Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-04-08
suffering from Wounds and
sickness, He Directed the
Battle and Won.
An Honor Questioned and Even
Denied by Anti-Irish
Historians"
FULLY ATTESTED BY THE RECORDS.

Thirty-seven years ago on March %
1862, was fought the celebrated battle of
Winchester, Va. The Federal army, un
der the distinguished Irish-American
General, James Shields, whose statue
adorns the National Gallery in Wash
ington, gift of the people of Missouri
to the National Government, completely
routed the Confederate forces under the
great "Stonewall" Jackson, who suffered
loss of two guns four caissons. 300
prisoners and l 200 stands of small arms.
There has been disposition to detract
from Gen. Shields in histories" by COM
pletely ignoring the battle of Winchester.
One history" which does not mention
Shields victory at Winchester, makes
known the fact that "Shields was defeated
by Jackson about May, 1862" Now,
unless 1t can be shown that Shields. at
the time of his defeat" dominated all
the Union forces on the field as Jackson
dominated all the Confederate forces on
the same field, if. on this occasion. he
was subordinate and not the real COM
mander, if it was his business not to plan
but to obey the orders of another, COM
mon honesty would suggest that respon-
sibility for the result should be placed on
the shoulders of the man who was in SUI
preme command, that is Gen. Banks.
In that campaign under Banks the
Union army was so divided and the di-
visions were so detached and so scattered
over the valley as to make concerted
action impossible. Jackson's keen eve
saw the blunder and promptly turned it
to his advantage. Placing himself be-
tween the converging columns of Banks,
Shields, Milroy and Fremont, he struck
one after another, and with his united
fesee stFzek,beek these isolated fragments
in utter rout. The whole Union ar1nv
was then defeated. 1t was bad general
ship, no doubt, but it was not Shields
Veneralship. He did not boss" the sit
uation at that time.
At Winchester, on the contrary, Shields
was i'll supreme command of all the
Union forces on the field operating
against Jackson, even as Jackson was in
supreme command of all the Confederate
forces operating against Shields. Banks
was not on the field at the time of the
action, he having been called to Wash
ington before the engagement began.
The results of Winchester then were the
legitimate fruits of Shields plan of ope-
rations, strategy and execution, and to
him belongs the glory of the victory.
From the following account, taken
from Appleton's Annual (ls62) Cyclic
paedia, which was edited by the late
Charles A. Dana, then Assistant Secretary
of War, it will be readily seen that Gen.
Shields, the hero of the Mexican and
civil wars, was the first and the only
man that ever crossed swords successfully
with "Stonewall" Jackson.
Winchester was evacuated by Stone
wall Jackson on the night of March II.
Shields soon followed up this retreat,
and on the 10th he discovered Jackson
reinforced in strong position near New
Market and within supporting distance of
the main body Of the Confederate army
under Johnston. In order to draw him
from this position Shields fell back rap
idly to Winchester on the 10Th, as if in
retreat, having marched his whole COM
mand thirty miles in one day. On the
next day the Confederate cavalry under
Ashby showed themselves in sight OF
Winchester.
ION the 22d the entire Union forces,
with the exception of Shields division,
evacuated Winchester and marched for
Centreville. This movement, and the
masked position in which Shields placed
his division, led the enemy to believe
that the town was evacuated, with the
exception of a few regiments to garrison
it. That afternoon at 8 O'Clock Ashby
the pickets of Shields and drove
them in, but was repulsed by small
force pushed forward by Shields for that
purpose, who now made preparations for
contest in the morning Shields ordered
a portion of his artillery forward to open
fire and unmask it.
This had the desired effect, when a
battle ensued, during which Shields, by
an attack upon the Confederate left flank,
forced that wing back upon its center
and placed the enemy to be routed by a
general attack, which was made at 5
o'clock in the afternoon with great sue
ress. The Confederates we're driven from
the field. with the loss of two guns, four
800 prisoners. and 1000 stands
Of small arms. The force of Shields was
1000 and 5000, of which he lost
in killed and wounded between 800 and
400. The Confederate loss was large. The
brigades of Gems. Jackson, Smith, Gar
nett and Longstreet were engaged"
The Rebellion Records" compiled
from official records in the War Depart
ment, the various State reports and
from the many war correspondents, thus
says "March 20. The battle Of Win