Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-07-22

Eforee ten or twelve Thousand strong, with
two batteries OF artillery, posted in a
woods Aanking aud crossing the road, un-
der General 'tAllegheuy'' johnson.
The general knew no protracted fight
could take place here, as in that case the
forces around the Notifications would come
down upon our rear and overwheIm u.s.
The advance regiments were Immediately
formed in line Of battle, and attacked the
rebels with the utmost fury, aud for an
hour and q half the fighting was desperate.
Three times did Gen Milroy, at the head
of his men, charge the enemy, driving him
from his guns, but as often the rebels, re-
inforced, drove us back. In the last charge
the generals horse was killed under him
| by q shell. Hearing the approach Of forces
| from Winchester, as many of our men Rs
could be got together were ordered to
move OF rapidly by the left flank by the
pike which had been cleared of the enemy,
but two regiments, the 18th Connecticut
and the II 3D. Ohio, having moved further
to the right, were surrounded and nearly
all captured. 7t.
The l1eth Ohio volunteer infantry and
18th Virgins suffered, the 18th Pennsyl-
vania and let New York cavalry, together
with many straggiefs, and the wagon and
attillery horses Succeeded in reaching
Pennsylvania With comparatively little
loss. About two thousand men, with the
General, reached HarpeTs Ferry, at which
place General Tyler was in command by
appointment of fthe President. General
Milroy diduot, therefore, assume command,
but was ordered " Major General Schenck
to turn his command over TO General Tyler,
and report with hisi staff, at Baltimore
General Schenck stated the difficulty in
placing General Milroy in command at
Harper's Ferry, aud offered him IA leave of
absence to visit his home; this he declin-
ed ing that while the country was in
SUCH 5anger, he would willingly serve un-
dey gndier- General Tyler, or any other
Officer. He, therefore, by permission of
General Schenck, proceeded to join his
troops at the Ferry.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad having
been tapped by the rebels, he was compell-
ed to return to Baltimore, aud by order of
General Schenck proceeded to Bedford,
Pennsylvania, to ftorganize the part of his
force that had reached that place. He
had collected nearly three thousand of his
troops at Bloody Run, aud was preparing
to strike the rebel General Imhoden at Nc
Connelsburg, when he received an order
from General Schenck to turn the COM
mand over to Colonel Pearce, of the 18th
Pennsylvania cavalry, and report at Balti-
more, which he did; and upon his arrival,
was, by peremptory order Of Gen. Hal
leck, placed under arrest.
True to tue high toned, unsel6sh patriot
ism for which he is so justly celebrated
and highly esteemed by his troops, he Of
tered to take command of q brigade, reg
iment or company, or even to fight in the
ranks, If relieved from arrest during the
present struggle to drive the rebel hOrdes
from the soil of the loyal States, but even
this ma gnauino1s offer was rejected.
But to review the facts connected with
the Winchester affair: As have stated be-
fore, Winchester was regarded by Halleck
as being, in a military and stragetic point
of view, as Reals point aud of no great
Importance, Harpcr's Ferry being regarded
as the strong point to which the garrison
at Winchester would be ordered to fall
back in case large force advanced up the
Valley, but Winchester was regarded as a
point of importance in guarding the Bal
timore & Ohio Railroad, and therefore
Milroy was instructed to hold it.
Had General Milroy reasons to suspect
that General Lee could withdraw his for
ces from Hooker's front aud move them in
10 the Valley without that officer, aud of
course Gen. Halleck, being aware Of it in
time to notify the garrison at Winchester
to fall back2 But what are the facts
Gen. Lee withdrew his forces into Hooker's
front, and that officer seems to have known
nothing Of it until the two advance columns
of that army had passed through the gaps
in the Blue Ridge aud attacked General
Milfoy several days afterWard.
One column crossed at and above Front
Royal, which is little southeast of Win
chester, and at once attacked the Sd bri-
glde of Milroy's division. stationed at Ber-
ryVille. This brigade fell back, cOntesting
the rebel advance upon Winchester. The
transportation Belonging to this brigade
was sent to Martinsburg, and through the
energy of A. @. Wyckof was saved. A
part of this column moved across from
Berryville to the Martinsburg road j. north
OF Winchester, thus, as before stated, cut
ting off our line of communication and re-
treat. l.'' y, -I5N nU s4.i
1t is stated that the forces of General
MiIroy were surprised; this Is false. They
were not surprised Mt any point; but, on
the contrary, skirmishing with the rebel
Eadvauce began when the enemy reached
the Shenandoah, the Sd brigade contest
| lug their advance from the time they
crossed the river. We were at this time,
however, under the Impression that the
movement was only a. feint to cover Stu
arts raid, and-in this belief the Depart
ment at Washington seems 70 have shared.
for General Milroyl had orders to hold
Winchestef, aud he received no intimation
that Lees army was in motion.
Every effort on the part of the general
was made TO determine the strength and
designs of the enemy, and on Sunday it
became evideu. that Lee had moved his
forces, or a large part thereof, into the
VALLEY. TU1der these circumstances what
was Gen. Milroy to do? He had orders to
hold Winchester, orders also not to keep
on hand in any considerable quantity sup
piles of any. kind. He had received no
notice that the army of Gen. Lee had moved
toward the valley until he found two col
ms of his army opposedlto him and his