The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1864-09-30
General Sherldan's late Victory.
Headquarters Middle Military Division, Isl

Winchester, Va, Sept. 10.
"General Sberidan's army has this day |
fought one Of the most successful and de-j
cisiye battles Of the war. Victory again
perched on our banners, and the rebel
army has been defeated aud utterly rout-
ed. with the loss of at leas, 5000 killed
and wounded, including six Generals,
namely Wharton, Bradley T.
johnson, Gordon. York and Godman-tLe
two first of whom were killed and the 9th
ers badly wounded and we have captured
2, 500 prisoners, nine battle flags, repre-
sen,ing nine different regimen,al organi>
cations, and five pieces of artillery, with
caissons.
ION Sunday morning Early sent Cor
don's division o: rebel infantry from Bun
ker Hill where it had been stationed for
the past few DAYS, to drive Averlll out Of
Martnsburg and destroy the bridge on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. across the
Opequan, which they enormously thought
had been repaired They occupied Mar
tinsburg for short time, without doing
any damage to the railroad, and were
eventually driven by Averill as far as
Dan ksvile. General ShcriJ IN learning
their movements, ordered the whole cons
mand to break camp and prepare to march,
and accordingly At three O'Clock Sunday
: the tents were all struck, the different d.
visions were all under arms and prepar ed
TO move a, moments notice. About
nine o'clock orders were received from
Sheridan for the 9th and 10Th Corps 10 be
] rooIv To ,,',l.,,i, md 4 bo
Army of Western Virginia, under Cook,
at five the following morning Shortly
after five O'Clock Wilson's division of cav
airy crossed the Opequan at the Berry
Vile and Winchester pike. Moving his
command rapidly along the road and dri-
wing in the enemy's skirmsh lire, he gal
lantly charged The enemy's feld-works
with the first brigade. and carried them al
The point of the sabre, capturing thirty
. prisoners. In this charge Colonel Brinton
, 18th Peunsy lvania cavalry, was wounded
within few feet Of tue enemy's works,
whilst gallantly leading his regiment.
] These feld-voIks were 50 constructed by
2 the rebels as to guard the ford at Ope
j guam, aud prevent our passage at that
f point Our cavalry having secured safe
/ passage for the infantry, The 6th Corps
was moved across the tpequan. and along
he pike toward Winchester, leaving its
train on the opposite side of the stream,
at point about mile and a half distant
= from the ford, where it formed in line OF
battle, and threw out a strong sklrmish
D line. At the same time the artillery
opened on the woods, into which the
enen1y's infantry had retired, and kept
up an incessaut carbonate, the enemy
replying trlskIy with parts of two bat
-, ! leiieS
There VAS a delay Of at least two
hours, caused by the non-arrival. Of the
. 19h Corps, who, through msconception
of orders, had failed TO come up at the
proper time.
General Sheridan having learned or
Sunday that the main portion of Early
forces wsre encamped in the vicinity d
=, Bunker Hill and Stephenson's Depot, re,
. solved to mass bis forces on The Ninches
!" ter and Berryviie pike, and by RAPID
: movement hurl them on EaTIy's rear
! There is no doubt but the enemy wer;
completely surprised and ou..maneuverer
y BY Sheridan. While his drfferen, columns
y were being marched 10 he appoin ee
place OF rendezvous, portion OF our cav
: airy, under Generals Torbett and Averil
= kept up strong picket line alonL III,
" Opequan, and by demonstrating in fore,
at Burns ord, kept up a large portion o
the enemy at that part of Tie field, which
was nearly twelve miles distant from til,
point where il was intended that our in
tantry should operate and strike a blow
which should result in the signal defeat o
karlv's army. The delay in the arrival o
'e the l9th Corps enabled Early to NOV
le GorGon's division at the double ouicl
o from Bunker IIiI!-distant about ten mile
re and bring it up 10 time TO form in lin
d of battle with breckenridge kainser's
!: and Rhodes commands. who had aread
rs arrived, and were formed in belt O
ID woods skirting Berryville and Wiuches
"a ter.
er GAS soon as the 10th Corps arrived, i
was formed in four lines of battle, abou
rs three hundreds apart, on the right of tn
I'd 9th Corps aud everything being ia readi
ol ness, the advance was sounded at abou
IN y O'clock, and the ditferen, lines move,
forward. The, two corps advanced il
Is splendid style, and as composedly as the
I'd marching at review.o or on parade Tn
in first line had not advanced more than 20
D yards before they became warmly engage
s. with the enemy, who were posted in lin
about 600 yards distant. A. the sam
rs tine our artillery opened furious can
nonade, throwing shell and solid shot int
IN the opposite woods, where the enemy cou
be distinctly seen moving up reinforce
re ments. Our different lines Of battle con
e. tinued TO advance steadily until With
l. nearly 200 yaTus of the enemy's line
t. when the rebels opened furious cannon
ade with grape and canister from tw
a batteries which they had previously Sc
a GREETED, and which ploughed through GU
d. advancing lines, moving down large mum
t, bers of our men. The first line was oblip
II ed to give way under so murderous fire
b, and in retreating behind the second live
i threw it into momentary confusion, and
lie also was obliged to fall back behind tn
ID third line, which had in the meantim
b. been ordered to lie down, in order to avoi
at as much as possible, the effects of tn
G. whitening fire which the enemy's batterie
4 L.