The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-07-09
u
THE 18TH. W. IVA.
Its Colonel Refused to He Surrendered by
brighten. Ely, But Marched Away to

| Its Colonel Refused to He Surrendered b,
Brighten. Ely, But Marched Away I,
| Safety.
Editor National Tribune: In tn,
history of the rebellion, by Johl
McElroy, in the issue of Tn,
| National Tribune of June 4, 1908, it /.
| said that the Confederate Generals
Early and Johnson ION the 18th anG
i4th of June. 1868. at Winchester, Va
| drove Milroy's forces into the CITY," Ii
vindication Of the truth of history Mil.
roy's command of perhaps 5000 tc
5000 men able for duty were not
| forced back into the city on June IL
and IA, 1863, but during the two days
diminishing. with small losses. retired
to the works therein, as ordered by
their commanding officers. At about Z
a. m. on the morning of June Is, be-
fore day, Milroy. still in possession OF
the whole of Winchester. and not sur
rounded or obstructed on the main
,oad to the north, marched his whole
command in the darkness towards
Pennsylvania. abandoning the sieg,
guns in the fortifications, wagons, camp
and garrison equipage and stores. and
even his batteries of light artillery
tfield guns with horses).
This main road is the Shenandoah
Valley pike, fine. hard, broad thoro-
fare to Martinsburg, Shepardstown,
Wiliamsport into the Cumberland VAL
ley and Pennsylvania. Milroy's men
marched north about five miles and
were fired into from the east side of
the road by the enemy, who were not
occupying or across the road, but post
ed east of it about a quarter oqa mile.
The statement made in The National
Tribune of June 4, 1908, that Col. Elys
Brigade consisted of THE 18th Conn.
9Th Nd. and S1th Pa fails to mention
the 18th w. Va. containing 500 men,
of that brigade. and the only regiment
that did not surrender as an organiza-
ton, but marched off the field in its
entirety and deliberately, in perfect pa
rade order. altho under fire from the
field pieces of the enemy.
When the retreat, or rather flight
was begun from Winchester that morn
ing Ely's Brigade was in front. the
SIth Pa. leading, the Maryland regi-
ment next, according to my recoliec-
ton, and / am certain that the 18th
Conn. Col. afterwards GEM Ely's own
regiment next and in front of the 18th
W. Va. to the north. In this order the
brigade arrived on the ground near
Stephenson's Depot. where it was fired
on from the right flank The STth Pa
had been engaged, had captured two
field pieces from the enemy, who had
recaptured them when the, 18th Conn.
and 18th w. Va. marched up. The two
last named regiments were halted at
the south and rear sof the 18th Conn
The brigade was faced toward the east
and rebels; ordered itonparade, rest,
when, to our astonishment, rebel Off
DER rode towards our line, and imme-
diately Col. Ely waved towards him his
sword With White handkerchief On
the point thereof Col. John b., Klunk.
of the 18th w. Va, our regiment. re-
marked. He is not going to surrender
any of us" There were no other Con-
lAr atnS tn -;a,r. xI,1 -
not yet clear daylight, aitho one could
see a hundred yards or SO a man or
other object as large. When Col Klunk
made said remark the cannon shot
were passing over and Close to our
heads. but no mpsketry, from the
enemy. ini@S 81 -
While the 18th Conn. and other reg
iments of the brigade We're stacking
arms in surrender. Col. Klunk marched
the 18th W. Va. by tours to the north
west. Continuing over the mountains
in the same direction. the regiment
without being attacked. except once by
80 to 40 cavalrymen, arrived on June
II at Hancock, Md, thence marched
to Mercersburg, Pa. some 20 miles
from Gettysburg.
During the time the 12thsGW. Va,
spent there the regiment constituted
part OF a force of between 1000 and
5000 infantry and cavalry who after
the battle Of Gettysburg raided Long
streets wagon train and captured be-
tween 500 and 600 wagons loaded with
all kinds of loot they had taken from
the stores in Pennsylvania. and also cap
tured about 800 rebel prisoners at the
same time. .--s-----1--
AT the time the above surrender was
made by Gen. Ely and other surren-
ders of Milroy's command to the Con-
federates, Milroy, with his staff and Or
II nff nrtJ fnrlx, 10
per's Ferry, according to what was said
without contradiction and believed in
the &C mmand at that time, and subse-
quently going to Bloody Run was put
under arrest there as stated in The Ma
tional Tribune At that time exchanges
of prisoners had not yet been stopped
and the men were surrendered at Win
chester were better off than those who
marched away to Hancock. Md, in that
they were taken Immediately toNRich-
mond, Va, exchanged and got home
with n 30-day furlough, instead of con-
tinuing in active and arduous service.
The loss of the 18th w. Va. in the two
days skermishing was two commission
ed officers and five men killed and
about 20 wounded.
The undersigned from his personal
and other knowledge of the numbers
present in Milroy's command, believes
that the figures of Early and Johnson
of the captured and of those taken to
Richmond are about correct. The
statement in The National Tribune that
Col Ely and most of his brigade were
surrounded and compelled to surren-
der" is based on misinformation. They
were not surrounded, as above stated,
and those who chose, that course
marched away at Stephenson's Depot,
in full view of the command, unmolest-
ed, up into Pennsylvania. The truth of
history makes it just that this should
be corrected therein.-G.s 3. Caldwell,
First Lieutenant and Adjutant, 18th w.
Va, Wheeling, W.. Va. 81