The National tribune., 1888-08-23
GEN. MILROY.
His Gallant Three Days Fight at Winchester.

Va under Gen. Hooker, aud Gen. Stoneman's
cavalry raid, was short item Of the battle OF
Winchester, under Gen. r. II. bLilroy, and from
its brevity one would think that engagement,
which lasted nearly three days, was simply
skirmish.
In the number of men engaged, compared
with the many great battles of the war, it might
be called q skirmish; but battles ought to be
judged by their results as well as the number
Of men engaged. There were many hard fought
engagements that had no direct beneficial
suits upon the then present or future of the war,
except to lessen the available force Of the enemy,
often at equal loss to the other side. In
some Of them there could not DO traced d.
reety or Indirectly, any important benefit TO
the Union cause to compensate for the fearful
loss of life.
The battle Of Winchester had result that
should give its commander Gen. Milroy, some
credit as a brave man and good officer, and
he should receive from the people his just need
of praise for his service in those three days
fighting against an overwhelming force. Gen.
Milr0y had, according to his report to Gen.
Scheuck, his corps commander, upon his rolls on
June 5, 1853, l0,653 men of all arms including
those absent on furlough, detached service, sick
and disabled, and those in the QuarteTmaster
and Commissary Departments which would
leave him about 5000 effective fighting men.
These were in three brigades-commande
First, Gen. Elliott; Second, Col. w. S. Ely;
.
prised Of the following regiments and batteries:
10th, 10Th, 1921 and i23d Ohio, 9th and 87th
Pa, 5th aud 9Th Nd 18th Conn, 18th and 18th
Pa Cav, and three companies of West Virginia
| Cavalry; Battery J. 5th u. S. Art; Battery ID,
Ist w. Va. Art; Independent Baltimore MARY
laad) battery, and battery of the l4th Mass.
IL. a.
Col. NcReynolds, with his brigade, was at
BeTTyville up to Saturday q. m, june IL, when
he was signaled by Gen. Miroy to join him
at once, which he did, reaching Winchester
about 10 p. M. of the same day After the
battle Of Charlottesville Gen. Lee left Rockers
front on his raid into Pennsylvania, and his
route was down the Shenandoah Valley, and
Winchester was directly on this route. Gen.
Hooker had notified Gen. Halleck of this move
ment Of Gen. Lee previous to the 18th, but
Gen. Halleck did not inform Gen. Schenck of
that movement, that he might save Gen. Mill
roy from an inevitable defeat; but he did tele-
graph Gen. Sehenck on the 18th this message:
Winchester is no place to fight, and should
only be held as an outlook, and the forces at
that place should be Withdrawn to Harpers
Ferry, except force sufficient for an outlook
Not one word was said in this of the approach
of Leee army 10 Winchester and Gen. Schenck
believing Gen. Halleck's order only advisory,
telegraphed to Gen. MilrOy on the morning OF
the 18th what Gen. Halleck had said, and gave
Milroy the following order: GU will send back
rati0ns for withdrawing but hold your position;
in the meantime be ready for movement, but
await further orders"
This was on the 18th, and was the last order
received by Gen. MilrOy at Winchester as the
telegraph wires to MaTtinsburg and Baltimore
were cut early the next day. Miroy immcdi
ately obeyed this order, loading all surplus
stores making train Of over 100 wagons, and
with strong guard started them for Martins
burg. 1t was attacked before reaching Mar
tinsburg, but its brave guard saved it. and it
| got safely through to Harrisburg, Pa
On Saturday q. H.. the 18Th inst, the adj
vance of Lees army came apon our pickets
/ south of Winchester and the battle began.
/ There was little but skrmishing during Satur-
day, except an occasional brush at some point
where the Confedcrates in force came nearer
our ine5; but there was no advantage gained,
the enemy undoubtedly waiting for reinforce
ments TO come up, and for Longstreet TO come
via BerryviIIe on Milroy's left, to cut off all
retreat, hoping to capture Milroys entire COM
mand
Saturday morning from prisoners captured
and deSerters coming into his lines, Gen. Mill
roy first learned that the force confronting him
was Ewel's Corps, of Lees army, and that the
/ force coming against him was 10000 veterans,
tried aud trusted, who had so recently defeated
Hooker at Charlottesville. Gems. Jones and,
Imboden had been in the Valley for some time
and Milroy at first though the enemy was COM
posed Of their commands. 1t was now too late
to retreat, and MilToy's last orders received
were: " To hold this position and await further
orders" Hoping that Gen. Hooker might send
force to his aid via Ashby's and Smokers
/ Gaps, and when united, push back Gen Lee
Milroy still held his position through Saturday
and Sunday, holding in check the strong adj
! vance of Lees army two whole days and well
! into Monday morning, the third day. Sunday
! was repetition Of the skirmishing Of Satur-
/ day The enemy. not deeming it safe to try to
/ dislodge Gen. Milroy until full achievements
! came up which was not until about D. IA,
! when the enemy having secured q strong posi-
I tion in the woods and hills TO the west or right
/ of Milroy opened on him with several batter
] les OF artillery, following up with general
! charge Of infantry and large force Of cavalry,
/ which swung in and cut off his retreat; when
/ darkness coming on the fighting ceased. Mil
! Toy's command had at this time dwiudled down
/ to $500 effective men, and with this force he
decided to attempt to cut his way ont, which
/ he did early Monday morning, reaching Har-
! per's Ferry with loss, ia so doing, Of over
/ 1000 men in killed, wounded and missing.
This desperate fighting began before day
! break and lasted we'll on in the morning of Mon
/ day. His troops had been fighting contn-
4 uously two days and had little or no rest for
| two nights, and were on half rations, while his
1 ammunition Was nearly exhausted, leaving him
/ no alternative but 10 surrender or cut his way
/ out, which latter be did leaving only some
artillery spiked, but taking out the artillery
! horses and some wagons no valuable Govern
ment property being lost.
The result of this battle can easily be seen
! by comparing the after movements of Lees
1 army and those Of Gen. Hooker.
MilrOy held this strong advance Of Lees
army in check two whole days giving Gen
| Hooker. who was marching his army parallel
to Lees, east of the Blue Ridge and between
/ Lee and Washington, that much time TO move
on so as 10 meet Lee upon or soon after his ar
/ rival in Pennsylvania, which lie did at Gettys-
/ burg, where the conformation of the ground
gave Gen. Meade, who was then in command
| an immense advantage. Had Lees army not
| received this check by Milroy, those two days
would have enabled him to have reached a
point near Harrisburg, and perhaps have cap
tured it and Philadelphia, thus transferring
the fighting onto Northern soil as was the OBJ
ject of Gen. Lees invasion, by the orders of
JEFF Davis. Had Gen. Miiroy retreated, which
he might have done Saturday morning to Har-
per's Ferry and saved his command the result
might have changed the whole history of this
war; but he was brave man and fought
against overwhelming numbers, receiving de-
feat which was inevitable, but he did not sur
render.
Thus this battle resulted in great good to the
country, but in terrible wrong and injustice to
Gen. MilrOy. Gen. Halleck had full reports
I from Gen. Hooker on the 18th inst IF the