South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-01-25

s0u> sot ~noiucf uSut. Our loss Was
not very heavy ia that battle. The
citizens gathered up our dead & buried
them. They reported eighty three
dead on The field. A greater portion
OF the wounded fell into tho cncny's
hand, and some few prisoners.
That Was kind OF "a Virginia tight,
for they were all V,rginians on tho
Southern eide aud good many vir.
gina regiments on the Federal side.
and fought in Virginia.
After the iigh; wa over, il was q
mystery to Us why General Jackson
would evacnale Winchester and then
turn around with smaller force than
he lett Winchester With AMI 20 back
aud attaax such a large force, With no
chance of success Va had q SMALLER
arms to my certain knowledge, for
alter we left Winchester there was one
or two regiments sent away, and Tie
soldiers were rc-en!isting. getting $50
bounty and thirty days Through, and
onefonrth or one-third of our cons
rnand were absent on fur!oush, be-
sides we had left all the militia force
behind. Bat military men don't tell
pr,vates their plans, and Gen. jackson
never told officers his. But we knew
1t was all ight when Old Biueliyhl'
gave his orders. and we found ont az
forwards the cause, which was this:
When the Southcr army evacuated
Manassas Junction and fell back to
the harpahinuoc.S river, Gen. jackson
had TO eyacna,c Winchester aud fall
back IN order TO form linc ar iunc>
ton II necessary. As the Fcderals
had gwen up going to Richmond by
Manassas junction and were landing
troops ON the peninsula under Gen.
Mccieiian, to approach Richmond
from the east, also u large force in the
valley TO approach Rich'nond frcm the
west. 1t was highly important for the
southern army TO keep them from
forming Junction, and the very day
that Gen. Jackson fought the battle of
hernstown there We're Federal troops
leaving Winchester and marchiug TO-
wards Fredericksburg, and when the
battle commenced they were halted
aud ordered back, and that scheme
frustrated, for | have corverscd with
Federal soldiers since the war who
were IN that command aud told mo
such was the fact.
| 80 Gen. Jackson lost the battle OF
kernstowp, but accomplished wha,
ne went to do with very small force.
the onl" time he WAS over defeated
and the only battle he ever lost dur
ing the war-and made such an inn
preston OH the enemy that large
force was recalled III order to hold
hiin IN check, thinking he had five
times the mcn he had. The encny,s
loss was much greater than ours in
killed and wounded, tor they stood so
thick hat bullet could hardly miss
them II aimed ary ways near the
earth.
The day after the battle, while we
wee cooking raiions on hill south
oil ledar creek, the euemy came in
sight on an opposite bill, placed bat
terry IN position & commenced throw
ing shells at us in order 10 ki.o X over
Our camp Kettles. | suppose, and we
were ordered to ioad up the wagons q,
tall IN aud depart henc Now four
regiments of our brigade marched 10
the lett around the brow OF the l,il
ana were soon out OF view and ont of
danger, but Col. Grigsby. command
ing the 18th, who was always rather
headstrcng, marched bis regiment 10
the right IN the main road, aud in full
view, when she'll came TEARING along
through the rauks, killing and Wound-
ing i~elve men. We continued 10
fall back sl1wiy until we reached
Foods Hill,' Asbby, with his cavaI.
~. covering our retreat and hafrass-
lug The enemy cOnsi derablg.
We renamed there several DAYS.
skirmlsblDg nearly every day. While
at this camp the militia iorcs WA dis
banded aud put into the volunteer
COMPANIES. aud each company was
considerably rscrGile1. Our comrapy
~as larger than ever before, humber
ing about eighty. Bot tbe militia did
10 lie tLat way OIL dong Business, for
they considered IL certain death 10 bo
Tut into ihe Stonewall brigade. aud
they wanted TO choose their own com.
panies. The consequence was the
greater portion of them ran off and
went home to their respective countie.
and formed cavalry companies. or.
gained new regiments and did good
service the balance Of the war. A.
bout twenty remained in my com.
pany, aud some Of lhcm male -
good soldiers as Ger shouldered a
musket.
The enemy kept advancing on az
IN considerable force. and as Col. Ash
by was disputlng the passage Of ihe
Shenandoah river with them OF
Shecm's Bottom, be had his gray
horse shot from under him, and one
OF bis mcn lod him back to tic rear.
who're he died IN short time. NV