The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-13
WHEN EARLY'S BRAVE BAND
FOUGHT. AT WINCHESTER
Several Corrections in an Earlier Account of the
Battle at Winchester in 1864 EARLY superior
Generalship Over Sheridan Despite Over
whelming Numerical Strength of the
Northern General-How the Men in
Gray Held Back Their Foes.

by II. S. BISHOP, OF NEW MIxICO.
In the Confederate Column OF The
Times-pspatch OF juno s, 1910. set
Some statements. so ERRONEOUS that tho
Ruth of history demands that they be
corrected. 1our correspondent states
that the battle OF Winchester" which
IL frequently designated HI the battle
of the opcquan. occurred on October 10.
1864. 1 suppose this is a misprint
though. 1t should be September II.
1864.
The writer commanded company in
the twenty fifth Regiment, Virginia
Cavalry, and kept diary OF all these
engagements. and was in this battle
from day light I'll dark. and was in some
OF the hardest fighting OF the day and
was wounded In the early morning. but
Gid not leave the field Till among tho
last. and was among the cavalry who
covered the retreat OF Earlyys men az
they retired through Winchester. Hay.
ing my diary before me, I Will vouch
Tor the correctness OF every statement
made In this article. 0Er cavalry had
peen on picket and engaging the
enemy nearly every day from Septem
bcr to the 18th. At daylight on the
1norning of the nineteenth we were
siotified that our pickcts were being
,-anping rapidly. We had orders TO sad.
die and mount. and without forming
the regiment, the first company tina,
got on the pike on the Berryviile Road,
10 move as rapidly down the pike as
we could. so Captain George t. Jun
kin, of Company u, being near tho
pike, was nrst on tho road. and my
company Il, being next, we each NOV
I'd at gallop. the other companie,
Following. and soon wo met the enemy
coming at gailop also. Captain Jun
kin tiled TO the right and to the left,
where we met the enemy. and At short
range the firing became pretty hot
and heavy. Being at the head OF my
company. and the captain OF the enemy
being at the head of his. we had a PTS
toll duel but a few PAGES apart on horse.
The enemys horses were always better
drilled than ours. for we had to fur
nish our owa horses and frequently
take anything we could get, while the
United states furnished the horses FOR
Ats men, having the whole country
from which to select, and usually
selecting the best. and having them well
trained before putting them into the
service. -.y horse being n raw re-
cruit.' was rearing and plunging under
the fire. while my antagonists horse
SfbS PC11CUG&y Qu3SL ! w'tS d uu6 EllOt
with pistol in those days, and that
distance could have hit a button on his
coat with fair chance. but do not
know whether I hit him or not, but
somebody hit me In that conflict and
several OF my men were wounded at
fnat spot. out soon the enemy retreat
Ed and we were dismounted, our
horses sent TO the rear, and were order
I'd to form and take possession OF some
timber n our front and hold the enemy
In check at all hazards. the enemy
also having timber for protection. AS
the sun. in MS beauty, was just peep
Ing over the hills In the eastern sky.
soon to see. perhaps, in shame the
Strife. (But lad there been no Invasion
of the South, there would have been no
war.) From sun up till about ] O'CLOCK
In the evening this part of the line was
held by this thin line Of cavalry against
many times our number OF both infan-
try and cavalry, m incessant fire be-
ing kept up all the while on both sides.
FINALLY, at about / O'Clock P. III. the
enemy began the advance In double
line OF Infantry. II Sheridan had been
the great general he has been claimed
to be, why did he not throw his whole
army. as he might have done, against
EarIy's divided army, as Disadvantages
command was. as we always under
An the direction OF Martinsburg, and
he made a forced march and arrived
on the field Just as We were retiring
before this double line OF infantry,
when soon the engagement became
general and furious and ragged with
terrific slaughter till dark closed In
and stopped the bloody conflict,
Had Sheridan pressed tho battle on
the Berryville road In the early morn,
1ng. and fought Early while his army
was divided, his victory would have
cost him hundreds OF lives less than Il
did. while ne nlanoeuvred and dallied
till Early had time to concentrate ibis
army.
Evidently Early had begun flank
movement to force Sheridan back from
the Valley, or why did he send Brock
fnridge With about one-half Of his
army down the Valley below Sheridan
fin the direction OF Washington? After
our cavelry hadretired from between
the two lines of battle, and had regain
ed our horses. we were ordered at o.
charge to the right and rear to check
q force Of cayatry which was moving
around our right and rear, trying to
set into Winchester. Having checked
that movement we retired into hol-
low where we could get some protec-
ton and a little rest the first VIC had
during the day, soon the enemy got
range Of us, and was playing
such havoc withNus that we were,
ordered out OF that death trap, Wa
then moved to tho left to help check
another movement OF cavalry to turn
our left end rear. Early being then
hard pressed In front by infantry and
or each flank by cavalry, no Withdrew
Through Winchester Just as dark was
closing In. Anticipating cavalry
charge. he placed q brigade OF infantry
behind tho stone fence Just out or
Winchester with orders If any charge
NYHs attempt ed to STOP it. He did not