The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-13

Is.
Oen Emory, and part of the eigth corr
uhdeTJeneral Gilmore. My force had the
marched over $50 miles, marching, at leas
: t"euty miles each day, except the day {
sne night at Monocacy, when it marche
I0uTteen IW :mlles, and fought and defeate
At the battle of Winchester. or Opeouar
as IL Is called by General Grant, my etIectiy
suehgth was about 5000 muskets tire
pattanons OF artillery and less than 3,O0
cavalry. SAerldan's Infantry consisted o
the sixth, nineteenth, and Cooks Corps
composed OF one division of the eight
corps, and what was called the Army o1
west Virginia" Some idea NAV be form
eo OF the strength of the sixth corps, when
IL Is recouected that the army of the Poto.
mae was composed of three corps on the 1st
oI May, previous, to wit: the second fifth.
allti sixth, and that it's effective strength
lhen was, according 70 Mr. .SsantOn's state
ment, l20,336. The same statement shows
that The available strength of the forces in
the department OF West Virginia on the
Ast Oh May, 30,1 81, and most OF the troops IN
tnlS department were concentrated in the
EaHey documents subsequently captured
showed the strength of the 18th coiDs to
nave beeI, at the battle of Winchester, not
less than L l,O00 effective men. Official re-
ports captured al .edar Greek showed that
oheIIaah cavalry, on the 18th of September.
Two uiys before the fight, numbered 10 loo
| present for duty. His artillery was vastly
superior to mine in number of men and
suns. Inc SIKH corps alone must have e1-
ceeoed my entire strength. Sheridans ef.
ave Infantry strength at Winchester
| could not have been less than 50 900 mus
Aels' ana 1t " more. The odds
against me, therefore, We're Iuliy sur to one.
ana probably more. His very great superi.
oiltS III cavalry was very disaCyantageous |
| 20 me, as the country was very open and ad |
lnlrably adapted to cavalry operations. o. !
my eay2lry, being mostly arne, W ii En- /
IieId IlneS, without pistols or sabres, could :
hoI hSht hls, whose equipment and arms
We're complete. At the fight al Cedar Creek ]
l had been reinforced by one division of |
infantry, (kershaw's) numbering 1900 mus
kets, one small battalion of artillery, and
ABOUT 800 cavalry, which made up my losses
at Winchester and Fishers Hill. / went
lnOo TINS light with $500 muskets, about 40
pieces OF artillery and about 1900 cavalry,
as the rest OF my cavalry, which was guard
ing the Luray Valley, did not get up in time |
thou9h ordered to move at the same time
moved to the attack. Sheridan's infantry
mad beeu recruited fully up to its strength
at Winchester, and his cavalry numbered
500, as shown by the official reports can
tuFed. 90
Inc main cause why the rout of his army
IN the morning was not complete was the {
tact that my cavalry could NOT conl1n4e with |
Il- 4
tact He claimed all his own guns that had {
oeeh captured IN the morning, and after-,i
ward recaptl mauy oiIns cantnrpd
rom me, whereas, lost only twenty three r
guns, and The loss of these and the wagons
" " men Were taken was mainly owinr to the
tact that bridge, on mar. part of the
road, between Cedar Greek and fishers Hill.
oTohe down, and the guns and wagons :
when latter was not numerous, could not
oe brought cit Pursuit was not made to
Mount jackson, as stated by both Grant and
2tahton, but my troops We're halted for the :
ilght at Fishers Hill, three miles from Ce
tar Greek, and next day moved back to New
darkeG, SIX miles from Mount Jackson, with
'ut my pursuit at all. SO far from its he
ne oflle as stated by Mr.. Stanton, that no
Oree appeared i'll the Valley after this, the
tct is that reorSanized my force at New
L i"Ihet' ana on the 10Th of November, NOV
q DOWN the Valley again and confronted
meridian on the l1th and 18th in front of
Is lntrenchments, between Newtown and
earnstOwn, and hen ratrnd haoIz to Now
larket because PROVISIONS and forage could
OF bo obtained III the lower Valley Tbo
<pehtlons by which the posts of New Creelr
III DeFel1y we're subsequently, captured
ere sent out also from my force in the Val "A
J. Ihe sVFong force which General Grant
US was entrenched under me at Waynes-I
10 r. Then ohendan advanced up the Valley
the latter part of February, 1865. wifi
70 DIVISIONS OF cavalry of s. 600 men eacb |
nsisted OF about one thousand iurlntrv
{ ieW pieces of artillery, most of NV IN I
h6ry having been returned to General Lee
meet corresponding detachments from Sher
.ii.5 III 70 1!3iit' ana all my cavalry and most
my artillery. having been sent off on ac1
ant OF the lmpossibility of forapino tho
lSes III the Valley. Obvious reasons of
ICY prevented any publication of these H.
- ti'tI1, : Tie war, and it will now be seen
- - l I as leading forlorne hope all the
10 dli,t "a tle pubLic can appreciate the char
ef OF the victories won by Sheridan Over
.hese statements will serve to give some
a OF the dlsparities existing in other Hr,eS
oW ask which has retired from tbe con
, WIN more true glory-that heroc band
who SO long Withstand tbe
hendous armies and resources of the Z
Tea states, or that grand army of the
: on F,il2ch beng recruited from all the
; ~, ~ vas was eilapIea ~ continuous hammer
10 so exhaust Its opponent, ''by !nere at TT I
oh as to compel a surrender? Tie
III mas never witnessed so great n Dolit-
crime as that committed in the do | r ..
c5lon OF the Confederate Government NV
e9 lcrce The civilized nations of the
! nave stood aloof and seen a brave and s
louc people p0il lily murderer while
ltalnlng an unprecedented st1ugpla for
Ight OF selt-goyernment, and nanifas- VT"
AZ al every step their capacity for it. and
100, when under an assumed neutraIi+,- + r
esotlrces OF men, money and nlunitions 1o1
IL OF these very nations being freely -
cohsGiilinate the monstroHs deed
merely give the final blow to GEN
Iepn bhcan Gf-o-1e,aant even in the
ed States. INC -
behaf OF my down-trodden country. I
"a the appeal to those nations that thev
lo' commit the further injustice of re-
= '1e history OF this struggle from NJ
rs ald pens Of cur enemies, hut tbat
SHAH wait until the time shall come for for \
IS a true history efoPo them In the : II
tline, let ali my countryInen who were Nh
)ndltion to know the character Of the TX
- =, p4t at IN tangible form to be pre- N
! for tbs; use of the future historian FF
acts and materials for that historT ~
their knowledge OF possession. fHl