The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-01
SURVIVOR DESCRIBES
BATTLE OF WINCHESTER
Strategic Motement---T First Shot Close
Fighting.
Fighting.

kernstown, Va. known North as win.
chester note the day before. be-
cause by regiment. the Seventh viz
GINA Cavalry (Confederate) and Can
tain chew's battery OF horse artillery
attached to II. this day was exciting
Bnd eXhilarating And for General
Sh!elds's division OF the Union army
The evening of the day was exciting
and perhaps surprising. Our greatest
colonel. Turner Aghby. commanded our
regiment. and on him fell the entire
management of our movements until
in the afternoon OF the next day, when
"Stonewall' jackson arrived in person
with his troops.
ON this morning. March %. we were
encamped three miles south of Wool
etock. or thirty miles south OF Win
chester. while Jackson's infantry ana
svti,lery were still i've TO ten miles
farther south. had jus, cooked my
breakfast of meat and eggs: eggs mind
you. for the war and not become so
much hell as II did later. Our bugle
sounded saddle up and down the
Shenandoah Valley north we went
swinging in column OF fours. AS a
few DAYS before we had fallen back
Sefo-e the enemy. leaving our homes
and friends to their fears of the Yam
KEGS" so now we were In high spirits
In following the retreating Union ar
my. That retreat. by the way. wax
FOR some reshons OF their own and not
because Of any movement we had made.
The people cheered us as we passed
through the towns. mostly at trot.
with our artillery rafting over the
road. We were well dressed, had good
horses. and our reception BY the citi-
Eens stirred all the pride OF our young
manhood as we pushed on through
Woodstock. thirty miles away from
Misunderstanding the winding road
down Fishers Hiil twenty-one miles
saway-through Strasburg, over Cedar
Creek. hfteeR miles away. through
Eernstown. three miles away. and In
10 the very outskirts of Winchester.
note these distances, as ny fathers
homo was near Strasburg and / was
familiar with almost every milestone
on the road. which was and is a mac
: adamized turnpike leading from Win
chester south nearly 100 miles to Staun-
ton. Va.
on March goth Shields With bis al.
vision was at Stresburg, and VII
l'am's divtsion had started east toward
McClcllsnds army and 1t now seems
clear that our forced march was to
draw as many men as possible from Nc
Clellans support. Some historians say
that shields's return from Strasburg
to tho north OF Winchester was for tho
purpose of drawing Jackson after him.
But whatever the reasons we made
'hN o4SSd nOteu. Throwing out
mounted sklrmish lines as We neared
Winchester we entered tho south cdEe
OF the town and few prisoners were
brought back riding behind some Of
our troopers. This was at nearly sun
down, ana Shields hurried his forces
70 meet us, To che northwest OF Win.
chester were General Bsnks's old forts.
and from these now sparkled cannon
hashes, while infantry columns pushed
towards us
At this juncture Captain Chew.
whose battery had come into position
on some rises Of ground Just south of
Winchester. observing group of OH
GERS come forward ordered shot
from one OF his fnn riGod four-inch
guns ana a piece OF its burst shell Sc
Verely wounded General Shields in the
arm, and so kept him off the battle
field next day This battery at this
time had with IT two four-inch rifed
English guns and ono howitzer. and
was destined to become greatly trnsied
Tor daring outpost work and akrmish-
ing in force. With Chew putting nm
nol1 front and rapid fire the enc
my advanced cautiously and We fell |
PACK to hVe miles south OF Winchester |
and into camp for the night. / am not |
certain that Colonel Ashby knew the |
extent OF Shieldss forces: in fact I |
think he did not, but we know that the |
'"!oi tiooPs ADVANCED IN force dur.
Ing the evening and night and took
position there. concentrating most Of
their strength on the hills west of the |
turnpike. This was at and opposIte
kernstown, which is directly ON the |
turnpike. Thus there were about o. !
600 men in front Of us. whlIo all told /
we numbered about 700, with Jackson's
forces lying that night still further |
south.
This dsy vas the very forerupnor =, |
campaign which was to mako a rae !
Ing ground Of thot country. in which
jackson, who was first brought to this
army as tactitian. was TO try his |
ability al strategist. Some time be-
fore this he had positively resigned
his command and asked to he sent |
back to his military PROFESSIONALLY hut |!
wa srefused. General Shields had hu, |
recently been given command of d. |!
vision. General II. E. Lee had Just
been placed in direct command of the |
army OF the Potomac. For the bal
ance OF this year we were to wage
almost incessant hostllties with |
Rernstown coming on the morrow. fol |
lowed by Mcdowell, Front ROYAL. win.
chester, The Potomac. Cross Keys PORT
Republic the Seven Days before Rhh- |
mond. Cedar Mountain. Second Manas.
sas, Harper's Ferry. Antietarn, and end
ing with bloody fredericksburg.
quite early In tile morning of March |
Is, with our three guns and regi-
ment OF cavalry, We started north again.
etill in good spirits. AT the outskirts
of the little hamlet of Kernstown we
were halted by the Union forces There
was here and still is brick dwelling
standing by the turnpike on Its west
side. and from this point I saw our !
battery fire its first shot Of the day
toward the hills to the northwest of |
us. An answering Union shell passed
through the brick house. Just then APP
peared line Of Union infntry east OF
the turnpike and town and four COM !
panioa of mounted infantry under.