Marching
via Verdiersville and Somerville Ford, the corps reached
Culpeper on the 7th.
On the 9th, the enemy being reported to have crossed the
Rappahannock in force, I moved my corps, by direction of the
General commanding, to
General Stuart's support, but on reaching
Brandy Station with
General Rodes's division, found the enemy already retiring.
Resuming the march on the 10th, we passed by Gaines's Cross Roads,
Flint Hill and
Front Royal, arriving at
Cedarville on the 12th.
At that point I detached
General Rodes's division, together with
General Jenkins's cavalry brigade, which had reported to me, to capture if possible a force of eighteen hundred men under
Colonel McReynolds reported at
Berryville, and thence to press on to
Martinsburg.
With the remaining two divisions and the 16th Virginia cavalry battalion,
Major Newman, of
Jenkins's brigade, I proceeded to attack
Winchester.
From all the information I could gather, the fortifications of
Winchester were only assailable on the west and north-west, from a range of hills which commanded the ridge occupied by their main fortification.
The force there was represented at from 6,000 to 8,000 under
General Milroy.
On the 13th I sent
Early's division and
Colonel Brown's artillery battalion (under
Captain Dance) to
Newtown on the
Valley pike, where they were joined by the
Maryland battalion of infantry,
Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert, and the
Baltimore Light Artillery,
Captain Griffin.
General Early was directed to advance towards the town by the
Valley pike.
The same day
Johnson's division, preceded by
Newman's cavalry, drove in the enemy's pickets on the
Front Royal and
Winchester road, and formed line of battle two miles from town preparatory to an attack.
After some skirmishing, the enemy opened from a battery near the
Milwood road, and
Carpenter's battery (
Lieutenant
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Lamber commanding) was placed by
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews to the left of the
Front Royal road and opened vigorously, soon driving off the opposing battery and blowing up a caisson.
This drew upon our battery a heavy fire from twelve to fifteen pieces in and near the town, but beyond the range of our guns.
About 5 P. M.
General Early had a pretty sharp skirmish with the enemy's infantry and artillery near Kearnstown —
Gordon's brigade, supported by
Hays, driving them at a run as far as Milltown Mills.
Here
Early, coming within reach of the enemy's fortifications, halted for the night.
Before morning the enemy withdrew all their artillery into their fortifications from
Bower's Hill and the south and east sides of the town.
On examining the enemy's fortifications from
General Johnston's position, I found they had put up works on the hills I had intended gaining possession of, and were busy strengthening them.
Having reconnoitered with
General Early from
Bower's Hill, I coincided with his views as to the best point of attack, and directed him to move his main force to the left and carry by assault a small open work on a commanding hill near the
Pughtown road, which overlooked the main fort.
About 11 A. M., finding there was no danger of a sortie, and seeing the enemy fortifying a hill north of the main fort, I directed
General Johnson to move to the east of the town and interfere with their work as much as possible, so as to divert attention from
General Early.
He accordingly took up position between the
Milwood and Berryville pikes, and threw forward the Fifth Virginia infantry, under
Lieutenant-Colonel H. J. Williams, as skirmishers, who annoyed the enemy so as to force them to leave off work and effectually engross their attention.
General Gordon's brigade and
Lieutenant-Colonel Herbet's Maryland battalion, with two batteries, were left by
General Early at
Bower's Hill, and pushed their skirmishers into
Winchester — who were recalled for fear of drawing the enemy's fire on the town.
By 4 P. M.
General Early had attained, undiscovered, a wooded hill, one of the range known as
Little North Mountain, near the
Pughtown road, on the north side of which a corn-field, and on the south side an orchard, afforded excellent positions for artillery, in easy range of the work to be attacked — which was a bastion front open towards the town.
Hays's brigade was designated for the attack, and
Smith's for its support; and about 6 o'clock
Colonel Jones ran his pieces and those of the 1st Virginia artillery (under
Captain Dance) forward by hand into position, and opened simultaneously from twenty guns, completely
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surprising the enemy, whose entire attention at this point was engrossed by
Gordon.
In half an hour their battery was silenced, our artillery firing excellently; and
General Hays moved quietly to within two hundred yards of their works, when our guns ceased firing, and he charged through an abattis of brushwood and captured the works, taking six rifled pieces, two of which were at once turned upon and dispersed the column that the enemy were endeavoring to press forward.
The works to the left of the one taken were immediately abandoned, their defenders retreating to the main fort.
It was now too late to do more than prepare to improve this important advantage promptly in the morning.
This result established the correctness of
General Early's views as to the point of attack, and rendered the main fort untenable; and accordingly, anticipating the possibility of the enemy's attempting to retreat during the night, I ordered
General Johnson with the “
Stonewall,”
Nicholls', and three regiments of
Steuart's brigade and
Dement's battery, with sections of
Rains's and
Carpenter's (the whole under
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews) to proceed to a point on the
Martinsburg road, about two and one-half miles east of
Winchester, so as to intercept any attempt to escape, or to be ready to attack at daylight if the enemy held their ground.
Finding the road to this point very rough,
General Johnson concluded to march
via Jordan's Springs to Stephenson's Depot, where the nature of the ground would give him a strong position.
Just as the head of his column reached the railroad, two hundred yards from the
Martinsburg pike, the enemy was heard retreating down the pike towards
Martinsburg.
Forming line parallel with the pike, behind a stone wall,
Steuart on the right and the
Louisiana brigade on the left, twelve hundred men in all, and posting the artillery favorably, he was immediately attacked by
Milroy with all his force of infantry and cavalry, his artillery having been abandoned at the town.
The enemy made repeated and desperate attempts to cut their way through.
Here was the hardest fighting that took place during the attack — the odds being greatly in favor of the enemy, who were successfully repulsed and scattered by the gallantry of
General Johnson and his brave command.
After several front attacks had been steadily met and repulsed, they attempted to turn both flanks simultaneously, but were met on the right by
General Walker and his brigade, which had just arrived on the field (having been left behind by mistake), and on the left by two regiments of
Nicholls's brigade, which had been held in reserve.
In a few minutes the greater part of them surrendered--2,300 to 2,500 in number.
The rest scattered through the
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woods and fields, but most of them were subsequently captured by our cavalry.
General Milroy with 250 or 300 cavalry made his way to
Harper's Ferry.
The fruits of this victory were twenty-three pieces of artillery, nearly all rifled, 4,000 prisoners, 300 loaded wagons, more than 300 horses, and quite a large amount of commissary and quartermaster stores.
My loss was forty-seven killed, 219 wounded, and three missing.
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews, who had handled his artillery with great skill and effect in the engagement of the 15th, was wounded just at the close of the action.
