The National tribune., 1910-03-31
ALL STAND UP FOR MILRaY.
Comrades Tell of Their Experiences
With Milroy at Winchester and While
He Was i'm Alabama 10 gO

| S>1ice .. II. ANefiii, iolIl Il. SdN., saw
fit to defend the record Of that grand
fighter, Gen. Robert H. Milroy,- many
other comrades have sent in their views
of his great stand made at Winchester,
June 1915, 1868.
G. NJ. Eschelberger, Captain, Co. G,
| 9Th Md, says: About March 2S!t1S63
Ferry, was attached to the Second Bri-
gade, Third Division, Eighth Corps, and
was ordered to Berryvlfe.
"Imboden's rebel cavalry and Mosby's
Iguerrillas were constantly annoying our
outposts, but when our cavalry crossed
the Shenandoah to meet them they
could not be found.
About June 1, Cos. d and Fl. 6th
Md. were ordered south. At dusk we
came to a blind ford on the Shenan-
doah, few miles east of Front Royal.
A battalion of the 1st n. Y. (Lfncoln)
Cav. rode up, and they were ordered
each to take one of us across. The cav
airy didn't like this little bit, and the
air was blue, you may be sure.
"Our destination was Upperville, to
surprise that rebel cavalry, but they
didn't surprise worth cent. We re-
turned to our camp at Berryville via
Smokers Gap.
About June % our cavalry scouts
reported the rebel cavalry approaching
from Front Royal, followed by Rhodes's
Division. Gen. Reynolds prudently Or
dered the brigade to fall back on VIM
chester, Milroy's heaquarters. While
crossing the Opequan Creek the rebel
cavalry charged our rear guard. The
9Th Md. was promptly deployed across
the pike, leaving that open for a sec
tion of battery, which opened at short
range.
"On they came, firing their carbines,
until within range of our Enfields, when
we began to empty the rebel saddles.
Then the Alexander boys got in their
work, and soon we were reformed in
marching order and on our way to join
our division under Gen. Milroy at Win
chester. Here we were assigned to the
Star Fort, northwest of town, and held
it until we marched out the Martins
burg pike, June 80, and engaged that
part of Lees advance so successfully
and Interestingly that we were allowed
to pass his left flank and safely fall
back to Harper's Ferry.
Right here I want to emphasize
what Comrade George H. Taylor, 9Th
Md, Wilmington, N. c., said in The Ma
tional Tribune of Dec. 16:
Winchester and Gettysburg are
twain, and are connected by time and
events Had there been no Winches-
ter Harrisburg would have suffered the
tate Oh CndfnDeTSUuTS-
Ask Any of the 9th Ind.
D. f. Washburn, Co. d, 13Sth Ind,
Michigan City, Ind, Gays: Gen. Milroy
was a fighter clear thru. II you don't
believe it, ask any of the old 9th Ind,
that he organized and went out with as
Colonel in 81. When he went to Stew
enson, Ala, from Tullahoma, Tenn,
with our regiment we had a picnic. 1t
was a dark, rainy night, and the Cen
eral rode in the caboose of the train.
About o'clock a. m. we were attacked.
The train was stopped, and we climbed
up a 10-foot bank of wet clay. The
enemy had gone, but we stayed there
until daylight, then went on to Steven
son with no one hurt"
Milroy at Close Range.
A. ]. Hertzog, Co. d, 14th Pa. Cav,
California, Pa, says: II was only q
boy of 18, bat it seemed like folly to
even me for Gen. Milroy with his G, 900
soldiers to remain at Winchester after
June IL, 1863. During the months of
April, May and part of June L was on
duty in the Quartermaster's Depart
ment at Martinsburg, and it fell to my
lot to accompany officers, Paymasters
and others, being sent thru the lines. to
Gen. Milroy's headquarters at Winches-
ter. Consequently l came to know Gen.
Milroy very well.
I'm the afternoon of June II / left
the Pro ,st-Marshars office at Martins
burg with DIR. Cracraft and family, from
near Wheeling, w. Va, for Winchester.
They were being sent thru the lines for
disloyalty. / reported to Gen. Milroy
with my charges, and he gave me a
paper and told me to report to the Pro-
vost- Marshal for further orders.
Under a flag of truce l was sent
- ..r.l.
the family. / mingled with the John
MES, and after giving my papers over
to an officer at headquarters and deliv-
ering the Doctor and family to his
friends, ] was handed other papers to
be delivered to Gen. Milroy.
Il returned to Winchester and re-
ported to Gen. Milroy. He asked me if
/ saw many Johnnies.
II said: General, ] saw about $1,000
or 10000 and counted 16 batteries
HE said: My boy, you are excited
He told me to report to him in the
morning, as he wanted to send some
papers to the Provost Marshal at Mar
tinsburg. ! reported as instructed the
next day, Saturday, June IL. 1868. He
handed me the papers and walked to
the front door with me. and as we
STEPPED out on the veranda the chief of
the Jessie Scouts ran up the steps and
saluted.
General he said, there are about
$4,000 rebels coming down from toward
Leesburg.' He replied: 1 don't care a
- how many there are. We will give
them warm reception
He should have been praised for
holding such superior force in check
for two days instead of being censured.
His action greatly helped in getting our
army together at Gettysburg"
The Cavalry at Winchester.
s. T. Linn, Sergeant, Co. f, 18th Cav,
Mondamin, Iowa, says: II think it was
on the morning of June 13 that we of
the 18th Pa. Cav. were ordered to scout
up the pike. The next day we went out
again in company with the 87th Pa. and
a section of artillery. l think it was
Battery l., 4th u. S. The battery went
into, a clover field on the left of the pike
south of NewtOwn, with part of the
87th Pa. supporting and part hidden in
a ravine on the right side of the pike.
Maj. Kerwin, in command of the
18th Pa. Cav, had advanced in column
far south of the battery when the rebel
cavalry charged. He retreated, and
drew the enemy within range and un-
der the fire of both the infantry and
the artillery.
THE rebel cavalry got such a warm
reception that they fed, with the 18th
Pa. Cav. in hot pursuit.
"On the morrow the rebels advanced
in great force, and Milroy was sur
rounded. The rebels opened with in
fantry and artillery. The combat lasted
until late in the night Milroy who met