Pennsylvania posted behind
stone tepce TO their right and little in advance of
tery at not four hundred yards distance for hour
snd half with six Napoleon pieces. and were kept ex
cecdingly busy by Lieutenant Spooner until shell from
the enemy denally fell directly into and exploded
q his lmbers, which forced him To retire. nis acct
srtiersts. As the they senced
shs Union battery they paid their respects holly TO the
Eighty y-seventh Pennsylvania behind the stone WALL who
had been annoying them somewhat by the fire of their
sharpshooers, which the Pennsy lvanans bore for while
end bursting shss proved TOO much Tor ihm and they
sought shelter IN the ravnc and made their way back
oGroeo the creek. Lieutenant SpOOner moved two
peoes back TO an orchard just at the outskirts Of the
town where no joined by the four remaining .eces
nder Lieutenant Randolph when he resumed the fight at
song range.
While the artillery duel progressing upon The line
of the Front Royal read General Ewel posted two
FOUNDER Parrott guns In the edge piece timber
sho side OF the strasburg road little north u the
miles south OF Winchester, which Immediately opened
Gre upon OSe Hundred and twenty third Col VII
son. tho Thirteenth Pcnnsyvana cavalry MAJOR Rer-
vim posted n sparse wood about midway between NH
ard Kcarnstown the east side u the road, and
upon the Twelfth Virginia Colonel Klunk opposite on the
west As soon a. this battery opened General Miroy
ordered two pieces Of battery d. First Virginia light art
rs or ground between the Cedar creek and Ssrsbura
roads, with support OF the One Hundred and Ohio
under Colonel Keer These forces advanced quickly and
taking positions directed, opened such well directed
nre that the enemy withdrew their guns but immediate
y another rebel battery came into position the
discovered moving around westward across the
rasburg pike. The last mentioned battery OF guns
saiiery and its infantry support, which 5000 com.
peSed our forces 70 fall back 10 the OF tue town OF
Mn creek sou,sssrc. The two Cons Of na,ssrs nea,
took position at the west side of the road the outks
were ros sy sSs ,smDSer Of ne "asis o ,Ssy
Carin and cOnnue4 70 b. enectualy the rcs OF
sns Ssy Ana - sSTP.ey % S,s artery T. Iss. resla.
MN creek upon sther of tbe ads durn The afternoon
rHs ArrssK ufoy wiHrHxs1rR.
Altar The artillery of General Mllrey hal been
vxhdrawn 70 ths lset mentioned positions the
enemy sdvanccd two pieces n his artillery 90 position
fev rods sosth f MIL run and east OF tbs <ras bug
read, and from them opened are uton tho town Iiey
hsd fired but few shots however when TSeusnnns
nenker, Fatery ", moved two piere the u the
nAiIgsoA and under few hne old wse,in vii.
lsws providentiaIy thick with ,isxe, drove them
awxy with considerable loss az hss seen tO take
enscs at every shot dirtcsy their midst some
Infantry skrmishg took place in the aern-on Va tns
woods ard meadows on either side Of Mi the
srssbuvg road ana extending nearly "a the road
70 RoInncy. but u amounted b. nothing more than 10
develop the designs u the enemy, which we're 10 ank
nm flp xaat fua rsftai
fantry aud battery after battery OF artillery dis
covered moving around tie west uf the town al the
ternoon and night and Cereral Niroy man ehyed his
forces % chonmvent Them much pTsbie. n mnst
remembered that the Union forces humble cd but little
over seven thousand mels with but three baer q neid
@tiiery, aside from sik siege pieces 10 the fort While the
sneny was known 70 Be uIiy twenty Thousand strong
pSudencs would seem 10 have dictated Gsnern Mruy
% nave ms orces sasy on the night q satur