The New York herald., 1864-08-19

tne following order was promulgated from division
mead quarters on 1uesday:--
General Ordr-No. I.
HEADorARrEas, CAVALRY REsEnv1
In THE FIELD, August Q, 1854
Pursuant to General Order No. A, head quarters Middle
division the undersigned hereby command OF
the cavalry Of the Middle division; roDnv,r
Brgadier General Volunteers, CHIEF Of Cavalry.
VIM II. EMaoNs, Captain and A. A. General
GENERAL MERRITT COMMANDING FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION.
II will be seen by the above order that in acting as
chief OF cavalry for this dep rtment General Torbert left
General Merritt IN command OF the division and Colonel
Gibbs assumed command OF the Reserve brigade.
ApvosJE FROM nARTgs
At early hour or the morning Of Wednesday,. August
10, the whole OF this command was IN motion moving
sou tn aud towards the Shenandoah valley. The
dvance was made in two columns, in the following
orderThe reserve brigade had the advance of the lett
column followed by General Custer and after his brigade
came tire Nineteenth army corps From charestown his
column took Inc road TO Perryvile The right column
was led by the Second cavalry brigade followed by
Lowell's and the Sixth army CORPS
BETwEgS cHAsLEsrowN AND rERRYvILIE
the command following that direction met with
rebels coad we hear that any considerable force had
been in the neighborhooi lately We reached perryve
towards Winchester aad upon this pike Captain Sweitzer
was sent with his the First United States and the
Second United States to reconnotre possible far
the city.
on ms ROAD TO MLIwoop-rHE REBELS SURPRISED.
From Bsrryvile pursued the road 10 MlwoDd. We
had not proceeded far this road when captured
number o. rebels who threshing wheat in barn.
no ntimatiou Of our approach also asccrtaned that
lrge details of mon from the rebel army were at work
thraSnIng
Gently harvested aud TRANSPORTING to Rchm nd through
the valley large port ion Of the grain sown 10 the
Shenandoah valley last spring was done by the reoe
soldiers.
Four miles from Berryvlle the residence
OF one DR. Randolph, we encountered rebel skrmsh
line at the front, where the White Post road
branches from the Miwood The Sixth Penpsy
aa 70 as
tho enemy from behind stone wall where he was
gred Tha Etrct EAu Yoy dram xNar
mounted and pushed forward, further TO The rignt
through the open fields in ront OF the residence e Mr.
John A. Page The regiment advanced In squadrons
keeping themselves partially screened from the rebes
by slight rise in the ground, until they came within
tho Johnnes stood for few moments and began to fall
back. The regiment then charged them at a double
the skedaddling rebels
engaged the left, and had driven the rebels In
their front back into the woods and following them
a% onr De
tin rebels did not fight better for their position
not conceive since they were in heavy force and could
have occasioned us much trouble.
TIE REBEL GESER " RANSOM IN COMMAND.
A number Of citizens being upon tho road by which
the rebel cavalry marched, state the mounted force to
consist three brigadess and under the command Of
General Ransom, and that the column nearly thrce
hours IN passing certain point. Probably they got
wind OF the force advancing in their the New.
pike ard considered their position un!enabe. Our
loss in the skirmish WAS trifng.
STILL oNwARD-ANoIRER sKiRMIsH
Everything being quiet the column bvouacked on the
spot for the night The two regments that went ous to-
wards Winchester led by Captain Swetzer advanced to
within about four miles OF the city, when they
tered strong skirmsh line Of the enemy, which they
exchanged few shots with and then retired his orders
being merely 10 recoDnoitre the enemy. and bis force
being far too small to engage heavy line with any
he encountered heavy force OF the enemys cavalry
treating the vicinity Of White Post towards wincnes
lowed Lieutenant Mix, commanding the Second United
states cavalry was severely wounded and Lieutenant
0y Of the M s 80 s nrsd in tho the
otheG casualties will be found elsewhere.
