, 1864-09-05
"ETe SssAA1 ak4U1k1E . 0E&UX H
Our Forces en- the OfIcnafVc-EnrIy
KeIFeaItnE.
Correspondence Of the Kew York Ti1es.1
HEADQUARTERS N1sETEESTH Amy CORPS.

lA1AAtSFu1AlALEV III kAE ASCN AOAA A1tAI5t
HEADQUARTERS N1sETEEs7H Amy CORPS,
" 1 Monday. Angus, j, isS1
During the past few usys ten. Shsf1uan'a
policy zetuled to be on the offensive, for no
lees than four heavy 5tcc1bnotssances were
sent ont; two on the luit, with one on the
right, b5 the Infantry, .sssisttd BY su,au
force CT cavalry, aud OUT toward Shepherds.
town By the casulry alone. These repeated
torsys IN the entmy's liDss at LAST We're re-
warded b. the fact havin::. been eatIsfactosi-
IL aecertsined that Early had at l-st tsknn
direction it was at first ir- Possible to say.
Bnl enough had been learned to determine
Gen. Shit riuAn on advancing, and o-dcra were
issnsd late Saturday evt Wy for ta,, rrtny to
be .eaa5 to rau.o Us da3ll5h About scrcn
O'Clock the entire force got Into motion,
brEss,Wolks In columns Of 5ngaGes By the
right flank, each corps preserving its relative
position In the line Of uattlc. AZ stood On
the commanding heights Just abandoned By
orr troops. aid ~ltnessed The splendid spec
taclc spread out at my feet, could rot but
remctn bcr those magnificent lines Of Shake
rpes1e's describing 1.-THE pomp and circn1n-
staLce Of glori0us war"
Glorious, Indeed, was the scene yesterday
as the army Of Western Vfrgtnin slo Wy
swept on toward the yil1age Of Cnar1estown.
Before the advance columns, Il cloud of5kir-
mtshcIs moved out in long, pencll-likc
line, now and ths n single shot spapping
ike whip, and again ruuniu.. fire SKIP.
ping along the line like wave, Us yll:npses
were Esined Of Bmal1 bodies OF the enemy.
B. hind, the corps swept on, In glittering
columns, the dark masses appearing and dis
appearing as they followed the undulutions
of The country; and between them the dit
lerent batteries Of artillery slowly adga:ced,
their measured pace eylucing dclloer -tion
In perfect ketpipg with The apparent dignity
ot The arm. Slowly, but steadily, theJ AL
vanced.
The cavalry, who have laid for some days
past in more advanced position ttan the
shepf ercstown, wheeled rapidly out from
the right on to our immediate front, and
speedily took up their appointed placs In
cur extreme advance. Rapid artillery firing
CT uad low be heard, and flint ana distant
cheer came 1oating over the woods. as some
bady Of cavalry pushed on In charge, On,
long line Of "ra1l-pens" Of the rebel skir-
nls htrs, and afain pushing By the lunettes
OF their artillery, aLd at last the miserable
and bas'y line Of bresstWorks the rebels
bnt thrown up for their infantry. It was
evident they we're only intended as blind,
L 1ot for protection.
1t was nearly ten o'clock when the 10Th
corps {ho}dfrg the center) passed through
the dusty streets Of Charlestown, and tbs
ar1nY pushed on nnti1 they reached their old
line OF bAttle, during the recent engagement
q week before. The 9th corps. Gen. Wright,
held the right, the 10th corps. Gen. Emory,
The center, and Gen. Cooks command the
lett. The army Was then formed in line OF
battle, md awaited the result Of the cavalry
adrance. At dnsk it appeared to be tavuf-
able, for nrdeTs were received for everything
to be ready for sn advance at daylight tht3
morning. With this idea We all lay DO I'm to
sleep.
Daylight had scarcely broke when the bu.
Gle bsgan ringing out the 7euet4e. md the
army set itself to get ready for the road.
Breakfast over, we lay stretched on the grass
beneath the trees, wsittng to hear the tugles
sound the .t forward" But hour after hour
slipped away, until nearly ten O'Clock, when
most of us were suddenly awakened from our
little cat.naps by the sound Of artillery.
On the Mnrtinsburgh pike, near Smlthficld,
and come six miles beyond Ckarlestown cur
cavalry encountered the entmy, driving III
Ills ekir1niehers. a running fight now en-
eued between our cavalry and the rebels,
finally In our cavalry being COM
PEELED to fall back before heavy colnun Of
infantry. The artillery firing was both saarp
was very desperate on the part Of the rebels,
they being evidently determined to resist
any further progress OF our army In that
direction fer to-day at least. The loss In
Ten. I0f Qttt8 8 command IL mol very ErtAL-
not more than is usual in such skirmtshes. 1
did not learn of any casualties Of note, ex-
cept that Of Dr. Tolinstn, Of Gen. Merritt's
staff, who was wounded By sharpshooter,
and feared to be morally Injured.
Our cavalry disputed every inch Of the
but they Were unable to cope with
the % supcrior foree Of inEntry brought to
bear aFainst them. 60 thew feli back at last
ppon our main body, and tic 1st and Sd diyi-
sion Of the 9Th corps were ordered out to
their support, ana te cover their Iet I5e.reat. M
hones for fieht wern banked by the enemy
1silag g soon as ny found th the%sslvsf %esl.;f
- ~ retc,d his Hens md at ast
accounts, was In full pursult Of their rear
ua1d.
The three CORDS comprising the main body
Of he M AR amy m are now Is o'clock p. N. J busily
eurgced in throwing 10 breastWosks, in pre-
M aFution for to o.norroW's operations, should
fhey res result til in an % enlargement, although that
is Scarcely probable, Our line Is formed tn
eche1on. bv diyisfon from rignt to left, With
a view II, chanrinp front to the left, cover
ipc + Eli Ha1per's 70 Ferr5 rom ilaukIng attack In