Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-01-06

Olsni. al'eT tbe ngbIng al lne w nutl-
ness and around SpousylvaDia Court
House, including the memorable l2h of
May, 10 wait six dsvs for re-enforcements
from Washington. before he could move,
and baffled his favorile plan OF reaching
Richmond. AT Hanover Junction Gen.
Lee was joined by Plckeu's division of
LongsIreel's corps, one small brigade OF
my division Of EweI's corps, which had
been in North Carolina with Hoke, and
two small byigades, with battalion of ar
tilIery under BIeckinridgs. This force
under BrecknrIdge, which Gen. Giant
estimates al 5000. and which was sub
sequenhy united to mine at Lynchbnrg,
did not exceed two thousand p 2,000)
musksis. Al Coal Harbor, about the lst
OF June, Hoke's division from Petersburg
Joined General Lee, but Breckinridge' 8
force was sent back Immediately after Us
arrival near that place, on account of lbe
defeat and death of General Wm. f..
Jones at Piedmont, in the Shenandoah
Valley, and Ewel's corps, with two bat
tallons of artillery, was detached under
my command on the morning of the l3 b
Of June to meet Hunter. This counter
balanced all re.enfnrcemen,s. The fore.
going statements " hich iulIy covers Gen.
Lees strength, shows The disparity o:
forces between The two armies in The be-
ginning, aud il was never lessened after
they reached The vicinity of Richmond
and Petersburg but was greatly increased.
The curious may speculate as 10 what
would have been the result il the resour.
ces in men and munitions Of war Of the
two commanders had been reversed, or If
Lees strength had approxma,ed Grants.
Occupying neutral position, as between
The two Federal commanders, Grant and
Butler. and certainly having no reason 10
admire the latter, cannot but be amused
flash phrasep, to make Butler the scaPe-
goat Of all his failures.
The disparity between the forces OF
Sheridan and myself in The Valley cam,
paign was even greater Than that between
Lee and Grant. My force, when arm
we'd in front of the Notifications Of Wash.
lDgton on the lth Of July, 1864, was
eight thonsand 5000 muskets, three
small ballalons OF artillery with abou'
forty 40 field pieces, of which the lar
gest were twelve pounder Nspoleons, and
about two thousand 2,OOO] badly noun.
ted and equipped cavalry, of which a
srge portion had been detached TO cut the
railroads leading from Baltimore north.
Gen. Gran, says that two divisions Of the
Sixth Corps and the advance Of the Nine.
teenlh Corps arrived al Washington be.
fore did, and Mr.. Stanton says was
nel there by the Sixth Corps par, Of
the Nineteenth Corps under General EN-,
ory, and part Of The Eighth Corps un,
der General Gilmore. My force had
lhen marched over 500 miles, marching.
a, least, twenty miles each day, except
the day of the figh. at Monocacy, when
it marched fourteen miles. and fought and
defeated Wallace.
At the battle Of Winchester, or Ope.
quon as i, s called by General Grant,
my effective strength was about eight
thousand FIVE hundred $500 muskeIs,
The three ballslons of artillery and less
than three thousand $4,000 cavalry
Sherdan's infantry consisted OF The Sixth,
Nineteenth and Cooks Corps, composed
one division of the Eighth Corps and
was called The Army Of West Virginia" "
Some idea may be formed Of the strength
OF The Sixth Corps, when j. is recollecled
that the Army Of The Potomac was com
posed Of :hree corps on the first OF May
previous, 10 wit: the Second, Fifth and
Sixth, and lha, iIs effective strength iheE
was, according to Mr.. San,on's slate
men,. l20,3s6, The same statement
shows tina, lhe available strength OF the
forces in The "Deparlmen, Of Wes. Vir.
ginia." on The Is. Of May, 20.7s2. AID
mos, Of The troops in this department
were concentrated in the Valley. Docu-
mems subsequently captured showed The
strength Of the Nineteenth Corps TO have
a, the ballle Of Winchester, not less than
l2,OO0 effective men. Official reports
captured at Cedar Creek showed lha,
Sheridan's Cavalry, on the l7lh Of Sep.
lember. two days before the fgh'. aum'
bered O,lOO present. for duty. His ar
uIlery was vastly superior TO mine in
number Of men and guns. The SIKH
Corps alone must have exceeded my en-.
tire strength, unless j, had me. with such
,emendous losses as TO reduce lis strength
al leas, three e-Gourlhs. From all The in.
formation received and from documents
ca piured al Cedar Creek. am satisfied
that Sheridan's effective infantry strength
al Winchester could no, have been less
,han AZ. 600 mu.kels, and IL was proba