Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-10-19

some AeulLnI aeeneea OF Lne baGIAo OF
Opequan CrseIE, by n West Virginia
Omcers d
FrsasR's HILL, Oct. 10, 1854.
Editors Iatsli9iesr:
Inyour Issue of Sept. 26th, find what
purports 70 be an account of the battle
near Winchester on the 10th of that month.
The article 6'Ras copied by you from the
New York Work. and was manitestly writ
ten with the sole object of glOrifying sim
gle Off ser, who, though neVersO gallant and
brave, was, on that occasion, only one
amongst q number of heroes whose noble
and devoted efforts brought success to our
arms In o eomplete and glorious victory.
Justice 10 others requires that the friends
of the officers and soldiers composing the
Army ofWest Virginia should haVeR can
did, truthful statb EknfAhe. events Of that
ever men4l4A u viii. 3. H---'--l4 tnat army
was concerned, ana TO that task l propose
to address myself It would be superfuous
for me to give an account of that portion
of the battle prior to the bringing up of
the reserve, as it is not necessary to the
object proposed. Suffice it to say, the
engagement bad been Of several hours du-
rstlon-thst the fighting, though obsti-
nate, had brought us no very decided sue
cess-that the 18th corps had been several
times repulsed, and was unable to advance
and that when the reserve, or Army of
West Virginia, was brought into the en-
gagsment, "ths even scales in doubtful
balance hung or rather preponderated
against us. We had come to a dead lock,
and could move the wheels no further with
the means hitherto employed. In this
posture of the affair, Gen. Crook disposed
his gallant command for going into the
fght. The 1st division, Col. Thobnrn's,
was formed in an open field in the rear of
wood occupied by the line of the 18th
corps, in two lines, the first consisting of
the lst brigade, commanded by Col. Geo.
D. Wells, 34th Mass; the second, of the Sd
brigade, commanded by Col. Harris, lst
West Va. The I'd brigade of the lst di.
vision, commanded by Col. NorthcOtt, hav-
ing been detailed to guard the train, was
not in the fight. The I'd division, Col.
DuVals, WAS in like manner formed in two
lines in rear of the lst division. Gen.
Crook went into the battle feeling that the
fate of the day depended on the conduct
of his command, and most earnestly did he
labor, not only to impress his di-
vision and brigade commanders, but
his whole command with the i'm
portance of unfinching courage and
indomitable determination on their part;
and right well did he succeed in that
which is the truest test of a great COM
mRnder, VIZ: in infusing his own gallant
spirit and firm determination into his COM
,mand. These dispositions having been
made, the next step was the deployment of
the I'd Division to the right of the LIST, and
the whole commandlWas moved as 70 throw
it to the right OF, though slightly overlap
ing the line of the 10Th Corps, the object
l.. 1aFN
accompanied the I'd DiviRion In its dePloy-
ment, experimenting its movements, which
were rendered somewhat difficult from the
fact that they had to be made through a
dense wood in part, and were further OBJ
struoted by slough or pond, which, though
not wide at any point was in places deep
and difficult to cross and in it's direction
in front, bending round TO the right, to
that in the advance of the I'd Division, It's
two lines in their whole length were con-
fronted by this obstacle. The lines of the
lst Division having been advanced through
the wood behind which they had been
formed to its opposite edge, which revealed
the enemy's position In our front, behind
stone walls, and hastily constructed works
in and behind buildings, &C., and extend
ing into patches Of woods on our left, It
was halted for a time to await the getting
the cheer from that division was heard, in
dicating thap IL had received the order to
charge, and at this signal Col. Thoburn, in
conformity with instructions which be had
received from Gen. Crook, ordered the LIST
Division TO charge and drive the enemy
from his position q task which had been
sssayed 10 vain by the 18th Corps over the
same ground. With bayonets glitering
the lines moved rapidly forward, the men
cheering at the same time as only the Army
of West Virginia knows how to cheer; over
fences, through open grounds and through
woods, right forward the lines advanced, in
the face of most terrible hEe, which
strewed the ground with our dead and
wounded, and iu q very short time the lst
Division had driven the enemy from, and
had possession Of his frst line of works.
Bot SO determined was the spirit of the
command, and so unbounded its enthusi-
asm from this, its first success, that scarce
Iy stopping to breathe, onward 1t went,
driving the enemy from one position To
another, until the lines, now composed Of
both BFigades, mixed up in the completesl
confusion, as the result of these various
charges, came within good range for
/ grape and canister from the enemy's bat
teries, where, taking advantage Of what
ever cover presented, all seemed content
for time With merely holding the ground
already gained. In the meantime the gal.
liant Col. Duval, in his advance, having
encountered the obstruction referred to
found in it so great an obstacle as to eff
fectually arrest the advance of q large por
ton of his command, which was thus com
PEELED to'retrace its steps, or rather by {
march by the flank to recross near Whert
its crossing had been effected at the onse
of its deploymsnt, and then came mp II
rear of the 1st Division, which it joineG
at the place where this narrative has lef
it. Bntethe Colonel commanding the q
Division, who sees no obstacles, having
effected q crossing pushed forward viii
the broken and scattered portions of hi
command. that had gotten over, aud viii
the aid of our cavalry, that At this juno