The National tribune., 1909-01-14
MIIRoY AT WINCHESTER.
A Veteran OF the 18th Va. Gives His
Experiences,

| b>ApcftsIisSS,
| Editor National Tribune: I wish to
reply to Comrade G. w. WarfePs with
Milroy at Winchester"
| In the. first place, I think he is mis-
taken in the date. Referring to my
diary, I find this record: June 12-
Commencement of battle Of Winches-
ter; S7th Pa. capture prisoners.
June 13-Fight of Saturday. right
| of Strausburg pike, two miles south
The 18th lost all their knapsacks Lieut..
Bradley among the killed: Flemming,
Burke, Kiger, Clark and Buchanan, OF
my company, wounded and left on field
June 14-Fight of Sabbath. Sup
ported battery on 'Apple-pie Ridge in
forenoon. Lieut. Ben Cough killed
18th Va. ordered to charge a stone
fence, behind which the enemy were
posted. We took it, but in a very short
time were driven away in confusion;
some of my company were shot in back
while we were running the gantlet.
I'VE were corralled in Fort Starr be-
| fore night After dark two separate
charges were made on the Notifications,
both being repulsed. The enemy must
have lost heavily, as I never heard such
a volume Of musketry firing. except at
Fort Gregg. We evacuated the fort
about 2 a. M. Monday. 18th, and were
attacked by Gen. Rhodes's Division Just
before daylight, four, miles north of
Winchester, on the Martinsbarg pike"
To further convince Comrade Warfel
that l am right in the date I refer him
to the Official Records, of the Rebellion.
Series l., Vol. 81, page 1855, where he
will find recorded Lineo1n's dispatch to
Gen. Schenek at Baltimore. Here it is:
Washington. D. C.g June IA, 1853;
p. N. m
''To Gen. schenck: ! - y, -
Get Milroy from Winchester to Har-
per's Ferry If possible. He will be COB
bled up, IL he remains, IL he is not al
ready past salvation--rA lincoln"
Another mistake of the |somrade is
in the regiments engaged He says the
seth Pa. and 124th Ohio we're there. i
don't think either of these regiments
ever served in that part Of the army
My best recollection of the troops under
Milroy at that time were: 10th, 122d.
18th, 123d Ohio, S7th Pa, 18th Conn,
9Th Md, 9th Pa, and possibly Gath
Mass, 18th and 18th Pa Cav, 1st N
z (Lincoln) Cav. and Co. X, 1st Va
Cav, and about three batteries. one of
these Carlin's Battery CD, w. Va. Art
There may have been other troops,
but these 1 remember distinctly. Col
McReyno1ds's Brigade was brought up
from Berryville on the evening of the
18th. think Milroy had about 1000
men all told.
l agree with the comrade in most of
his description of the battle. However,
il he counts the skirmish of the 87th
on the evening of June IL, we would
have to call it four days battle.
1 was disabled on the evening of the
14th when we fell back from the stone
fence, and had to be carried from Il
hill to the fort. When the fort was
evacuated ! was put on an artillery
horse, with orders to follow the cavalry.
1 was close up when the fight COM
menced the morning of the 18TH. and
can almost imagine | can see the dense
fog of that battle in the woods, just as
lit was breaking day. Rhodes's Division
was posted there, and had artillery pro-
tected by telegraph wire wound around
the trees. It seems almost miracle
that any of us escaped. l rode my old
horse off to the left into North Noun
tain Soon / overlook a battalion OF
the 116th Ohio. who were guarding
lot of prisoners captured on the l4th;
I followed after them all that day and
part of the night / was afraid to get
off my horse, for I felt sure, ] was so
weak, 1 could not get on again. passed
| a. negro cabin on the mountain, ana
paid a woman 81 for corncake. she
said: Sure. boss, you must be lost
Jenkins and Imboden passed here three
days ago. Inc HeAl uty loiuSu e'e
Potomac at Sir Johns Run, and thep !
Thought J. was safe.
But to tell the whole story would be
too long I will conclude by saying l
found what was left of my regiment at
Bloody Run, Pa, where 1 had been re-
ported as missing in action" for the
l last 10 days. / think my regiment
! 12th Val was in Gen Elliot's Second
Division.-J. N. Waddell. Taylorville,
Ill