, 1863-06-25

HEADQUARTERS MARYLAND HE1aHrs,
OPPOSITE HAnPEn's FERRY, June is, 1863.
: That you have not before received the de-
tails of the several severe battles ut BerrFvil1c
been owing to the fact that Ill mail communi-
cation between this point and Baltimore has
BEEN cut off since Monday night last, by the
suspension of railroad communication, and
could not telegraph you, Tor the reason that
the War Department has prohibited corres-
news Of whatever character. Another reason
has been the one which always find to be
the most insurm ountable-making true re-
port from the thousand and one stories told
By those returning, each yarying from the
other in all essential particulars. However, I
think the following narrative Of events In
this quarter may be relied upon, as have
cleaned it from the conversations have had
with of1icers-staff, line and 1eid-now here.
give first an account of the battles Of Satur-
day and Sunday, June ID and II, at Winches-
ter. as they were the most severe ones, and
consequently the most Important.
THE FIGHT ON SATURDAY..
For several days prior to Saturday. the 18th
inst, Gen Milroy, who was in command of
the post, had been expecting visit from the
rebel Gen: Ewell, whose forces were reported
to be advancing down the valley from the di.
rectiou Of Luray, vim Strasburg and Front
Royal; and as o consequence he was not sur
pearance. Strong piclets were kept well out
on both roads.
THE p1CKETs DRIVEN IN.
Early in the morning Of Saturday tho pick
cts on the Front Boyal Pike were driven In by
the advance Of the enemy, and the 18th Con.
nectlcut, Col. WIN. q. Ely, with one section
Of battery L, 5th regular artillery, supported
f.Jy$ =, Dr.,
the Front Royal road TO feel for the enemy.
This force had gone but about mile aud q
quarter from the Town when they were open.
cd upon by q battery planted just in the edge
OF dense thlcket, about two hundred yards
west OF the road and upon the opposite side
Of deep ravine which made down towards
Mill Creek. Lieutenant Spooner Immediately
whtcled lis section into battery on knoll
upon the right OF the road, while the 18th
Connecticut took position 1n tile rear, cover
cd By the hill upon which tue field pieces
were planted, and the 67th Pennsylvania were
little in advance Of them. The enemy play
cd upon these regiments and battery, at not
over four hundred yards distance, for an hour
and u h:lf, with six Napoleon pieces, aud were
kept exceedingly busy BY Lieut. spooner until
shell from the enemy accidentally fell direct
forced him to retire. THIS accident, besides
disabling the battery, killed three Of the ar
tillereats+ As soon us the rebels found they
had si1cnccd the Union battery they paid their
respects hotlY to the S7th Pennsylvania be-
hind the stone wall who had been annoying
them somewhat By the fire Of their sharp
shooters, which the Penusylyani1ns bore for n
while with praise wotthy forbearance; but ut
| length flying rocks and bursting shells proved
too much for them, and they sought shelter In
the rafine and made their way back across the
creek. Lieut.. Spooner moved his two pieces
hNr1- rf rts
town, where LIE was joined bg the four re-
naming pieces, under Lieut.. Randolph when
| lie resumed the fight at long range.
TIE ATTACK ON TIE soCTu, /
While tho artillery duel was progressing
upon the line Of the Front Royal road Gen.
EweQ posted two lQ-pound Parrott guns in
the edge OF q piece Of timber, on the east side
If the Strasburg road, little north Of tie
village OF ke1rnstown, aud about two and
three-f0ur1h miles south Of Winchester,
which immedia'ely opened fro upon tho Lid
Ohio, Col. Wilson, and the 18Th Pennsylvania
cavalry, Major kerw1n, posted In sparse
wood, about midway between bill Run and
kearnstoxn, on the east side Of the road, and
UPON the l2sh Virginia, Col. kunk, opposl 9,
on the west. As soon as this battery opened
Gen Milroy ordered two guns of Battery D, let
| Viiginia light Al tiilcry, under Lieut.. Theakcr,
|. to take position upon: a rise Of ground be-
/ tween lhe Cedar Greek and thu StrasDurg
roads, with lasnpport Of tho loth Ohio, under
Colonel Ksltsr f. lhsss forces advanscd quick
snvh . well directed fire that tue enemy with,
drew their guns but immediately another
/ rebel battery camc in position OIL the west side
Of the road, and large bodies Of rebel Infantry
were discovered moving around to the west,
ward across the St1a=6nrg ptke. The last
mentioned battery Of six guns, Us soon q pos
E1bie, b6 gun to pour its f1c upon tue Union
battery aud It's Infantry support. which soon
compelled our forces to 1au buck to tho cover:
cf the town Of Winchester, leaving the coun-
try free 10 the enemy from Mill Greek south
ward The two guns Of BatteryD next took
poEition at The West Side Of the rpall, in the
outskirts Of the town, within some old earth
works, where they we're joined by the re.
