Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-06-25


General Milroy very severely for evacua.
ting Winchester after such feeble res is
lance. and permitting the rebels to invade
Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Winchester is said to be strong posi-
ton. and ever since its occupation by Gen.
Joe Johnson. before the first Bull Run
battle. it has been well fortified. Gen
Nlilroy occupied il with force Of twelve
thousand at least. undisputed accounts
say he marched nine or ten thousand TO
Harpcr's Ferry. after losing two thousand
There was formidable array of cannoA at
Winchester, says the Pennsylvania In
quirer, and besides twelve thousand in.
fantry there wers three if not four regi.
ments of cavalry. The strong and well
mounted works at that place were con
structcl and occupied by an ample garrison,
expressly to prevent an advance of the ene-
my down the Shenandoah Valley The
outlying post at Bsrryville. with the cav.
airy there. were designed to guard against
surprise. and to check the enemy if lie
should menace Winchester. Yet, Berry
vile mas surprised. and had to be aban-
donsd; and Winchester was surrounded al
most without the knowledge of its garri-
sen. The result was that after a show of
resistance, the Union troops. ten or twelve
thousand strong, were marched out from
their fortified works. before an attacking
force of but fifteen thousand at the utmost,
leaving all their stores and cannon behind.
The circumstances Of the flight. the In
quirer goes on to say, were most humi lila
ting. The cavalry went off in one direc-
ton and the main body of the infantry in
another. Many of the fugitives became
the helpless victims Of their audacious
pnrsuers. and another body. sixteen hun
dred strong, that escaped to Hancock.
were so disorganized and tlemoralized by
the absence of their officers, that they fed,
like startled sheep. at tue .p,ers report of
an advance of the enemy. AT first we
were told that General Milroy had spiked
and abandonen his guns but had sared his
artillery" This was mystery among
the mysteries of the war. until General
Milroy himself told us that be had lost all
his artillery and stores.
That is the story of the last of all our
Winchester campaigns. as it reaches the
public through friendly channels. We
trust it may prove to be no worse when
we come to regard it under all the lights
of history. .zas..u
The questions which spring instinct
lively to every lip are these. What were
General MrLnoY's cavalry about that they
did not give timely warning of the Rebel
movement? How was it that the forces
at Bsrryvills were so utterly Surprised as
to be almost defenscless? why was
Winchester, when it was so strongly for
titled, so well mounted with artillery. so
strongly garrisoned. SO ieebly defended?
/ why was it not held as obstinately as
FosrER held Washington. North Carroll
IA? - srsle sss lsa ssf.sa se sno zssf
The last we heard Of the cavalry a Ber-
ryvillo, prior to their stampede. was that
they were enjoying themselves with horse
races. Would it not havo been more in
the line of their duty and much better for
THE cause, If they had been securing the
1; Valley? A race may bea very nice
thing in its place and in seasons but. il j.
not the right thing in the face Of . bold,