New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-24
A LUCKY BLUNDER
A REMINIsCENCE OF WINCHESTER.


Way''-Copv1gM 1880.
How Lee managed TO slip away from fIooke
and TIalleclS. end hide the flower OF the Confeder
ate forces. in fact the Army Of Northern virginia
IN the recesses Of the Blue Ridge, and steal u
upon the dcfcnces of Winchester and force Nil
oys flight capture in June. 1868 ana no"
Lee managed to do all this as he was sweeping OF
| TO invade the North. and yet why IL was that th
! commander Of the Army of the Potomac. Genera
IIaleclS or Secretary Stanton never could fini ou
bit OF 1t until Milroy's army was destroyed-al
his Is matter OF wonder incvpIicabe. The first
notice that Hooker had that the President him
self ever obtained OF the whereabouts OF the Army
of Northern ViIvinia was when the fugitives from
Winchester arrived at Harpers Ferry fresh from
the disaster which had overwhelmed Milroy, june
| is, 1868. For ten days and more. as the oflicia
report on the conduct Of the war shows. Lee was
lost in the fos. and had his army snugy hidden and
marching down the Shenandoah Valley Never
blunder greater Ne er surprise more com
: plete Close to Washington almost within hearing
of the guns OF the Capital, the Gov crnment let
Lee pass and did not know even that he was pass
NJ. The kilograms of Stanton. Hooker and Lin
coin would now seem anus NJ il their blindness
hal not 60 st many poor fellow lis lfe
Read in the light of the events Of the time l
doubt if any equal stupidity and bindn"ss can be
found in all military history. Anxious inquiry
was made from Washington "Where is Lee 7
"Whcre is he going2' Hooker and all his vast
army Of scouts answered. "Wherep" No one
knew but Lee. and he was retccntl
lie swe to Minchester silently, swiftly
surely, covering all his tracks so
efectually thai the firing OF his great
guns at Winchester the bright morn
n of June 12. 1863 it was heard at IIarpers
Ferry gave the military authorities the first know
c!ge they had Of him for week
| knew thcn-5. 900 an more other privates at
Winchester l,ncw-that Ewell and Rhodes with
40. 600 m,n the pick and choice Of the Confeder-
ate Army. were within striking distance of Milroy,
who then commanded me 5000 effective troops
of all arms at Win hester. This duly re
ported before our communications with the North
were cut of by the enemy. but our report was
booted at as absurd and mroSsibe. 1t is all very
well for the great generals whom the kindness AMI
charity Of great people have made great since
the war. to 90 on and explain all these blunders,
little cSs than crimes. AMI in Devil ierlng maze
of military terms an set PIN ases Of W est Point
TO make all plain as day praise each other ana
wink at each others weakness ami blindness
hut we who did the ightin, not TO be blinded
bv such clartIap We were there We knew
better. They may play ever so sl1llulN up, n
the ducct insrum, mt Of langua,e and with POM
pols parade of lnd grand display Of mill
;,iIy science explain all these mo ements as they
took place as they are seen now. AMI try to hood
wink q eat Nation INTO belle i'm that some great
BRAN con eivcd and plannel AMI executed what a
BIN destiny. a mcre chance AM few naneess
mi, ate5 achieved. Yet we rise from the reading
of all such stately afterthorIehts with the vulgar
prayer IN our lips 90 that mems foresight were
10 good 10 their afterihou-ht
Now TO our narrative | was sergeant major of
the 10th Ohio Infantry. as gallant a regiment
us ever fought in the Valley Of the Shcnan Oah
We had lain at Winchester from March till the
TN of June without moIins incident by flood
or field. II is beautiful p ace IN spring time and
early summer one Of the 10 ehesi sp Is ever saw
lis long III yes of hills roll back gran iy from the
sweet little city in the valley. hill rising upon
hin higher and higher on either hand till at length
they tower mo the shadowy outline of the Blue
RIDGE in full view afar off Its well-kept gardens.
fine residences we'll pay cd streets and still more
its air Of literary moral rein melt. make ii
one OF the most desirable lite cities in all Vil.
sinia. Its girls were intensely beautiful and in
cnsey disloyal The de i ne'er hated holy water
with half tie bite ness that these oNey Winches
ter girls hated All this to youny fellows made
tic situation more inierestng; for somehow a
woman never locks Us stately and fascinating as
she docs when she is strung up and fired with a
noble soon Ii gives the NeIieSt country girl the
Of queen OF tragedy. eAats her stature. colOrs
her checks, LIGHTS her eye with dangerous and be |
wtchin! fires Old as | am | am not aged enough |
10 fortet the Winchester girl of 1868.
1t was blight moInns. II, as said be- |
lore On the Derry Vine rUad, IN the Halitown |
Oad. our piCneis lIs4I be,n ani urIN en- In |
OuI c.i' AIRY d lew NILS Cut "eIe DIloscu Ny :. |
oupcilJr Io.cc. IllIO'.es ana L"ch were auS anc,
N Stone" all Jacl>Sono OLD lcelUn IelUcs was
.Yitln u ien ulIIts We Mvlc Ltcu IN lete T.. nm
cOnhaun Cation with aSinnSLn AnrUy askeu
or oIueIs. "IlOIu the IL was his .sst
Jluer. Uiind, bisi'e oId feIlOw Isee HIM yet, 81
nne ola DOnn Dio" II, TAI, s@"nt grizzly ana grim,
las wIlltc locks JumDAns IN IOns. CON- USED nlsses
D. or his bIUad stooi ca shoul.e.s. 81 man
never II, Ell. lie had Tie lire AMI The stan that
heroes ana prophets IlaIt1 ID ale maze oI. |
"a he sat twenty feet hl,h IN a bon on the
lil,sta1i Of our fort On tie hill lie watched the
40 eInents vi uIe eneIny as uicy wound with scr
ent cJlS about as OCCASIONALLY hc would come
10" II dash To the field. .edu "a chdr-e III pcISon.
lien letuin u his e.e, ateu station in PLAIN view
II an enelnl al NJ time mIIc OH / he sharp
hOoteis could see HIM slttlns there eyeg In
In. All LAY lons. ue wa d remarkably PLAIN
lu attractive ta get. anu their bull, u AIMED
essly about his cha med body and lie Tor more
lan Iorty-ei"ht hours Of Consecutive firing, Say
we've nOdS d day. Ills OioLlnns was rlddIeu
lis cap twice pierced. The flagstaff loot through
hot OF his head he boz he sat IN was
'oIeu full OF holes The fla was shot down above
. down. ilCk II up wave II at the enemy III a
hover Of lead and rcnlace IL as best he could |
%, but one Drawer act-ne CT saw but one
la' er ncIsOn-a lnchester girl but more of that
non
The enemy kept crOwdlng in upon us, and we
es led HIM at every point Bat what were 5000
salnst 4U.0UO? GOd loves the biz battalions
he survival Of the biz dog is automatic. The
Of Thursday light Of Friday
eaNier. In the e. enins short battle was fought
nj only darkness closed the contest TO be re
b Tn |
ills a mile west of Winchester was one company
our re- imcnt under Captain Akenoe. who TEL
nat dav. Ii had other trooIs-say 500 in all |
nth two pie,es OF artillery The main army of |
ilroy was now forced within the nam fort Just |
bove, west OF and overlooking Winchester
here we had about 6 900 men Saturday. June
4. We were completely sur oun led by the man |
no had humbled Mcclellan. crushed Burnside
nj Inundated Pope. anu just now had completely (
'iled and euded Hooker with his Argus eyed
outs. All night Friday the ConiedeIates were
close to us cnmld hear them eIslnw and | .