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made of it was primarily the capture of Winchester.
It was reported, and we believed, that General (Stonewall) Jackson, with from seven to eleven thousand men, awaited us behind those fortified walls.1 Whatever may have been Jackson's force, we knew he could increase it from Manassas, or from further south.
The disposition of our command was as follows: While our brigade moved on and to Charlestown from Harper's Ferry, General Williams with my old Darnstown brigade moved from Hancock through Martinsburg to Bunker Hill (our old position under Patterson); General Hamilton passing through Charlestown stopped at Smithfield, midway between Charlestown and Bunker Hill; General Shields halted at Martinsburg, and General Sedgwick at Charlestown.
Our route was first south from Charlestown to Berryville, fourteen and one half miles, then due west to Winchester, about ten and one half miles. General Williams was only fourteen miles away, and Hamilton about the same.
On the morning of the tenth of March, General —, at 7 o'clock, started with his brigade to make a reconnoissance to Berryville; we were to follow, and were ready.
At 12 M. a mounted messenger from General — came tearing into camp, asking for reinforcements.
Our brigade was instantly put in motion.
Without adventure we encamped about sundown within one mile of Berryville.
1 Jackson's force at Winchester, March 1, 1862, was made up,--of infantry, 3,600 ; artillery, 369; cavalry, 601. This was called the Second Corps A. N. V., and numbered, say, 4,600 effective men. Joseph E. Johnston gives it as 5,276. The first brigade, commanded by Garnett, known as the Stonewall brigade, was made up of the 2d, 4th, 5th, 27th, and 33d Virginia regiments. The second brigade (Burks's) consisted of the 21st, 42d, 48th Virginia and the Irish battalion; the third brigade consisted of the 23d and 37th Virginia regiments (Fulkerson). See Jackson's “Valley Campaign,” by William Allan, p. 39.
James R. Osgood and Company, 1883.
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