Wilmington journal., 1864-10-27
Army Correspondence Of the Journal.
., of winchester No. 3 Battle OF strasburg
Retreat from New Market.
B1YoUAC NEAR PoRT REPUBL1C,
Sep.ember 26th, 1864.
September 26th, 1864.

B1yoUAc NEAR PoRT REFUBL1C,
September 26th, 1864.
The post week has been OF eventul interest in the
.;tnrv of this campaign in the Valley, and the news
nid have been forwarded to your columns but for the
,ste order issued by the A. & e requiring month
=. rspspre between the occurrence OF an event and the
account thereof
,of camp at two O'Clock, 2. M and proceeded tc-
Eards Martinsburg upon another reconnaissance
Ro1es division was left near Bunker Hi guarding the
oads which lead from Harpers Ferry, while General
CodOn made raid upon Martinsburg to secure cattle
md forage reported there in large quantities The en-
tire affair was failure for there stores there
ard except driving few cavalry out of the town there
vas 10 engagement We will close the curtain upon
,hp eceLes of dsSi patton which to no
sqlders can indulge their apFettes to such extent,
and be tIcient and i is time that officers high in
authority should notice its demoraljzing tendency.
On Sunday, the 18th, General Gordon returned, and
ioiUirg Rudes at Bunker Hill, went into camp about
six mills from Winchester. Tie same evening General
Ranseur bad on engagement with the enemy's cavalry
on the Berryv'lle Road, rePulsing them
On tie morning Of tie 19:h The firing resumed
about sunrise at Winchester, and General Rodes'
division put il motion towards the latter place
Arriving there found the rest Of the army partially
engaged, end lire Of battle hurriedly f)rmed and
aivaEced Gen. Rodez leading in person. The account
which states that Roies ia camp and being sur,
prstd killed raiIying his men is without founda-
ton At the time &, General Rodeg' death bis division
vas advancing ia an orderly oDd eff ctiVe charge,
Some eccount Cf cur line must first be given, that
von my obtain an idea of the battle. TIE left was
ccmpc Of General Lomaxs division OF cavalry, made
up Of IntOdens, JoLLson's, and Vaughan's brigades
This lire crossed the Martnsburg turnpike, the ex-
treme kft resting upon Apple Pie Ridge. There was
au interval between the right OF the cavalry and the
left OF The Infantry column, ard then Rodes' d.
vision, hen RaHseur's division and Fiz Hugh Lees
division the extreme right the whole line forming
orc of circle, covering tie Berryve and Martnsburg
Road, with the fortified heights (AppePie Ridge 10
the rear.
Wheu Rodcs came upon the fzid Ramseur moved to
the right, Gordon formed the f5 of Rodes, and in
this line tue battl5 opened With the usual dash CT
our troops they went forward with rush and drove
the euemy pelEmell before them Here it that our
noble ii Or General ftll pierced through the brain
with minnie ball. Everything going we'll
We captured two hundred prisoners and about nine
etauds of coOrs, VIXEN portion OF the line advancing
farther than the rest under erfade fire upon
both HlLks, and forced retire to the common
line. his repuIse was quite decisive to the
N.Y. snd the opposition IN our front afterwards but
tebe In fact, We learn from reliable source, that
the enemys wagon train ordered the rear under
"a strong guard preparatory to d retreat.
! AVerlPs cavalry had been skiTmishiIg for time
with LomaX's cavalry, and about two O'Clock the fire
Fgraduay advanced and increased rapidy until the
enOke Of mu-kets 10 full view from the centre of
ithe line, and giving way. And now commotion CON-
menced in The rear but not moment too soon, for Lo-
smax's Division streaming and n perfect rout.
kIhe whole field alive with flying cayalTymen,
Ewounded men and ambalances.
| Just this time Breckinridge's Division rushed at
doube quick time from the centre, and formed the
et with the hope OF checking TIE tide of battle but
Fall Efforts check rttreating hoTsemen avaied moth
fling all entr6ates and threats used but the dis
graceul panic only Increased. Seeing his successful
s0nsaught our left, columns of infantry up to
support the cavalry, and although We were partially
ssuccessuI in checking the retreat whole column
swas again driven back. The fight one of despera
uor tie eDemy flushed with bis success and struck
kbodly at the vital part, and the day was lost.
! The r>teat of the whole army now commenced and
Et CT disorder. Our army is not used to re-
ftreatipg and the fighting in retreat was but feeble and
sdisorgabized. Fortunately, the sun went down upon
-FOUR misfortune and saved Us from further loss.
| We have not one single word of commendaton for
Cur infantry, but for Fitz Hugh Lees cavalry and the
sartery Ii may be said however ineXtenuaton of the
sdsc dtabe Ection Of army, that cavalry had
saOWed the enemy 10 come in their rear before any con-
illusion caused ard even amidst all the disorder
(which the breaking Of 8lch important part of line
sas tbe hlnk had caused, Infantry COOL ard
rmed orderly line, but failed to arrest the panic No
considerable bodies Of the Army of Northern Virginia
Ebave before been thrown into confusion. 1t is
remarkable fact that cur army has known de-
Iea and this be aecrbd to other than the
EpelsOIa bravery Of Ctcers and men, But no one can
ssay that less brave than ever for in
EdVldua acts of bravery shown during the battle
EOt tie b inst not less brilliant than any in the war
iBQt the number OF men panic stricken was sufficient to
kkeep lines in constant state of disorder vacating
liant GeUeras to keep them steady
The Moore t5Id surprise had not yet been overcome
Eby two CT tie brigades composing L0maXs division
sand to their entrusted what is usually consid-
Eertd impOrtant-sle Hank
After all though, the bread shoulders of the com
smapdipg General will have to bear the blame, and ht
EhStOran many years hence will doubt form quite
;dfeen opinion from any entertained now OF the affair
awe say they saved the balance OF the army from
Escvere loss tie former traia the latter
scOnused infantry Had all done their duty as unlinch
tmgfy the artillery troops, CoO1s would not
be drooptd il dshon0r. Four piects of artillery only
tWere lost and OF these brought eff the field
Though unserViceabc. In killed and wounded cur los
lis quite vague; many supposed lest have
since ccn2e in. Gen. Fi:z Hugh Lee was wounded
though Lot seriously Oar gallant Colonel, S. ID
.Thruston, iaiEuily though not seriously wound
ed quite early in the engagement. He was fortunate
enough 10 escape capture. Capt. JGO. 2. Cobb &C.
Fnior Ocer Of tie q n =. Troops, had his leg rac-
'ured 50 badly 70 rccCssit2to amputation; he was
.caTUrtd. Col l.. l. Bennett and Eiajo Lambeth 0
tie I4th n -, both prI50ncrsthe latter wound
I'd Gen. Goodwin, ot Hukts ud brigade and formerly
CoOut oi mat celebrated c0s.ript egiment-.he 57tl
was killed
We retreated to old position OF rasburg, arri-
wing there On the morning CT tie 20Gh. The array
battle in this position was little chang d from that a
Winchester, Lomax's division on the left flank.
Properly supported, this position is of grea
strength. This is the narrowest point in the Valley
The Massenutton rises up between the Blue Ridge an
Little North Mountains, dividing the Page Valley Of
the East from the Valley proper. In this pas
is Fishers HILL commanding position, the right of
forming natural defense, entirely unapproachable-
Three main roads traverse the Valley in nearly paa
lei zines. The Turnpike Middle and Back Roads; tt
latter is close under the North Mouutau and ger
ee1y corceived to be the accessible way to cur lei
flank