U-srpx MAKES Rfs,oNNsssANcH
On the morning OF rhsrsday, the 18th, the division
msrciIed at O'Clock tho road I, Winchester via
hddletoun. When we arrived neT ope1uan creek Gen.
srritt halted his ceninand and sent Cnsers brigade
forward In tho drectin OF winchser The brigade had
rot proceeded far on the road when the euemy met
IN force. and for time was hcty eGgasrd, bus his
Understood to have been not TO briDg
gssesent az this pornt he cosd avoid It, Accordingly
be fefl ba0<, having sustained sAr ht loss.
ct4oNs lrGAcFSsrNr.
wNe Cen cnsser was engaged win the rebels on the
right Coz. Cesnoa. with his rcanent-tse Fourth New
York mosn,ed riAes-Yas thrown forward by circuit.
rcue, through nrsds q timothy and corn,
over buls sod through svamps, towards Newsown. in
search 4 the skxkins Johnnies le had far
before the uackius of niskes assured him II the
tao.g With sres. caution at rst aud advancing grsd,
ey he tho line OF skrmishers in his front un he
reiced tie rossr.Sds on the ssnepke 10 Front Iovs
Al his pon, the enemy had strong reserve force which
Cssnda could not be expected - combat successfully
EvIns BH7GAIE EseAGE,.
Accdrduey the balance OF tho brigade under Colonel
reyins was ordered up 70 bis snppor. Inc Nin,h New
York N the interim, had mndo sh~t crt across the
country and encountered cavxriry force not far from
hc toi'vate, On the Ncwtowp road and had fosgbt them
with great success, Notwithstanding the fearful
Coooa Nichols pushed them back constuer
able distance, HIS men behaving WITH crsmord
CoeSSia had driven the enemy into, It feand
II greos ength, having many natural advan
s,r and high stone walls ie,vnq BIZ, pSticn OF ose
Of hts fsnks exposed, and this covered with his ar
Aety which vas IN me pos posa lss y sxsn New ..sx
one, yet ali VINO witnessed acknowledged IL 10 have
besn a gallant The Ere the eocrny poured into Il
rurdercus ip tho extreme. md the regiment wns
obliged 70 fail back with some Ioas
FLANK MOVEMENT A cH.ntE.
The Fcurth New York, Seventeenth Pe1rey lvpnta and
tho Sixth New York were then dismcupted, rnd By
rapa and cautions movement Colonel Dcvns under the
cover the thisS woods Icoeeced in nktng the
N.Y. He did rot halt TO asurvcy the vintage OF the
ground" bat hS bugles rang trt the strin chswge,
and With loud cheers eod ycs tho gaaant lads " the
second brigade charged every ntcrve0ing obstacle
driving the enemy from behud the stone waits keenng
~ the chase fo nearly mile beyond Hero the rebes
raled and made anothr stand. opening mos. ur0isly
with artillery. The boys however, had found oat thu
the cuemy wa not TOO big to drive and they stccd the
(iericoarA ferce's Second Uniied Ssates) and gt II
nto position about hundred yards from that Of tho
oaoz,y. duel was the resr1t bat !, proved a short
duration The enemy was driven from the Hcld.
At this junc,ure the Ninth New York made fuioss
sauah, on hs flank w1ach forced him 70 retre preoifi
lately. -
HAVING gained rathor important rostn. the Colonel
was ordered hold IT, ard not TO hazard by advanc-
ing any furtber which he did uptr relieved by
Ceok's division or iusnry which arrived about fon
O'Clock +. NJ, a. which no ordered to the ssp-
port ~ the brigade which quite heavily
gagged another road. The losses sustained by thc
brigade Comparatively Night, However, the success
or military movement does not always depeod the
casualties attending it execution.
codosrL THIN TASTE OF THE REFrvE HcGAfn.
After the -econd brigade hal gained possession of te
Front Royal and Winchester road the reserve BRIGADE
moved mp to White Post At the togae tho First New
YORK draGoons detached and moved down 10
within mile aud one hsH OF Newtown, where they met
both tao csvairy aud Infantry Of the enetnV IN the
woods eltbdr eide cf the road, with sirmish
line extending some distance IN front OF them.
rfe regiment commenced akirmshng with them par.
naly mounted end trsmounted. MAJOR Scott, who
In comm os tho regiment pressed tho enemy smnrty
for about thEc,-fourtls of h0rr, gaining 'IRte
grnd md holding all ho gained Not knowing that the
FIRST New York wss cpgsrod. Colonel Gibbs moved
leisnely down the rocd us, he reaehed point about
tso miles from the ylice whore tbo sk,rmighing vas