The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-20
THE BAT Tile OF
WINCHESTER.
a View and Description OF It
BY One Who Fought
There.
THE FIGHT WAS A MISTAKE
But One Of the Hottest and
Hardest Fought Of
the War.
THE Fight. WAS A MISTAKE
Editor Tines-pispatch:

q Lin w 49, j -.p !.
Editor Times-Dispatch:
q Sir,-Answering a recent Inquiry OF some
one as to the most important histofi-
cal event OF this country occurring IN the
month Of September, you mention the
battle OF winchester, September 10, 1861,
2 hetv eel the armies or Generals Early and
Sheridan: stating that the Confederates
were defeated after one Of the hottest
and hardest fought battles OF the war,
and in this statement you are correct.
The. battle OF Sharpsburg was fought In
September II, 1862. lis true, and there
were greater numbers engaged on each
side, but It's outcome was not attended
with such momentous results to the
Southern armies, in my opinion, nor was
there such disparity in numbers Of the
contend!ng forces. General Lee having
81. 22555 men to McClellan's S7,1G4, or about.
two to Ave, and losing 5000 men, or about
% per cent. OF his command, while Gen
eral Early had about 1l.000 men to Sher-
idan's $4,000 and lost at least % l-3 per
cent OF his entire army. This ! be-
lieve, 10 BIO strictly correct though by
some 1t is put ut much more. l hope
tn4 day will come when the true story Of
tina, unequal conflict will be told and
tarly Justice done to the men of the
army of the Shenandoah Valley. When
@the truth IL known, it will be seen to
have been a most gallant stand made.
NV 1,n
men who had followed Jackson and had
made his name great.
SOME HONEST ERRORS.
# have also recently seen a letter In
the Tlmes-Dispatch by MIR. Alexander S.
Paxton, making some illusions to the
battle OF Winchester, in which are state
ments SO different from my recollections
Of that momentous event, that / am i'll
clned to give my version of the same
1t is true, Mr.. Paxton says he occupied
q position where distance lent enchant-
ment to the view" and he might have
added, produced absolute strabsmus in
some of the views obtained. Forty years
have passed away yet the recollectiOns
Of that desperate struggle so wildly i'm
pressed upon my youthful mind will abide
as long as life Shall last. All Mr.. Paxton
says about the Shenandoah river, the
Beautiful valley of Virginia and Its no.
Bile people, l heartily endorse. TO one
who had been campaigning in the swamps
OF the Understanding and James rivers,
and along the dusty roads about Rich
nlond and Petersburg and elsewhere. the
transition from Nassau bacon and i'm
bolted corn meal for men, pine tags and
bull-rushes for horses. and muddy swamp
4 water for both. was such as is seldom
vouchsafed to ordinary mortals
THE MARCH.
When that master of strategy. General
Robert E. Lee, dispatched Fdtz. Lees
division Of cavalry and Kershaw's dvi-
zion OF Infantry to the Valley OF vir-
ginia Immediately after the battle OF tho
Crater, we were picketing on his extreme
right, near Reams Station. Marching at
once for Richmond, when opposite Bcr-
nuda Hundreds We made long detour
through the woods to avoid observation
from Buffers tower at that point Rest
ing a day or two at Culpeper we first
Came In sight OF the valley descending
the Blue Ridge mountains at Front Royal
What a change! beautiful homes nesting
among the trees a the foot OF the noun
tains, clear sparkling water and album
dant food for men and animals. hosp,-
table reception and kind trea tplent by as
noble. patriotic and self-sacriticing peo-
Z pie as the sun ever shone upon.
After sharp brush with the Yankees
We marched to Winchester, twenty miles,
there joining General Early after some
days to Befryville and a fight, 10 Iar-
per's Ferry and more diminishing, back
TO Berryyille. back 70 Winchester, and
SO marching ana ooultcr-marching
! through this section OF Virginia, The love
LEST ! ever saw, brings Us TO Monday,
a September 10, 1864. just forty years ago,
ABOUT which / wish to write
a a good idea may be had Of the stun
2 ton, 81 one VIII picture Wipchcster sit
uatoa IN o Beautiful level valley WITH
line McAdamlzed roads radiatins o every
point of the compass. One road: running
z al little east OF north 10 Martinsburg
@} "entY-two miles and one To Berryviilo d
ii3tle Forth OF cast, taYe!vc miles form
he letter Y, with the point Al Winchester
z beautiful farming country, little
8rollipg in some places
u BATTLE BETWEEN THE ROADS,
The battle was fought between these
two roads, beginning at a point some
two or three miles out from Winchester
on the Berryyille road and gradually Ok.
tending around 10 our left on or neai
the Martinsburg road, about tbs same dis
tance from Winchester, ana 50 presenting
q battle front Of two or three miles on
thcreabout. The writer above alluded tc
says, about Two miles from Winrteg
ter General Early decided 10 make ;
stand. My impression Is that Gqneii
Early had little to do Witk the selection
of that battlefield When al early dawn
Sheridan drove In our cavalry picket
\ between three aud four miles from MN
chester and attacked Ramsepr's 40
lnuskets and E,ifeW pieces of ta,tllissy ~
that road theyfwere several miles neare
. Winchester than Genera, Eaely, who wa
At stephenson Depot, si1 miles distant