Doc. 92.-movement on Bunker hill.
Gen. Patterson moved, with his whole column, except two regiments, early yesterday morning to this place, where it is now encamped, ten miles from Martinsburg and twelve from Winchester.
The army marched in two columns, one composed of the First Division, Major-General Cadwalader, and the Second Division, Major-General Kiem commanding; and the other of the Seventh and Eighth Brigades, Cols. Stone and Butterfield forming a Third Division, Major-General Sandford commanding.
The First and Second Divisions came by the turnpike, and the Third by the old dirt road — both roads converging at this point.
The troops
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and wagons of the Third Division formed a column over five miles long, and the other column was seven or eight miles long, the van reaching here before the rear guard had got far out of Martinsburg.
The army marched in different order from that of the column coming from Williamsport to Martinsburg, when the wagons accompanied their own brigades; on this occasion they were all kept in the rear, protected only by a small rear guard of infantry and cavalry.
The Philadelphia City Troop were the rear guard of the column of the First and Second Divisions.
Although the van of the army reached here before noon, the rear did not get into camp till long after dark.
The whole force forms, probably, the largest body ever concentrated in one army in America.
The column on the turnpike was seven or eight miles long, and that on the dirt road over five.
As the troops filed out of the camps at Martinsburg and formed in long, dense columns on the roads, with bands playing and colors flying, the scene was well calculated to gratify the pride and patriotism of the North, and to make treason and rebellion quail in the South.
Those hosts of soldiers — not “Northern mercenaries,” as traitors have insolently called them, but Northern freemen--were marching forward in serried ranks, all animated by one sentiment and one purpose — the love of country, a broad national sentiment, with no mean sectional or State limits, and the firm resolve to conquer or die. Such an army, so inspired and so determined, could only impress friends with joy and pride, and foes with fear.
The head of the column moving on the turnpike was Col. Thomas's Brigade, a detachment of the Second United States Cavalry, a section of the Rhode Island Battery, and McMullin's Rangers, acting as skirmishers, forming the advance guard.
Between the village of Darksville and Bunker Hill the cavalry of the enemy, in command of Col. Stuart, made their appearance.
The Rangers opened upon them, but they were too far off for their fire to be effective, and the troopers scattered and scampered off. At this place the whole squadron, some six or seven hundred, made a show of fight, and the Rhode Island Artillery threw a few shot and shell among them, when they again scampered.
Our cavalry followed and overtook some of them, killing one sergeant, taking prisoners one captain, one lieutenant, and three privates, and capturing six horses.
Three men were also killed by a shell, and carried off the ground by the rebel cavalry.
There was no loss or damage on our side.
The rebel troopers had their camp a little beyond Bunker Hill, and were taken so completely by surprise that they lost their cooking utensils and a dinner just preparing, such as it was — corn bread and bacon.
It seems singular that our whole army could move so near to their camp without their being apprised of its advance, when they usually keep up an active scouting and have so many friends in the country.
They have no tents, and camp under brushwood; and in one instance, only a few days ago, they robbed a farmer of the crop he had just cut by covering their camps with wheat-sheaves.
We noticed a number of their old encampments near the road in coming here, some six or seven thousand men, under Gen. Jackson, having been in this neighborhood until ten days ago, when they retired to Winchester on a false alarm that Patterson was coming.
--New York Tribune, July 20.
