Norwich bulletin., 1913-06-13
ly Pupils.
LET TIERS TO THE EDITOR.
Fifty Years Ago.


 Mfr. Editor: Comrade .Torry Is in error as to the distance of Winchester. Va from the Potomac river; Winches- ter Is thirty-tw miles from Harper S Ferry, which is at the junction of the Potomac and the Shenandoah rivers. The battle of Winchester was fought June 13, and 15, 1863, General Will sen. U. s. A., with about 5000 men, and General Eweu's corps. U. s. A., about 5000 The Confederates attack ed the town early on the 18th and skirrnished all day. The Union forces fell back into the town about midnight, On the 14th skirmishing continued till noon. when the Union troops were driven into the rifle pits and remained there till ] o'clock. At that time the Confederates had f1anked us with 13 pieces of artilltry on the west side of the town General Milrey withdrew all his forces into the fort and the Confederates sheled us till 8 eclock Every gun was dismeunted and the horses killed. We had n0 siege gGaS, only a light battery. It was i84pos- sible to know the numbers opposing Us and at midnight a council of war was held and General GIilroy decided to evacuate the place. We started at 2 o'clock and were delayed by teams and animals till nearly 4 o'clock. At that time we had made about miles and 1t was breaking day. When we were fired upon fNom a stretch of woods on our right and thrown into confusion. The leading brigade con- siSting of the 18th Conn, 5th Mary land, 10th and 123rd Ohio, and the 18th Penn. cavalry under the command of Col w. c. Ely, became engaged and fought the battle of June 18th, 1863 at Stephenson's Station, , miles from Winchester and thereby, delayed EWells corps from going forward to join Lees army. Colonel Ely rallied his men and we charged up against a battery of artillery and his infan- try, three times, and becoming sur rounded, surrendered to Ed. John sons division. Ewells corps, John sons division alone could have cap- tured us on Saturday or obliged us to retreat. Why or what was the reason it was Ifot done l have never learned. Int Confederates knew our strength for on Saturday night Lieu- tenant Colonel Rockwell and myself went to a house for something to eat and were refused. as they had nothing. We offered to pay, and the man of the house finally told his daughter to give US some. She took us to the eel lar and when we found so much food. we asked what it was all for and she said; our boys will be in the town tomorrow and they were in parts of it. Our brigades fight on the morning of June 10th, 1863, delayed Ewells corps and enabled Milroy and his staff and the other two brigades to escape. It therefore accomplished two objects, one was to prevent Lee to assemble his army as he so much de- sired, and the other was to leave about 5000 men useless and not doing any duty at all. 1 therefore claim that Col. ". 6. Ely and his brigade were the real heroes of the battle of Win chester, which compelled the greatest battle of the war to be fought at Get tysburg. From the official reports and conversation with the Confederates we inflicted a loss to the enemy of more than two to one, in the three days fight
 Next Sunday. the 18th. is the ff- tieth anniversary and there are but few of us left to remember it. Of all the officers. of the regiment there are only seven left, and of the 27 that were captured only are alive. The enlisted men were paroled in Septem- Der, after serving time at Belle Is- land-and Libby. The officers were held for 21 months.
 JOHN E. WOODWARD.
 Norwich June 10, 1913