Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[64] single file upon the front and back, and double file upon either side. Marching up thus to within a certain distance, they were ordered to halt, to fix bayonets and charge, which they did in good order.

Col. Gordon and staff are safe, also Gen. Williams and staff. While retreating through Winchester, women from the houses opened fire of pistols upon our soldiers and killed a great many of them.

Lieut.-Col. Brown, Twenty-eighth New-York, is said to have been killed; Col. Knipe, Forty-sixth Pennsylvania, wounded and taken prisoner; Col. Murphy, Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania, killed, and many others.

I must reserve, for fear of misstatements, more particulars of the battle of Winchester. It was fought not far from the ground upon which the previous battle was fought. The numbers of the enemy are variously stated. The line of battle which they presented was of such an extent that their force must have been very large.

I have heard no one estimate it at less than twenty thousand, and many state it higher.

I refrain from any statement without further facts.

Our own force, diminished as it has been, was not over five thousand.

The column retreated, after the slight panic to which I have alluded, in good order, pursued by the enemy beyond Martinsburgh. The baggage-train proceeded as far as the Potomac, and many of the teams have been conveyed across upon ferry-boats this evening.

Many of the soldiers who had been precipitate in their flight have crossed the river, and are now at Williamsport and at this place. The cavalry and many of the mules forded the river, the water coming nearly over the horses' backs in the deepest of it, and running quite rapidly too. In this manner your correspondent made his escape into Maryland, and to the nearest telegraph station and post-office.

The operator at Martinsburgh had left the town on the first rumor of a battle at Winchester, and taken the instruments with him. The whole town seemed deserted, the stores were closed, and if the bells had tolled solemnly I should have seen no impropriety in it.

Many Union people came along with us, and negroes and negresses, children and youth, tottering old men and helpless babes, some on foot and some in wagons, were joining the promiscuous throng moving on to the safe side of the Potomac.

Both towns, Williamsport and Hagerstown, are thronged with soldiers and refugees.

That this army corps has been forced to retire with great rapidity, that it mourns the loss of many a brave soldier, and that it has sacrificed considerable army stores, is true. But that it has been “attacked and utterly routed,” as your enthusiastic Governor announces, is new to this locality. An overwhelming force has indeed cut up one regiment, the First Maryland, and has driven us to the Potomac; but our retreat was conducted in good order. A wagon-train of eight miles long lost only fifty wagons, and we brought off all our artillery, losing only one caisson. A retreat of fifty-three miles is made by seven thousand men pursued closely by at least fifteen thousand; standing at one time three hours and a half in battle from which our force retired in good order, baffling every charge, is no rout. At least honor is safe.

The immediate occasion of this disaster was the removal of Gen. Shields's division of ten thousand men or more from Gen. Banks's corps. There is reason to believe that urgent remonstrances were made, but uselessly, and that strong representations that Jackson had been heavily reinforced, met only with incredulity. All that could be done was to watch carefully and hope for the best.

But when Jackson, with twenty-five thousand, found that this whole army corps was reduced to nine regiments of infantry, sixteen guns, and a few squadrons of cavalry--two regiments of which were miles away from the main body guarding a long line of railroad — how could he hesitate?

So on Friday noon Col. Kenly's regiment was suddenly attacked at Front Royal, ten miles east of Strasburgh, and was pretty thoroughly annihilated. Tidings came in a few hours to Gen. Banks, and scouts and refugees reported that Jackson was advancing in force. When satisfied of that, wagon-trains were started for Winchester, and at midnight regimental trains were sent northward. It was understood that Jackson, by advancing by the road from Front Royal to Winchester, would be in our rear. At eleven the next day the men, who had been under arms since midnight, were put on the march for Winchester, starting, it appears, about the same time that Jackson would from Front Royal on the converging road. In the march, our infantry passed quite a large part of the wagon-train. One regiment, with a section of Hampton's battery and a howitzer from Best's, being rear-guard, Col. Donnelly's brigade led, ours (Col. Gordon) followed.

There was no annoyance until about three P. M., at which time the Second Massachusetts had marched twelve miles from Strasburgh, and about a mile and a half above Newtown. Reports then came that the enemy, advancing from the parallel road, had cut off a portion of our wagon-train. The fact seems to be that various cowardly wagoners had fled on the attack, cut traces, tipped wagons over, etc. Col. Gordon, with the Second Massachusetts, the Twenty-eighth New-York, and a section of Best's battery under Lieut. Cushing, was ordered back. The Twenty-seventh Indiana was found near the town in line, and two sections of Cothron's battery were firing upon cavalry in the edge of a wood on the left. Lieut.-Col. Andrews, with the Second, was ordered to take the town. Deploying companies A and C (Captains Abbott and Cogswell) as skirmishers, Col. Andrews advanced with the guns, in the face of a