The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-10-29
ANOTHER STATEMENT OF THE BATTLE
OF STRASBCRG.
CAMP NEAR NEw MARKET,
October 2Gth, 1861.

To the Editor Of the Dispatch: |
Since wrote to you last from this camp, many |
and important movements have been made by this |
army NY last letter written just after our ilt-
tic fight of last Sunday. In it stated that parts
of Wotford's and Terry's brigades were engaged
wish to correct mistake in so far as Woffords brl-
gade is concerned 1t was Conners South Carolina
brigade, of Kershaw's divsiop, that was engaged,
instead of wofford's General Conner was severely
wounded at the same time. -
After that affair of Sunday, lay in the front OF
the enemy offering battle for three days; but rs
they refused to attack us, we then made an attack
upon them, as shall state directly, which proved
perfect success.
| understand that General Early gives General
Gordon all the credit for the movement and his ac-
ton on the field pronOunccs him one OF our hrst
generals. both in planning and i'll executing.
About sunset of Wednesday, the 18th, orders were
issued to all the army to be in readiness to move at
twiight-soldiers leaving their cups and canteeni'
and officers their swords, behind, that the move
ment might be as secret as possible. Early in the
night we were on the way, crossing rivers and wind
ing around the foot of the mountains, along unfre-
ouented roads and by-paths, until four o'clock A NJ
Thursday morning brought full view of the enc
mv's picket fres short distance in our 'front.'
Here we halted until our cavalry came up in beau
fu order and passed to the front. At half-past
four o'clock we waded the river and pressed on to-
ward the enemys camp, which strongly fortified
No pickets were encountered until within about
two miles of camp, when they fired on our cavalry
| 1t was complete surprise. Just at break Of day
| a part of kershaw's division charged upon their
tronge position and took it at the first onset cap
r.
| We continued to drive them through their whole
| camp some two or three miles in extent They
made three stands to save their campat one time
behind a stone fence-but We're driven from every
position they then held into the woods beyond Mid
| dletown.
| A. orr troops had become much scattered and
mixed up in the pursuit, General Early here ordered
a halt to re-orgaIize and to collect the struggling
men.
Their tents were left standing, and in many places
| their be,-cothing just as they had jumped rom
bed Their camps were filled with all kind OF plum
| der from the adjacent country. Chickens turkeys
and cows We're tied to stakes, waiting to add delca-
cies to their tables All kinds Of plumber was strewn
| upon the field Coffee and sugar were especially
sought for by our men, who felt the need Of them
after the nights march
| This plunder proved the loss of the day after
ward Although strict orders were issued that no one
| should stop to plunder, great many did So and
did not afterwards join their command; so that when
our line of battle was afterwards formed the road
| running through Middletown perpendicular to the
| pike about one-third Of the army i'll the rear
About alf-pst or o'clock the enemy having re-
| ceived reintorcements from Winchester, made ST.
multaneous attack along our lines, at the same tune
thanking with force perpendicular to the lett
| our lines. Very the left was compelled to give
| way; and the enemy continued to advance per
pendcular TO our line, the whole gave way anu tl'
enemy pressed and drove us across the river IL
the confusion, the eneIny's cavalry dashed upon ou
train lust after it had crossed the creek and cap
tured a number of wagons and some eighteen .
twenty pieces of artillery. 1t is useless to dsSuis
the fact that our army completely stampeded.-
All attempts to rally the proved utterly useless
and they crowded down the river like droves OF cat
tie Five hundred resolute men, formed on the hi
this side of Cedar creek could have easily prevente
the loss of our train, but unfortunately, each ma
WAS pressing to the rear so fast that he had no tim
y to stop.
Upon the whole, this fight proved much more di
: astrous to the enemy than to We lost man
as We had captured i'll the morning The whole fio
y for miles was covered with the enemy's dead
If suppose, from my own observation that at least
1t thousand of the enemy were killed and left on II
y field. whilst of our men L saw very few. WI
II across the whole field, and saw certainly not ov
to forty dead Confederates. Our loss small con
y pared to that of the enemy. We captured abo
Of | two thousand of the enemy i'll the morning, and
a l1,.. half
e' | in the evening
| Our army was organized again at Fishers II
- | and moved back to this point last night
i Many deeds of gallantry were, no doubt, pc
formed on different parts of the field. 1 will on
Il mention two which have come to my knowledge
It, Early in the morning, General Pegram, seeing
& single Yankee about to carry off piece oil artiei
" dashed upon him and cut him down with his swoi
ed General Terry, commanding the First, Second al
~ Third b,igades Of Jacksons old division, deser'
. great praise for the several attempts he made
check the enemy advancing on the hank al
SO Eyans's brigade had broken his left. lie ralli
lis some two or three hundred men behind sto
fence some half mile behind the original hne' d
| fought until the enemy again fanked ms lelt' "h
p he called for few men from this number anu iof
lot ed a skirmsh line III front Of their advancing
lumn. This he did second time, until the eneI
drove them back TO the field, and the remnant u
40 he had rallied were compelled TO retreat.
The disaster was caused by the lack Of troops
or The enemy's line extending some half mue to
left of ours, we were easily hanked, and compel
to fall back 1t is said that ten thousand fr'
troops from Winchester joined the enemy III the
u' tarval between the two fights. We brought OH
our prisoners and many Of the wagons IN the mo
ing.
es- Ganeral Ramseur was severely wounded throu
'r the body, and fell in the hands Of the enemy
nd OF officers we lost very few, but this loss II
lad very heavy upon that DIVISION which had SO lat
no lost their beloved General Rhodes.
/ cannot now give much account OF casualties
have been able to learn OF but few suppos
ith ,or 4, q, soon ASA TEsNEI