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GOVERNOR LETCHER'S CALL FOR TROOPS.

tivity brought against General McClellan
in his handling of the Army of the Po-
tomac, the long continued blockade of the
Potomac was not forgotten. The cessa-
tion of so humiliating an annoyance was
evidently a sign of comparative weak-
ness on the part of the enemy. But a
more conclusive proof of the straits to
which they were put by the movement
of the Union army was afforded by the
call of Governor Letcher for the imme-
diate appearance in the field of the mass
of the Virginia militia. "The President
of the Confederate States," says he in
his proclamation of March 10, the very
day of the evacuation of Manassas, "has
called for 40,000 additional troops from
Virginia. This call affirms that the ex-
gencies of the public service require, in
order to repel the invasion of Virginia,
that her sons be called out in her defence
more speedily than can be done under
the operation of the law recently enacted
by her Legislature.' No call like this
has ever yet been made upon the State
in vain. Every nerve must be strung.
Every son of Virginia must respond with
an ardent zeal to defend the Common-
wealth. Those subject to military duty
are alone required to perform this serv-
ice, but gallant volunteers who come with
a will to do or die for this great cause
will be given a place in our ranks. This
war has attained a point which requires
brave men and true patriots to leave
their homes and grapple sternly with the
foe. We will not tamely submit to deg-
radation or slavery. We will have Virgin-
ia independent, and all our liberties main-
tained, or perish in the attempt to secure
them. Every private having a service-
able firearm of any description in his
possession, or who can procure one from a
neighbor not able to perform duty, will
carry it with him. If lost, the arms will
be paid for by the State. Those who
have no arms will be provided with them
at the respective rendezvous. The loyal
citizens of the West and Northwest, in
counties not herein named, are earnestly

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invoked to form guerrilla companies and strike, when least expected, once more for the State that gave them birth. With stern resolve and manly courage uphold the flag and the untarnished fame of the Old Dominion. Scorn the misrule of traitors who, with usurped authority, are desecrating our soil with a pollution worse than that of the direst enemy, and execute vengeance upon the foe, who acknowledges and sustains their treason." A call so made indicated a desperate emergency. Many a battle-field in Virginia, and rude funeral inscriptions over hasty-made graves, many a desolated fireside, bears witness to this exhaustive summons of Governor Letcher.

Whilst the grand army of the Potomac, disappointed of its prey at Manassas, was waiting for a new movement in the field, a portion of the corps of General Banks was called into action in the valley of the Shenandoah. After the retreat of the Confederate General Jackson from Frederick County, the Union forces which had pursued him in his flight were concentrated at Winchester, when it was resolved to transfer the greater part of General Banks's command to the central army of General McClellan. General Shields with his division being in command at Winchester, in a reconnoisance beyond Strasburg on the 18th and 19th of March, had ascertained that the enemy under Jackson was strongly posted near Mount Jackson, in direct communication with a force at Luray, and another at Washington, on the eastern side of the mountain. "It became important, therefore," says General Shields in his official report of the action which ensued, "to draw Jackson from his position and supporting force if possible. To endeavor to effect this, I fell back to Winchester on the 20th, giving the movement all the appearance of a retreat. The last brigade of the first division of Banks's corps d'armée, General Williams commanding, took its departure for Centreville by way of Berryville on the

