The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-10-24

The following spcial dispatsh 70 the New
York World gives 8 graphic aseosnt ofths
great battle fought on Wednesday last IN
the Shenadoh Valley.
Especial DispsssA to ts New Yak Woadl
HEApaUxRTERs ARnY OF rHs S~nEHANpog.
Oct. 19-yiaM sshingtoD, Oct Q-Anoth
or ~ssneuinasy bsttIe-she fortunes of which
were, in the beginning, apparenfly adverse
but the results Of which are quite - q
'~coursging % those of any which has pre-
coded 1t in the Valiey-hss consumed fhs
entire day, from dawn to nightflls J can
furnish you tonight with only hasty nar
rative OF the engagement -lg,saaq yxga
On every morning Of the present week
but this tho troops had bean u readiness .
daybreak for An attack BY the enemy, which
the information furnished BY Our scouts led
Us to expect. The precautien, which prov.
ed to be Unnecessary before, wss, for some
resson, omitted this morning, apprehension
of An attack having died away. The army
was posted a. follows, along the norsh
hank of Cedar run: @3 -
The army of Western Virginia on the
left of the Winchester and Stsasburg ptke,
,ts extreme left resting on ths Shsnadoah;
the Nineteenth Corps on the centre, on sne
right Of the pike; the Sixth Corps on tine
right. In the absence of General Sheridan,
who was Just returning from Warrington
from q visit, and who slept In W~inchestsr
last night, General Wright commanded the
army, General Ricketts, being in command
| Of the Sixth CORPS. 1,axt q
A dense mist developing oil the country
aro,nd favored tho enemy's designs. On
the previous night General Early, who
| proved to be still in command Of the rebel
forces, had massed three divisions Of inisn-
tr~y-Pegram's, Gordon's and Ramseur's-
at q concealed point threatening our ex-
ltreme left. The two remaining divisions,
Wharton's and Kershaw's, were moved
from Fishers Hill along the pike, threstsn-
ing our centre. 3
Shortly before daylight this morning,
while the army of the Shenandoah, dream
less of danger, ~was7soundly slsepinE, . faint
| picket assault was made on our right. a5r-
L A rapid and continuous discharge of sen,
tinel muskets extended from thence along
our whole front toward the left, whom sud.
denly, with scarcely moments warning,
the rebel infantry, masssd there the night
before, advanced against General Crooks
position in solid columns, pouring in . fierce
Gre on flank and front. Only . portion ol
our troops manned the breastworks when
the assault commenced. It was 90 energet'
&c and deadly 40 to break the lines ct once
The meu of both divisions were swept from
their b~reastworks into which the enemy
came flooding like . sea, swarming on, dr.
ing, yelling, driving all before them, they
entered the encampment In rear Of the
works whore soldiers, scarcely awakened,
we're actually rising from their blankets
To save the artillery at the b,eastworks DO.
came q desperate object when the assault
was first discovered, but the nature Of The
grousd rendered this next to impossible
Battery B, Sixth Pennsylvania, six gum
was captured entire. By superhumsn ct
forts ali but one gun of tho Fifth regular
battery were saved, leaving seven guns In
the hands of. the enemy. q.
In the meanwhile tho latter had still ad-
vanced, completely tearing the left flank oil
the army, and were nearing the pike IN the
nights above. The whole army was BY
this time aroused, wagons, ambulances and
artillery were making for the rear. nfl
The Nineteenth corps, which had stood
firm during the assault on Crook, now
found itself confronted By the Second divis
ion Of the enemy, which had moved up the
pike and attacked it fercely in front and
flank with musketry and artillery. Col.
McCauley's brigade, of the Second division
on the left, swung out Of its position In
front to receive tho flank fire Of the foe
The assault increased in f~sroepess. The
whole division reformed itself to meet the
shock. The rebels advancing, mounted the
bresstworks in Its front and with withss-
ling volleys forced it back in retreat. r
The entire Nineteenth corps, abandoning
all its works, now fought retreating and
partially broken. The scenery of the field
at this juncture was fairly appalling. The
left of the army completely turned, half
the army Of Western Virginia flying in die
may through the fog. Its camps, and the
greater part Of its camp material. In pos
session Of the enemy, the remnant, togeth.
or with part of the provisional division and
Uol. KitchIng, which had been camped In
the rear, lighting still for the possession Of
the pike.
The Nineteenth corps fighting more or
less stubbornly, falling back and constantly
losing In stragglers, the entire country
Esbout Middletown and beyond, 10 rear,
populated with . demorslized soldiery; the
Crack Of rebel muskstry, creeping firthsr
up on the left towards Middletown; hurry.
ing wagons, ambulances, caissoua: the hiss
and explosion of the enemy's shells from