Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-04-02
THE WINCHESTER CLUB.
Annual Meeting at Memorial Hall,
To Celebrate the Anniversary Of the
First Battle OF Winchester-Aa
Interesting sketch by J. W. Ca
narY, Of the sth q. vi.


NARY. of the sth q. vi.
I
Shortly after 8 T.. NJ, the meeting OF the
Winchester Club was called 10 order In
Memorial Hail. Toledo, March %, 1886
hy Capt. Thornburg. John Turner was Sc
lecled secretary. After few peliminniics
the Chair announced that Al tie request of
the Club, Comrade j. W. Canary, oi the
9Th o. V. / had prepared history, or
sketch, of Gen. Shi,l,ps Division oi the
civil war in America aud ibis sketch he
would now read TO the Club
Comrnde Canary, by way cf preface,
stated that he had begun his sketch with
the battle uf Winchester. The following
is his paper in full
BATTLE OF WINCHESTER.
The battle OF Winchester, known also as
Kernslown, occurred on the 25il day OF
March, 1862, and, for the number OF troops
engaged, is regarded as one ol the fercest
and best contested battles OF the war.
The national forces engaged were com.
manded by General James Shields, dis
tinguished officer OF the Mexican war.
The records of the War Department
show the following forces under his COM
mand nj time of battle
The 4lh, 5th. 7lh, 9Th ooh, G2l, 66th
and 9th Ohio Regiments OF Infantry; the
7th, 18th and 18th Regiments OF Indiana
Infantry the 39,h Illinois Infantry the
lst and 7lh West Virginia Infantry, and
the S4th and ll0th Pennsy ylvania Infantry.
The artillery consisted of Batteries II
and l., 1st Ohio Light Artillery, COM
mnnded by Capts. James Huntington aud
L. n. Robinson; Batteries A and b, oil
West Virginia, known as Daum's, and
Battery f, 4th United States Artillery
commanded by Capt. Clark.
The cavalry attached were companies
A and C, First Ohio, and, think, a small
detachment Of the First Michigan and the
= famous Rmggolh cavalry, Capt. Keyes
from Washington county, Pa, though Tho
: two last do not appear from official records
making total OF sixteen regiments of in
: fantry, five batteries Of light artillery ant
| not IN eNCeeU OUU CdVnIy.
!" These troops, mostly from the Western
~ states, had TO some extent been induratet
: in the hard,hips of war in light skirnishe
/! and long marches amid the wild, noun
u famous regions Of western Virginia, whicl
&c had long furnished an attractive field 70
II desulIory warfare.
d The Confederates were under tie com
u mand of Thomas j. Jackson, lnow 30 cele
" bratcd in history as "StonewaIl Jackson,
i, and were the very choicest troops OF tn
Is South, having distinguished themselve
and their commander at the first battle c
y. Bull Run, and were flushed with pride an
d confidence in themselves and leader.
d In numerical strength the contendin:
forces were nearly equal, though Confeder
:, ate authority assert That the Fl deral force
il were much greater than their own. THIS
is however, has become chronic clam wit
,,p southern writers, either in explaining III
" importance Of victory or the cause of de
feat.
Early in the morning sharp fighting o.
Cured on the leit OF the Union lines, an
the Confederates were forced backward
- Covering the right OF his lines with
thin line OF infantry, supported by cavnl
''' ry under the command of the then famo,
~, Turner A-hly, whose early death w
~ deeply mourned in the South, Jackst
10 concentrated his artillery and massed Il
u" infantry on the right of the Federal lin
for one of those terrible assaults for viii,
90 he afterwards was SO much dIslinguishe
"' Favored by the dense wood and s!ol
fences in our front, his men were almo
F'' OH our lines before discovered, and they
he once advanced with reckless, determin
courage, but they were met with firmne
and courage equal 10 their own, by lroo
W. who had never turned back. The despe
alton OF the contest may be indicated
'e' the fuct that FIVE color. bearers Of the Fif
'e' the regimental colors were pei forated wi
forty eig ht bullet holes, and their sta
h' flag by ten.
- The shades of night settled down urc
'i' victory in combat almost hand TO hand
ey rs the darkness deepened the proud batli
lie ions Of Jackson whh slow and snlen ste
ed fell back under their cover and in Il
se morning were miles away.
nd The official report OF the battle is as fu
Gu ows:
to HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF PoroMAc,
oil ALEXANDRIA, March 70, 1862.
-, General Sumner Second Corps.
-" On Saturday the enemy who Ind retrcated
ed wards Winchester were engaged within thr
miles of that place by General Shields and cor
pletely routed, losing two guns, $50 killed, ov
"e els in full retreat-Banks In pursuit. 1t is sa
cy that the rebels expected rcinforcements ne
Mount Jackson to the amount OF 10000 men.
e. GEORGE u. MCCLELLAN,
re Major General U. s. Arm
Soon after the battle Jackson was drive
40 from the Valley Of the Shenandoah M
a. the command OF Shields (ihen numberil
ell 1890 men) was ordered to report TO Ge
m Mcdowell, then lying at FredericksDul
,es with 10000 men, forming cover II
Washington and intended to protect III
IL right flank OF Mcclellan, then advancin
on Richmond by way Of the Peninsul
,rs IL was soon again returned TO the Vale
IN OF tue Shenandoah TO meet its former fo
~ Soon after the disastrous battle of Po
~ Republic was fought, where part Of III
division WAS engaged, and where ils spen
did fighting ability was again signally dir
played.
he After this battle The grand old divisio
I'D was broken up and ts commander retire
under cloud from which lie did N,
~ again appear during the war.
IN Let us follow the organizations TIN
ia composed this division as we find tbel
!, scattered over the wide field Of war aud
:, will be seen that no stains marked the bar
10 ner oi any OF It's organizations and III,
Nv acting with other troops of the highei
~. fame on nearly all of the great battles
.ai the war lie old nOldiera of Shield,a hnra