morning of the 22d, leaving only Shields' ter is approached from the south by three division and the Michigan cavalry in principal roads-the Cedar creek road Winchester. Ashby's cavalry, observ- on the west, the valley turnpike road ing this movement from a distance, came leading to Strasburg in the centre, and to the conclusion that Winchester was the Front Royal road on the east. There being evacuated, and signaled Jackson is a little village called Kernstown, on to that effect. We saw their signal fires the valley road, about three and a half and divined their import. On the 22d, miles from Winchester. On the west about five o'clock P. M., they attacked side of this road, about half a mile north and drove in our pickets. By order of of Kernstown, is a ridge of ground which General Banks, I put my command under commands the approach by the turnpike arms and pushed forward one brigade and part of the surrounding country. and two batteries of artillery to drive This ridge was the key point of our posiback the enemy, but, to keep him deceiv- tion. Here Colonel Kimball, the senior ed as to our strength, only let him see officer in command on the field, took his two regiments of infantry, a small body station. Along this ridge Lieutenant of cavalry, and part of the artillery. Colonel Daum, chief of artillery, posted While directing one of our batteries to three of his batteries, keeping one of his its position I was struck by the fragment batteries in reserve some distance in the of a shell, which fractured my arm above rear. Part of our infantry was first the elbow, bruised my shoulder and in-placed in position in the rear and within jured my side. The enemy being driven from his position, we withdrew to Winchester. The injuries I had received completely prostrated me, but were not such as to prevent me from making the required dispositions for the ensuing day. Under cover of the night I pushed forward Kimball's brigade nearly three miles on the Strasburg road. Daum's artillery was posted in a strong position to support his brigade, if attacked. Sullivan's brigade was posted in the rear of Kimball's, and within supporting distance of it, covering all the approaches to the town by Cedar creek, Front Royal, Berryville and Romney roads. This brigade and Broadhead's cavalry were held in reserve, so as to support our force in front at any point where it might be attacked. These dispositions being made, I rested for the night, knowing that all the approaches by which the enemy might penetrate to this place were effectually guarded.

"I deem it necessary in this place to give a brief description of these approaches, as well as of the field, which next day became the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Winches

supporting distance of these batteries, well sheltered in the windings and sinuosities of the ridge. The main body of the enemy on the ridge was posted in order of battle about half a mile beyond Kernstown, his line extending from the Cedar creek road to a little ravine; near the Front Royal road, a distance of about two miles. This ground had been so skilfully selected that, while it afforded facilities for maneuvering, it was completely masked by high and wooded ground in front. These woods he filled with skirmishers, supported by a battery on each flank, and so adroitly had this movement been conducted, and so skilfully had he concealed himself, that at 8 o'clock A. M. on the 23d nothing was visible but the same force under Ashby which had been repulsed the previous evening. Not being able to reconnoitre the front in person, I dispatched an experienced officer, Colonel John T. Mason, of the Fourth Ohio Volunteers, about nine o'clock A. M., to the front, to perform that duty and report to me, as promptly as possible, every circumstance that might indicate the presence of the enemy. About an hour after, Colonel

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BATTLE OF WINCHESTER.

Mason returned, and reported to me that he had carefully reconnoitered the country in front and on both flanks, and found no indications of any hostile force except that of Ashby.

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and gave him such a check that no further demonstration was made upon that flank during the remainder of the day. The attempt against our left having thus failed, the enemy withdrew the greater part of his force to the right, and formed it into a reserve to support his left flank in a forward movement. He then added his original reserve and two batteries to his main body, and then, advancing with this combined column, under shelter of the bridges on the left, on which other batteries had been previously posted, seemed evidently determined to turn our right flank or overthrow it. Our batteries on the opposite ridge, though admirably managed by their experienced chief, Lieutenant Colonel Daum, were soon found insufficient to check, or even retard, the advance of such a formidable body. At this stage of the combat a messenger arrived from Colonel Kimball, informing me of the state of the field, and requesting direction as to the employment of the infantry. I saw there was not a moment to lose, and gave positive orders that all the disposable inre-itive fantry should immediately be thrown forward on our right to carry the enemy's batteries, and to assail and turn his left flank, and hurl it back on the centre. Colonel Kimball carried out these orders with promptitude and ability. He entrusted this movement to Tyler's splendid brigade, which, under its fearless leader, Colonel Tyler, marched forward with alacrity and enthusiastic joy to the performance of the most perilous duty of the day. The enemy's skirmishers were driven before it and fell back upon the main body, strongly posted behind a high and solid stone wall, situated on an elevated ground. Here the struggle became desperate, and for a short time doubtful; but Tyler's brigade being soon joined on the left by the 5th Ohio, 13th Indiana and 62d Ohio, of Sullivan's brigade, and the 14th Indiana, 84th Pennsylvania, seven companies of the 67th Ohio, and three companies of the

