Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-06-24

The ssattie OF winchcster-Cause OF
the Disastrous Defeat

inc
The New York Herald Of Tuesday publishes
an accurate narrative OF the battle of Winchester,
and demonstrates that il was one Of the most
disastrous and disgraceful of the war. While
the personal courage Of Major General Milroy
canno, be questioned he has not the capacity to
manage large body Of troops. and it = unfor
tunate for the country that he was placed in the
command Of 50 important position as Winches
ter ". notice that the criminal blunder Is re-
pesied by again giving him the charge Of TROOPS
in Western Virginia. We copy the criticism OF
the Herald upon the disaster At Winchester. Al
ter referring 70 a map Of the locality which it
publishes. and to the fact that nothing yet pnb
lished reaches the full amount of the disaster. it
says:
IL will be seen that the Publications stu
ated on two hills % the northwest Of the town,
consisting of .'ihe main work nearest To Win
chester, and 1.-THE star fort" further north, both
being connected with each other by road. The
position j. evidently strong, and ough: 10 have
been held, as il certainly could have been If there
had been generalshp and pluck at the head.
The attacking force has Deen estimated az from
$4,000 to 5000. Milroy had 900 in the bat
tie. and could have concentrated 10000 from the
adjoining posts The Confederates advanced
from two roads--the Front Royal and the Stras-
burg-from the South. driving in the Iickets and
carving the outposts at the same time working
their way gradually around by the western side of
the town and on the second day they assaulted The
outer works Of the main ratification, rush NJ
into tie ditch AMI up TO the parapet. on which
they planted their flag. carving the works al the
point Of the bayonet. and killing and capturing
considerable numbers. The inner works were
still in the possession of Mir0t. also the star
fort But a council of wss held after night
fall. aud when the battle had ceased on Sunday
IL was decided to take advantage al the darkness
and evacuate in silence the place during the
night. leaving behind all the cannon. ammuni
ton and stores Better far to have retreaied be
fore the battle. or % have fought it ought Mil
row had not gone four miles when he found him
self confronted by an overwhelming force which
the Cnniederates had sent ahead. Two regi-
ments were captured Wholesale. and the saugh
ter OF those who cut their way through con
siderable. while the cavalry pursued and captured
great numbers. The loss was terrible. Nothing
WIS saved except what carried upon the per-
sons of the troops Not soldier had change
OF clothing. The officers were compelled TO
leave even their wives behind them in the hands
OF the enemy Three entire batteries of field
pieces and one battery of siege guns--n fact the
whole artillery of the communicates lost, to-
gethcr with 5000 mu-kets. and small arms with
ont stint all the ammunition and cOmmissary
stores, $50 wagons. and | .2uO horses. Out of
900 men. only from 600 To , 600 had turned
MP safe. leaving upwards of , OOO 20 be accounted
for. The report in circulation that the ira in of
Milroy had escaped turns out To he without foun
dation. Our correspondent, writing on the 2Oth.
says nothing whatever saved that belonged
tn ylilroys command and the mistake original
ell from the fact that the trains from Jones bTi.
eade At Martinsburg, and McReynoId's brigade
from Berryville. escaped TO Harrisburg Thus
the defeat of Milroy was most thorough and dis
astrous, and much was he scared that he ap
pears never to have stopped till he got TO Bait.
more
Now. his troops fought admirably, and they
were well handled by the subordinate officers
What, then. is the cause of disaster as needless
and as humilating ms that of Hrper's Ferry last
weary Nothing but the want of cool courag e and
capacity IN the commanding General Uniortu-
nately. Milroy is one Of the political Generals.
appointed for his military abilities. hut for his
violent Abolition opinions. Such men. being
mnatica have not the brains To lead armies In
the second battle or Bull Run. in which Pope
commanded. Milroys conduct showed that he had
no presence Of mind IN battle He says himself,
in his evidence before court OF inquiry: II told
him (McDowe) that was not fighting with
General Sigel's corps: that NV brigade had got
out of ammunition some TIM before and gone tO
the rctr. ami that had been fighting with half u
dozen different brigades. aud that had not IN
quired whose cor To what particular corps they be
longed Ii II evident he has no idea ot order or
standardization, or command. and j. totally unfit
to lead troops The evidence of Captain Cutting
and Lieutenant Roebling shows the extraordinary
state ct mind in which he appeared at that battle
Brigadier General Buchanan hears similar tcsii
monv Tie saws: His manner was very excited
aud every one inquired who that was rushing
about So wildly lett him h,rnnguns and ges
tieulatng most emphaticnlly; but afterwards
found him giving orders a. portion ct my brig
abe lli- own brigade was not near there and
he seemed To bc rushing about the field without
any special aim or object unless IL was To- assist
N the performance at other oili1 crs duties. ="
Lastly. General Mcdowell saws of him: when
he spoke to me he was in frenzy. not account
able scarcely Tor what he said. and attracted the
attention OF every one by hi- unseemlv conduct
Ills own report. written some time after. when his
mind might Ice supposed 10 be IN ~ normal state.
shows how extrnvagant and uurnessurcd he is in
his language aud how illogical his mind
Now. all this evidence Is IN print and before
the War Department: and VET. since the d-as
trous battle in which he PLAYER 80 strange part
General MilrOy his been actually promoted He
has been appointed Msjor General placed IN
command ot "a division and entrusted with 20
important a post n that Of Winchester. from
whpsc capture sad consequences have ALREADY
lowed and more grave disasters mtv follow
Aud nav, again. instead of having him nut under
arrest the War Department sends him into Yves
tern Virginia ia comm, md of other troops, which
he will probably suffer to he gobhled up
IL must be in the recollection of many oi our
readers that. in letter To- of the meetings of
the Loyal League held IN this city. General Nil
ROY proposed soon O. crush freedom of speech and
freedom of the pte>s ~ the North ,much ~
the Rebels were nov nearly conquered: and. that
consummation having been achieved the troop,
would be az liberty to attend To such Northern
traitors a. dared to criticIse the of the Ad-
ministraton lie has been ahead OF burnside
and every other General in his crusade agains,
the liberties OF the loy,l and peaceful citizens at
the North: bat he has made very little he,dway
against the Rebels IL i WORTHY of remark that
the Generals who are the greatest failures have
distinguished themselves most in assailiug the
constitutional rights OF the people
GOODNESS os THE ,NKKKs IN RtGARn To-
PESNsYLvASI. 1t j curious" s-v> tbe World.
Ito notice how cOolly the Eastern Republican
States have taken this lat war furry While
fhe -re.f D,mocratic Middle State. are ,i,, a.