,uaindcr Of the battery Of Captain Carlin, and
continued to be ciiectually served the rest of
the day, and IN company with Battery L, lst
advancing beyond Mill Creek upon either Of
the roads dunng tho ufterhoon.~
THE ATTACK uroS WINCHESTER.
After the artillery Of Gen. Mlroy had been
Withdrawn to the last mentioned Positions
the enemy advanced two pieces of Ills artit-
le1y to position few rods south of Mill
Knn and east Of the strasburg road, and from
them opened flEe upon the town. They had
fred but few shots, however, when Lienten-
att Tl1caker, Of battery B, moved two pieces
to the rear Of the millpoDd, and under cover
of few fine old wecplng willows, pfoylde1-
italy thick with fotiage, soon drove them
away with considerable loss, as his fire was
seen to take effect at almost every shot direct
II In their midst.
Large mnssvs Of rebel infantry and battery
| after battery Of artillery were discovered NOV
| ing around to the west OF the town all the af-
vred his forces to circumvent them Us much
| us possible. It must be remembered that the
Union forces numbered but little oyer seven
thousand men, with three batteries Of field
artillery, aside from six siege pieces 10 the
twenty thousand strong, and prudence Would
! Eeen to hare dictated 10 Gen. Milroy to have
his forces withdrawn eayly on the night Of
| Saturday via the Martinsburg and Berfsyills
| roads, before The enemy could have time to
cat of his retreat or hara.s hum on his march.
But for some reason yet unexplained he saw
| fit to hold on, and that night he moved his
force to points suited to repel attacks which
Le thought would be made in the morning.
TIE FIGHT ON SUNDAY.
At two o'clock on the morning Of the 14th
| the entire command, which had been iucreas-
ed By the arrival of Colonel McReynolds brig
| ade from Berryyille, were recalled from the
vicinity Of the fight the day previous and put
in occupation Of the tortidcations encircling
| Winchester On the north and south.
oxsERAi. M1LRoI's ATTACK.
During the morning Of Sunday, and In fact
| all the day, skirmishing had been going on
between the Eighteenth Connecticut and
Eighty-se7enth Pennsylvania regiments and
tho skirmishers Of General Rhodes (rebel)
army, who had followed Colonel McReyno1ds
command In from Berryyil)e, and were posted
| III the woods mile east Of Winchester, on
the road to Berryyille, and extending across
to the Front Royal road. The Union troops
kept close in upon the town, while the rcbett
ca1ae up to the eastern side of the public Gem
etery, across which the principal firing took
ploce. About halfpast four in the afternoon
The rebel ekirmisheTs charged mp the Berry
vile and Front Royal roads to tue very edge
Of the town, when . well directed fire from
our troops sent them back III confusion to theil
supporting regiments, and they, too, caught
the panic and rushed back to the coTer Of Tie
timber. General Milroy seeing this, and
thinking the enemy were routed, orlercd tht
Eighteenth and Eighty seventh to charge
down to The timber, asd nlso ordered Genera
Elliott, with the two regiments who lad beer
skirmishirg south Of the town, to alyanct
towards Mill creek; but as soon as the troops
on the east Of the town reached the timber
they found the rebel division drawn up in force
and before our troops could realize their posi-
ton the enemy opened upon them mos
| murderouE fire from the whole line. But ont
alternative was left, and that was to get bacl
Ms best and as soon "a they could. Genera
Elliott charged down to and drove in the robe
skirmishers in his front to their line Of battla
On the south side Of Mill run.
THE REBELS IN FORCE.
About 5 o'clock In the afternoon, tho enc
nv appeared in strong force, with two eight
gun batteries, directly west Of tho main fort
north Of tie Romney road, and about. 50