South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-02-01

Winchester, = distance CT eighteen
milee, Wa = wreck OF all kiuds Of
baggage and commissAry stores. We
followed the rstresting army all night,
and their rear guard would take I'D
vantage Of tho darkness and las in
ambush fsr "a, and when we camo ND
would ponr volisy ineo oar ranks,
but wo would 5000 out 4 flank them
and move on. My company aud
Company +. were in the advance, and
We had several men wounded.
Whcn We got to Winchester at day.
light they had male aas,ther stand in
the Qualifications around Winchester,
aud VIC had to form y line Ground
them and charge. Our brigade did
not get engaged ia the fight, but we
lay in line Of battle On Z hillside. and
was exposed to severe Smelling from
the enemy, aud losk several men in
killed and wounded.
The Louisiana brigade in Ewell's
division charged the fort under gall
ing fire and killed, captured aud
routed them. Thoy then gnvc away
at all points, aud the route became
general. We followed them q few
miles north of Winchester and halt
ed, bat the cavalry kept up the pur-
suit until dark. We captured great
amount OF commissary stores, ammu-
milton, and baggage OF all kinds, and
all the sutle- stores in Winchester,
aud thiuk, about 5000 prisoners
The enemy had set fire to part OF
the town in order TO burn mp their
stores, but we were too clos ON them
and cxtinguished the fire. and there
we're only two or three buildings
burned. In one OF them [ saw tho
corpse Of two men chained to the wall,
but we never knew who they were,
whether rebel citizens or some of their
own men. There was guard placed
around the captured stores, which
worried us considerably, tor We waLt-
ed plumber the suffers.
1 he main forco oil tho enemy had
taken refuge in Harper's Ferry, and
there was no way of capturing or driv-
ing them ont without getting possess
ion of the Maryland Heights, across
the Potomac.
The day after the route our brigade
went alone towards the Ferry, and
when we got to Charlestown, q few
miles from there, We found q small
force posted to dispute our passage.
We were formed in limo ana my com.
pany depioyed as skiimishers on tho
extreme lett of the brigade in order to
watch flankers, but we cav no enemy,
& shot from our artillery caused them
TO retreat, WIEN we hrr,ied on to get
with the brigade. When we got to
the edge of town the brigade had
passed through. Two Of our cavalry
men came dashing up from another
direction and wanted our captain TO
take HE company uu, q short distance
OH the Martinsbure road and capture
some OF the cnemy's cavalry that were
cut Oft from their command, but
would not surrender. lie told them
he had orders to join the brigade as
soon as possible, and could not DISC
hey. The cavalrymen then said if he
wonld only let them have ten men it
would do. The Capt then said he
would not order ten men out, bat ii
they chose TO volunteer & go he wonld
give his consent. Ten men immedi-
ately stepped out OF the ran!ss, myself
included, ard went double quick up
he road, keen for a capture, we had
not proceeded far until we saw them
coming down tho road at gallon,
when we jumped over stone fence
that ran parallel with tho road, and
bringing our muskets to bear on them
we commanded them to halt and sur
render which was no sooner said than
O white handkerchief was flung to the
breeze, and all made prisoners with
out firing a shot, except yollcy Of
pistol bullets from them when they
first saw us, bat they did no HARM
They were q captain and twelve men
belonging TO some New York regi-
ment aud were all Germans. We
took them on TO town and delivered
them to the guard. Ia few minutes We
learned that this same squad had pass
ed through the town in the morning
and rode along on each side OF the
street and broke eyeiy window with
their sabres, aud their brave captain
struck lady in the face with the fiat
of bis sword. Ii we had known this
when we jumped over the stone fence,
We would neyer have called OH them
to surrender, but shot them down in
their tracks and left their bodies there
for food for tho buzznrds.
We thenwent into camp near Charles
town aud put out pickeis near the Fer
~, all that was lett Of Gen. BANKS
army being cooped MP there.
This sighting has been designated by
some as the battles OF Front Royal
and the First Battle Of Winchester
but il was continuous fight and skir-
mish from Front Royal to Harper's
Ferry, distance Of fifty miles, bat no