June 27, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
The following extract from a letter from an officer in a Richmond battery, gives the clearest and most correct idea of the manner of the capture of Winchester and the movements of our troops immediately preceding that event, that has yet been given to the public. To those unfamiliar with the geography of the Valley, that they should read the account with a map before them is essential to the proper understanding and appreciation of the skill with which General EWELL threw the meshes of his net around the army of MILROY. It will be seen that before the latter was aware of the approach of danger, his position was surrounded and his principal avenues of retreat held by our troops. We give the extract:
CAMP 1ST VA., ARTILLERY.
Four Miles beyond Winchester, June 15th, 1863.
* * * On the 11th instant Ewell’s corps, to which our battalion is attached, started from Culpeper Court House. We marched that day to Little Washington, in Rappahannock county, a distance of twenty-six miles, and on the next day reached Front Royal, on this (west) side of the Blue Ridge, twenty-three miles from Little Washington, having made forty-nine miles in the two days. Five days before our arrival at Front Royal, General Jenkins, who was stationed at Middletown, twelve miles south of Winchester on the Valley Pike, had carefully picketed the roads on this side of the Ridge leading from Front Royal to Winchester, and in consequence of this wise precaution Milroy knew nothing of our arrival at Front Royal. The old despot and outlaw was enjoying himself freely in oppressing women and children and old men of this section, when suddenly and unexpectedly we stepped in and interrupted his congenial occupation.
At Front Royal our corps slit into three parts. Rhodes’ division, moving rapidly to the right of Winchester, passed through Millwood to Berryville, and then swung round towards Martinsburg. The object of this movement was at once to invest Winchester on the north, and to prevent reinforcements reaching Milroy from Harper’s Ferry. As showing how utterly ignorant the Yankees were of our approach, I may mention that a friend of mine, who lives near Berryville, tells me that he saw a party of Yankees walking leisurely down the road to that place, and that before they had gotten out of sight Rhodes’ skirmishers passed through his yard, going in the same direction, and that General Rhodes told him he expected to capture the Yankee force at Berryville.
From Front Royal General Johnson’s division moved directly up the Pike towards Winchester, extending his line to the right as he neared the town.
General Early’s division, to which we are attached, moved to the left, entered the Valley Pike at Newton, and pressing towards Winchester, drove the Yankees out of Kerstown and into Winchester. We continued the pursuit to within two miles of the town.
Thus it will be seen that Rhodes was north of Winchester, Johnson south and east of it, while our division stretched from the Valley Pike on the South to the Romney road on the northwest. If all the roads had been securely closed the whole Yankee force would have been compelled to surrender in the town.
The town was strongly fortified, and if the Yankees had fought courageously (which they did not do) we could not have taken their works without suffering great slaughter. They were eight thousand strong, and had twenty-three splendid pieces of artillery.
It was with great difficulty we could find for our guns a position on a level with the Yankee forts, and we spent the whole of Saturday manoeuvering about the hills. On Sunday evening, after some delay, we (the artillery of Early division) took position on a hill between the Romney road and the Martinsburg Pike, twelve hundred yards from the nearest Yankee fort. Every gun and man was concealed and perfect silence observed until everything was in readiness for the attack. On the preconcerted signal being given we opened twenty guns on the nearest work of the enemy, silencing its guns almost immediately. This fire of our artillery so intimidated the Yankee infantry, that when our troops charged they took the first fortification almost without resistance. Night now coming on prevented our further advance that night. We had captured a very commanding position with the loss of one horse in our battalion killed and one man wounded – that man was myself. I received a flesh wound in my left arm, so slight that it is nearly well already. Colonel Jones’ battalion, which occupied a position on our left, suffered but little more than we did, and the infantry lost but very few men.
The situation of the Yankees was not utterly hopeless, for in the morning we should have torn them to pieces with our artillery. They appreciated their danger, and attempted during the night to cut their way out, leaving all their guns, wagon trains, ordnance stores, &c. As soon as we became aware that they were leaving their works our troops closed in upon their retreating columns, capturing, I believe, nearly all of them. I have myself seen several thousand of the prisoners, and hear of others. Milroy is said to have escaped in citizen’s dress.