Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1885-04-24
Lander wa: sent from Washington t.
take command.
ASHBN BLINDFOLDED.

I
famous Confederate cavalry leader
General Ashby, came across the rive
under the protection of flag of truce
blindfolded, and in the name of Gen
Jackson made a formal demand 10
the surrender Of the place. This wa
refused by General Lander in Language
and with emphasis characteristic 0
the man. One hour was then glvel
in which to remove the women ant
children, preparatory to Smelling TIN
town. | shall not attempt To plctur,
the narrowing scenes as women ant
children went CRYING through thu
town to seek a place Of safety. NJ,
regiment was posted along the man
street Of the town, with orders to pu
out any fires in dwellings struck b,
shells. There WAS not much DANCE
to be apprehended from any attempt
of the Confederate army 10 cross tn,
Potomac, for the river was high anC
running full Of ice.
At the expiration OF the time allotted
for removing non comhatauts the en-
cmv opened on the town with bat
terry Of artillery. A hill range imme
diately back of the town afforded al
excellent position for planting the two
batteries with the CDion forces. Or
the opposite side of the river, about
one mile and half from the town,
the high bluffs gave the Confederates
a desirable place TO station heir artil
lery.
The comhsi dtrpen-; on We brave
Who rush 10 glory or the grave.
An artillery fight was kept up thro'
out the dav aud until darkness com.
PEELED a halt To the best OF my rec
election not single Union soldier
vas injured, though We were all badly
frightened TIN. is not 10 be wonder
ed at considering it was our first en-
gaEemeu' Occasionally shots were
exchanged between the soldiers Of the
two armies, bat a. such distance that
no execution was done. 4 number of
the house. were badly damaged by the
shells thrown from the enemys artIl
lery. but not one WAS d stroyed by
tire.
HARD MARCH.
About nine O'Clock 1T night We re
ceivcd orders to fall IN f,r forced
march 10 Cumberland. The istance
was forty nine mile. over the National
turnpike. With five mountain ranges
10 cross an with the ground covered
with snow. The first Of the troop.
reac ed Cumberland before dark the
next dav and the balance came strag-
Cling in for three dsys afterward.
With oy~r four wears Of active army
service II look back upon, can truly
say that this march WAS the hardest
ore in which .ver participated.
R-stiag short time At Cumberland.
We moved down the right bank of the
Potomac to place called North
Branch Bridge, near the famous Paw
Paw tunurl. on the Baltimore aud
Ohio Railroad. Here We went into
winter quarters. Vt this camp Gene
raj Ladder was taken suddenly sick
and died. Qulte good little army
WAS here organized. composed Of three
made mp of OhIa, Ptnnsyl-
vaula. Indiana Illinois and West \rr-
cinia regiments. 70 this army Gene
raj Shields vas assigned the command
soon after the death of General Ian
der. About the lst Of March a for
" ard movement was commenced along
the line of the railroad 10 Martins
tIusburg and from thence to Winches
ter. A. the latter pace the command
Was eucamped IN the fields, along the
pike near the city.
THE BATTLE OF WINCHESTER.
In the afternoon Of the 22I Of March
the troops were hurried into I'm" and
through Winchester, down
! he pike To little collection Of houses
called kernstown. General Jackson
had driven IN the outposts and was
moving forward with every indication
Of giving battle, provided his way was
Instructed IN taking possession of tn.
city. Our htDl- army was posted on
the right aud left of the pike in the
fields and woods near kernstown
There was some lively skirmishing be
tween the cavalry # the opposing for
res in the early evening. All night
long in the Union army there was the
hustle aud hope of preparation for the
coming battle, which now seemed I'M
In thu gray dawn Of daylight on the
23d Of March the preliminary scatter
NC firing Of the picket lines betoksn-
.d the anticipated struggle. Then
thu boom of artillery, the
hasty movement of regiments into
battle line formation and the hurry
and furry incident to the commence
ment of hostlities. General Shields
was painfully wounded in the arm by
A piece of flying she'll before the en-,
,agement properly commenced, al
though he did not retire from the field
until after the battls WAS fought.
Colonel Nathan klmball, Of the Thr-
tenth Indiana Regiment, the next
senior ranking officer, was the puta-
i've commander of the Union army
after General Shields was wounded.
The enemy took up strong position
N the fields and woods on the Union
right, having excellent breastworks in
he stone fences and behind the rocks
In very short time the entire right
IF the line was engaged in deadly con
tlict and the roar of musketry and ar
tillery became almost deaiening. \
Confederate battery placed on an eie-
1at' d position, so as to command the
Union situation from both TANKS and
the front, was making sad hovoc a.
m ng our soldiers.
A GALLANT CHARGE.
Colonel William Gray Murray, COM
II anding the Eighty-fourth Pennsyl-
vania, was ordered to charge this bat