"I communicated this information to Major-General Banks, who was then with me, and after consulting together we both concluded that Jackson could not be tempted to hazard himself so far away from his main support. Having both come to this conclusion, General Banks took his departure for Washington, being already under orders to that effect. The officers of his staff, however, remained behind, intending to leave for Centreville in the afternoon. Although I began to conclude that Jackson was nowhere in the vicinity, knowing the crafty enemy we have to deal with, I took care not to omit a single precaution. Between eleven and twelve o'clock A. M., a message from Colonel Kimball informed me that another battery on the enemy's right had opened on our position, and that there was some indications of a considerable force of infantry in the woods in that quarter. On receiving this information I pushed forward Sullivan's brigade, which was placed, by order of Colonel Kimball, in a position to oppose the advance of the enemy's right wing. The action opened with a fire of artillery on both sides, but at too great a distance to be very effective. The initiative was taken by the enemy. He pushed forward a few more guns to his right, supported by a considerable force of infantry and cavalry, with the apparent intention of enfilading our position and turning our left flank. An active body of skirmishers, consisting of the Eighth Ohio, Colonel Carroll, and three companies of the Sixty-seventh Ohio, was immediately thrown forward on both sides of the valley road to resist the enemy's advance. These skirmishers were admirably supported by four pieces of artillery under Captain Jenks and Sullivan's gallant brigade. This united force repulsed the enemy at all points,

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8th Ohio, of Kimball's brigade, this as the light of day would enable them to united force dashed upon the enemy with point their guns, and to pursue him witha cheer and yell that rose high above out respite, and compel him to abandon the roar of battle, and though the rebels his guns and baggage, or cut him to fought desperately, as their piles of dead pieces. These orders were implicitly attest, they were forced back through the obeyed as far as possible. It now apwoods by a fire as destructive as ever pears that I had rightly divined the infell upon a retreating foe. Jackson, with tentions of our crafty antagonist. On his supposed invincible stone wall brigade the morning of the 23d a reinforcement and the accompanying brigades, much to from Luray of 5,000 reached Front their mortification and discomfiture, were Royal, on their way to join Jackson. compelled to fall back in disorder upon This reinforcement was being followed their reserve. Here they took up a new by another body of 10,000 from Sperryposition for a final stand, and made an ville; but, recent rains having rendered attempt for a few minutes to retrieve the the Shenandoah river impassable, they fortunes of the day; but again rained down found themselves compelled to fall back upon them the same close and destructive without being able to effect the proposed fire. Again cheer upon cheer rang in junction. At daylight on the morning their ears. A few minutes only did they of the 24th our artillery again opened stand up against it, when they turned, on the enemy. He entered upon his redismayed, and fled in disorder, leaving treat in very good order, considering us in possession of the field, the killed what he had suffered. General Banks, and wounded, three hundred prisoners, hearing of our engagement on his way two guns, four caisons, and a thousand to Washington, halted at Harper's Ferstand of small arms. Night alone saved ry, and, with remarkable promptitude him from total destruction. The enemy and sagacity, ordered back Williams's retreated above five miles, and, judging from his camp fires, took a new position for the night. Our troops, wearied and exhausted with the fatigues of the day, threw themselves down to rest on the field.

"Though the battle had been won, still I could not have believed that Jackson would have hazarded a decisive engagement at such a distance from the main body without expecting reinforcements. So, to be prepared for such a contingency, I set to work during the night to bring together all the troops within my reach. I sent an express after Williams's division, requesting the rear brigade, about twenty miles distant, to march all night and join me in the morning. I swept the posts and route in my rear of almost all their guards, hurrying them forward by forced marches to be with me at daylight. I gave positive orders also to the forces in the field to open fire on the enemy as soon

whole division, so that my express found the rear brigade en route to join us. The General himself returned here forthwith, and, after making me a hasty visit, assumed command of the forces in pursuit of the enemy. The pursuit was kept up with vigor, energy, and activity, until they reached Woodstock, where the enemy's retreat became flight, and the pursuit was abandoned because of the utter exhaustion of our troops.

"The killed and wounded in this engagement cannot even yet be accurately ascertained. Indeed, my command has been so overworked that it has had but little time to ascertain anything. The killed, as reported, are one hundred and three, and among them we have to deplore the loss of the brave Colonel Murray, of the 84th Pennsylvania volunteers, who fell at the head of his regiment while gallantly leading it in the face of the enemy. The wounded are four hundred and forty-one, many of

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