Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-11-02
lcons.poaasI.e, q q. csls.se 49,

lCorTespoDdet.oe u the Chicago Tine
WAsHlSGToS. 0ctober27.
There is reason 10 believe ihsr the accounts of
+ sf,ir. IL the Shenandoah Valley which h-ve
been permitted - reach the public have been
cooked up for poltc-l pffect. the same the
elc, tion in haryl-nd Since my letter
Of the pa hive ,nverssi sith -eVer'l ofh.ers
Who were engaged Ia the battle Of tn. 18Th and
am Satisfied that. when the truth comes 20 he
known about that eng igemeni. Il will he
seen that il wss one Of the greatest disasters OF
| the var.
Two very excel cut accounts of the hattie have
| appeared one in the World and one in the Her
/ aid. both written BY eve witnesses aud b'ih cor
rect But, IN an c g'gement extending over So
! vide space u was impo--ible tor any one per
son TO ace more than one twentieth Of what really
took pace and the officers TO whom allude de.
scribe msny parts of the battle very differently
from the published accounts.
From other sources | have also learned some
facts which Incorporated in whst is stated
| below
The whole Confederate force engaged in the
movement did not exceed I ) 600 men. The or
gsnIz ,tons Nere the same a. stated in nv last
| letter, but none Of the divisions 1000
s'roug. Gen. Longs,reet had nothing 70 do with
the If ,ir ~ all Twas planned by Gen. E,rly
i'm obedience 10 instructions direct from Gen Lee
I The Cont derates believed. on the 18th inst .
that the 9th corps WIS still ~ Front Royal where
il hal been on the 10Th. BUT the l1th ia,
veteran corps had been moved 10 the right OF
Sheridan line. the position lsrthest removed
from the attack made by E,rly IL vas the pres
ence Ut this corps on the feli, and not the arri
val OF Sheridan. that saved the day. aud turned
the rout into y victory
The rout of the 18Th rorps aud OF Crooks III
vision comple.e; and this in snite of the ef
f'rrs OF Gen Emory aud Gen Crook. and those
of MANY OF her ii .ers. This owing TO
, the tact of the surprise having been complete
Had ten minutes warning been given. the 18Th
corps. ~ least. would have been prepared for the
rebel onset But the TACT Was that the CAMPS of
Crook division in full possession of the
| enemy before the men were awakened from their
sleep. A Whole ,tfery %! artillery WAS thu
captured before the tarp ,uns had been remhv-
eli from the guns. Ap0ihe. battery and tvs"
, guns of third captured before thew had
n Ell "a shot In mtns instances the shelter tent
we've puled down over the heads OF the sleeping
add ers under them
The 18th corps, which next in the line,
had Just Tine ~ TORN hastily, when they were
thrown into dsorder b. the routed regiments at
. ct Crook division ht-tering 10 the Be
= re Ihey hsd time 10 I, rm again The whole rehel
army uo"n them. yelling like demons Ia
spire of these adverse circumstances The 18Th
. corps fou. 1T and checked tor moment the
! fer onset Gen Emory and bis officers and
men were only Oveposerei by superior mum
bers. sind, even when they were compelled Ia Ill
q hack. thew refreated still fighting and dealing
death among their pursuer' But the enemy
brough; uo some batteries 81 light field pieces.
. and pouIe Ell into their ranks heavy aud de
i structve fire Of grape aud canister AZ close
I range. besides nusketry. and our men sufferej
severely
Gen. Wright, who COMMANDED the army saw
, that the day was lO-i unless he could check the
advance o. the enemy. hut he ielt couh lent OF
q being able to 10 this. although not ia the sgr,,
. that the army then occulaed He accordingly
. with admir- able preaenre of mind ordered the
! We erAn oh corps TO fall back 70 a commanding
hill. III the rear ut Addletovn. ami sert some
staff Off 'ers 10 arrange line vi buile there
The ~ corps WAS h t~tly reurgnnz-h and
4 iOrme on the right ot this line ana Crooks III
A vision on he lett. This the end at the de
feat and the end Of rhe rou'. although up 10 that
+ time II had neeu disastrous enough.
We had lost Is zee OF artillery. all OF our
medical stOrea. caups AMI camp euupaee.
! 500 prisoners, and a, least 2.00l men killed
and Wounded Orr l"ss in 9th ers had been very
severe. Three of the abest generals on the
field had teen ui-aU,s'i, RICKETTS, severely. il j.
feared MORALLY ~Oundei. Cover severely woun
, ded. Bldwel kiilei. FIVE colon Is comm rntius
hrgades hid dis TILED bv severe wounds
{ Ever, 6ed Off or 10 twp brigades WAS killed
1
one two. had been killed or disabled. The et
iclency oil Ill the regiments h "a been impaired
, by similar losses.
Ii the enemy had b cen contented with the adj
vantage they had gained up to ihs tine. the ,ic-
tory would have remained wiIh them But.
nv striving TO gain more they lost all. General
Wright personally supplemented the folmltion
of hi line Of b,ple. and. ~heD it
I ranged and the bitteries placed IN p,,it on. he
l hat he arr cd nd fh4fh a hut
saved is
The enemy came up and charged. They were
repul-e'l The, GUAR led again. aud again The,
~ere repul-ed with heavs loss. The third time
they charged. but the result Vas he same The
, the had turned. and Gen Wright, With the
blood stream ng from wound in hs face, had
the lsXpres-Ible sat>isctiOn OF seeing that the
. my wa retTe"iug The battle was over.
Gen eridan nov e.me galIopng ~. his
horse all IN foam of sweat. and trembling in
every limb II vas not h's fault mat he did not
srrlve sooner, nut the b,tIle wa- over he had
mot. all the way com ng from " incheSter. stray
81 ar and Wig ,n-tr,ns. But The retreat oi the
q arm had s'0pped long before IL was now i
O'clock. AMI y pause ia the engagements t,ak
pi zee cot more hsi two hours Duration Daring
this int rs,l h~es were built aud the uoiiei
their coffee aud tie their ski,s, of which they
stood greatly IN need
AT o'clock In the afternoon Gen Sheridan
assumed he offensive. and from 'hst time I'LL ;
! O'Clock 7. N the hattie ragei with gre tury
/ II the Con ed.raies who the
defensive They hal expected 80 pass the night
. on the field they nd won. and had ac,u.lly
thrown up sone brea-twoikS Ia the sction OF
the afternoon our lpss wss heavier thin in thu
mnrnine: hut the re-uls that the Cnnfe.ie,-
! stes cheated. and have since taien back to Mt
Jsck-na
Our entire loss during the DIV il
.ahed In have been follo~s--5 h corps, $50
He'd. 600 wounded. 321 pri~oners: 10 h curp..
7li2 ki l-d 9-tl Snnudei ; e prisoner; Crook =
, q .i~i n. 2I7 killed. 7gl souni ell siT prisoners;
total. ! 4y9 killed lu92 wounded, $40 pri-"u-
, err. grand total. .2f5 Y.
Hon. Da iet AZ. Voorhees,.
re are souse zen whose puarly snstains