The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-29
FROM THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
The Battle OF Newmarket Part of
Successful Plan.

Correspondence o. the n. Y. Tribune
MARTHsBUEG, Va, May %
In order to a proper understanding of
the movements of Gen. Slgel up the
Valley of the Shenandoah, it is neces-
sary to consider them as a part of a
comprehensive strategic plan His
column Of one division Of cavalry under
Col. Taylor, and one division Of infantry
under rgadier-General Sullivan. was
commanded by Major-General illus
Stahel 1t was simply a corps Of obser-
walton, and was not expected to pro
ceed up the valley further than Cedar
Creek or Middletown The main pOr-
ton of Gen Sigels command had been
sent on an expedition under Brigadier
General Crook up the Kanswha Valley
to destroy a portion of the Virginia
and Tennessee Railroad. This column
consisted of selected troops and inclu-
ded a division Of cavalry under Briga
dieF-General Ayerill.
1t was all important that this expedi-
ton should succeed, but in order to its
success it was essential to divert the
enemy from him. To do this, General
Sigel moved up the Shenandoah, threat
ened Staunton, and exposed a readi-
ness to give or receive battle. Had il
not been for this demonstration, all the
forces of the enemy would have united
against General Crook, and then been
thrown against General Sigel, neither
of which commands could have resisted
an assault from such overwhelming
odds. We are, therefore, forced to con
cede that Gen. SigeTs consummate skill
secured the success of the expedition
under General Crook, and prevented
the reinforcement Of Lee by the troops
under Breckenridge, which would have
been done had not this movement of
General Sigers taken place, since Brock
inridge's united forces could easily have
crushed Crook and Sigel successfully,
and then have gone TO the aid of Lee.
Viewed in this light the repulse of
General Sigel at Newmarket cannot be
regarded in any true sense as a disaster,
while his comprehensive strategic plan
was one Of the best devised and most
successfully executed of the war
THE ENGAGEMENTS or THE l4Tm AND l5TH
A gentleman who was on the field
during the whole of the fighting on the
18th and 18th inst, said to me
have been in all the battles IN the Val
lev of Virginia. was in the engage
nents at Winchester between Generals
Shields and Jackson, Banks and Jack
son, and Milroy and Ewell-I was at
the battles of Balls Bluff and Cedar
Mountain, and at the first and second
battles of Bull Run-but / have never
witnessed a more desperate engage
ment than that Of the 18th, near New
market" Major Quinn Of the lst New
York Cavalry, who has been in most Of
Of the battles in this Valley, declares
the same.
Several skirmishes had taken place
during the march Of the column from
Middietown to Mount Jackson, and
Mosby's guerrilla band had been driven
out 81 the valley, and in the direction
of Cnlpepper, BY detachment Of cur
cavalry, which was placed under Col
Boyd, of the 2lst Pennsylvania Cavalry,
who was spending a ten days leave Of
absence in this department Nothing
serious, however, occurred until Satur-
day, the I4th instant, when a small por-
ton Of our cavalry and infantry drove
the rebels under Imboden from near
Mount jackson through Newmarket,
and three or four miles beyond limbo
den's forces consisted of about 500 old
troops and several detachments OF home |
guards from the neighboring counties