Front Royal road the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Lieutenant-Colonel Moss commanding, with about four hundred men, went only to Cedarville, twelve miles distant, and returned, reporting that they had been stopped by a large Rebel force. This account General Milroy refused to credit, insisting that they had been too easily frightened, and that if any such force could be there, he should have heard of its approach from either General Hooker, Halleck, or Schenck. He could not believe that an entire Confederate corps was near him, for he supposed Lee's army was still at Fredericksburg. His superiors had failed to inform him, as they should have done by telegraph, that a large part of it had moved to Culpeper. And he further supposed, that if Lee had left Hooker's front at Fredericksburg, the Army of the Potomac would have followed and he would have received full information thereof. Not entirely oblivious of his danger he telegraphed to General Schenck late that night for specific orders, whether to hold on to his post or to retreat to Harper's Ferry, stating that there appeared to be a considerable force in front of him. As the enemy soon after cut the wires, he received no reply to his message.* Upon the following morning, (Saturday, 13th,) his patrols on the Front Royal road reported the enemy advancing in force; whereupon he signaled Colonel McReynolds to leave Berryville and rejoin him, while he sent out a considerable force to learn what was impending. These had not far to go, for Colonel Ely, on the Front Royal road, was stopped barely a mile from Winchester by a Confederate

* For many of the details of the affair at Winchester, I am indebted to Mr. Greeley's history, and to General Doubleday's "Chancellorsville and Gettysburg."

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battery, when he fell back after a slight skirmish. General Elliott, on the Strasburg road, advanced a little further, and was halted by observing the enemy in force on his left; that is, on the Front Royal road. Here some cannon balls were exchanged, when the Union forces fell back to Apple-Pie Ridge, next to the city. Skirmishing continued throughout the balance of the day until dark, when a prisoner was taken who rather astonished General Milroy by the information that he belonged to Ewell'sformerly Stonewall Jackson's

corps.

On this same day (Saturday, 13th) "General Ewell, who had left Culpeper on Wednesday, June 10th, marched with Early's and Johnson's divisions directly upon Winchester, while he sent his remaining division, Rodes', to Berryville. Owing to the timely warning Colonel McReynolds had received, his brigade had gotten off in time, his rear being covered by Alexander's battery and the Sixth Maryland cavalry. These detained the enemy two hours, and then caught up with the main body. Jenkins' cavalry came upon the retreating force at Opequan Creek, where he made an attack, which was promptly repulsed by the artillery with canister. After this there was no further molestation, and McReynolds' command reached Winchester at 10:00 P. M. after a march of thirty miles. Rodes' division, after taking Berryville, kept on toward Martinsburg, and bivouacked at a place called Summit Point." Doubleday.

General Milroy's course obviously should have been to fall back to Harper's Ferry at once, when he found himself so pressed by the enemy. But he was confronted by this difficulty: McReynolds' brigade, which had just

arrived, was so much exhausted by its long march of that day that it could go no further that night. To move without it would be to sacrifice it. This Milroy was unwilling to do. Besides, he still hoped that Hooker's army was following up Lee, and would come to his relief.

Sunday, June 14. On this day General Hooker moved his head-quarters from Falmouth, and started northward, encamping that night at Dumfries. General Reynolds was put in command of the left wing of the army, which consisted of the First, Third, and Eleventh corps. General Hooker himself accompanied the right wing, which consisted of the Second, Fifth, Sixth, and Twelfth corps. The movements this day were as follows: the First and Third corps marched from Bealeton to Manassas Junction; the Fifth Corps arrived at Morrisville and proceeded thence via Bristersburg to Catlett's Station; Wright's (first) and Newton's (third) divisions of the Sixth Corps, moved from Potomac Creek to Stafford Court-House; the Eleventh Corps from Catlett's Station to Manassas Junction, and thence toward Centreville; the Twelfth Corps reached Dumfries, and the Artillery Reserve moved from Stafford Court - House to Wolf Run Shoals.

During the early part of this day, an ominous silence prevailed about Winchester. The Confederates were pushing forward and working around so as to cut off the retreat of the Federal troops. Early in the morning Milroy sent out a reconnoitering force to ascertain if the enemy had established themselves on the Pughtown or Romney roads. The party returned about 2 o'clock P. M. and reported the roads clear, but soon after the Confederates came in great force from that direction. This completely cut off escape

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by that route. At 4 o'clock P. M. a charge was made up the Front Royal road to the edge of the town, but the enemy were repulsed. Milroy then ordered a counter charge, which revealed the Confederates in great force just out of range of his works. Shortly after this, fire was opened from two eight-gun batteries on the northwest, scarcely a mile from the town; while at the same time the infantry swept up to and over the Federal breastworks, disregarding the fire of their guns, driving out the 110th Ohio regiment under Colonel Keifer with heavy loss and planting their colors in the defenses. This attack was made by Early's division,-Johnson operating on the eastern side of the town. The garrison retreated successfully, under cover of the guns from the main works above, which were held by Elliott's and McReynolds' brigades. An artillery duel ensued, which was kept up without any marked results until 8 o'clock in the evening.

When night closed upon the scene of this day's eventful struggle, General Johnson, leaving one brigade to cut off Milroy's escape toward the east, went off with the remainder of his division to form across the Martinsburg pike, about three miles north of Winchester, to intercept him in that direction.

General Milroy, at this juncture, found himself to be in a perilous position, and shortly after midnight held a council to decide upon what course to pursue. His cannon ammunition was nearly exhausted, and he had but one day's rations for his men. The foe in overwhelming numbers pressed upon him at every side, and all further attempts to hold his position were abandoned. It was resolved to leave the wagon - train and artillery, and attempt to force

their way out through the hostile lines that night. His guns were accordingly spiked and the ammunition thrown into cisterns. Leaving behind him his sick and wounded, at 1 o'clock A. M., he silently moved out through a ravine, and was not molested until he reached the road leading to Martinsburg, about four miles from the town. At this point the enemy were met in force, barring all retreat in that direction. But one thing could be done,—make an effort to break through this line. For over one hour, amidst the darkness of the night, the heroic defenders of the Union engaged in a desperate encounter with the overwhelming numbers of the foe, who were strongly posted, but could not succeed in forcing their line. To add to their seemingly hopeless condition, a signal gun fired at Winchester, showed that the enemy there were aware of their flight, and were in pursuit. At this critical juncture General Milroy determined to try another expedient: he ordered his troops to fall back a short distance and turn to the right. In the darkness and confusion some misunderstanding occurred, and some of the men escaped in the way directed, while the greater number filed to the left and took the road to Bath. It was impossible to reunite the two columns, and that portion which took to the east, and were not pursued, reached Harper's Ferry by way of Smithfield late in the afternoon. Those who moved westwardly on the Bath road, also made good their escape, and crossed the Potomac at Hancock, rallying at Bloody Run. General Milroy claims that about five thousand of his command reported at the two places, and that the two thousand paroled by General Early consisted principally of the sick and wounded. General Lee claims as the