BATTLE OF WINCHESTER. Mason returned, and reported to me that he had carefully reconnoitered the country in front and on both flanks, and found no indications of any hostile force except that of Ashby. 331 and gave him such a check that no further demonstration was made upon that flank during the remainder of the day. The attempt against our left having thus failed, the enemy withdrew the greater part of his force to the right, and formed it into a reserve to support his left flank in a forward movement. He then added his original reserve and two batteries to his main body, and then, advancing with this combined column, under shelter of the bridges on the left, on which other batteries had been previously posted, seemed evidently determined to turn our right flank or overthrow it. Our batteries on the opposite ridge, though admirably managed by their experienced chief, Lieutenant Colonel Daum, were soon found insufficient to check, or even retard, the advance of such a formidable body. At this stage of the combat a messenger arrived from Colonel Kimball, informing me of the state of the field, and requesting direction as to the employment of the infantry. I saw there was not a moment to lose, and gave pos "I communicated this information to Major-General Banks, who was then with me, and after consulting together we both concluded that Jackson could not be tempted to hazard himself so far away from his main support. Having both come to this conclusion, General Banks took his departure for Washington, being already under orders to that effect. The officers of his staff, however, remained behind, intending to leave for Centreville in the afternoon. Although I began to conclude that Jackson was nowhere in the vicinity, knowing the crafty enemy we have to deal with, I took care not to omit a single precaution. Between eleven and twelve o'clock A. M., a message from Colonel Kimball informed me that another battery on the enemy's right had opened on our position, and that there was some indications of a considerable force of infantry in the woods in that quarter. On re-itive orders that all the disposable inceiving this information I pushed forward Sullivan's brigade, which was placed, by order of Colonel Kimball, in a position to oppose the advance of the enemy's right wing. The action opened with a fire of artillery on both sides, but at too great a distance to be very effective. The initiative was taken by the enemy. He pushed forward a few more guns to his right, supported by a considerable force of infantry and cavalry, with the apparent intention of enfilading our position and turning our left flank. An active body of skirmishers, consisting of the Eighth Ohio, Colonel Carroll, and three companies of the Sixty-seventh Ohio, was immediately thrown forward on both sides of the valley road to resist the enemy's advance. These skirmishers were admirably supported by four pieces of artillery under Captain Jenks and Sullivan's gallant brigade. This united force repulsed the enemy at all points, fantry should immediately be thrown forward on our right to carry the enemy's batteries, and to assail and turn his left flank, and hurl it back on the centre. Colonel Kimball carried out these orders with promptitude and ability. He entrusted this movement to Tyler's splendid brigade, which, under its fearless leader, Colonel Tyler, marched forward with alacrity and enthusiastic joy to the performance of the most perilous duty of the day. The enemy's skirmishers were driven before it and fell back upon the main body, strongly posted behind a high and solid stone wall, situated on an elevated ground. Here the struggle became desperate, and for a short time doubtful; but Tyler's brigade being soon joined on the left by the 5th Ohio, 13th Indiana and 62d Ohio, of Sullivan's brigade, and the 14th Indiana, 84th Pennsylvania, seven companies of the 67th Ohio, and three companies of the point their guns, and to pursue him without respite, and compel him to abandon his guns and baggage, or cut him to pieces. These orders were implicitly obeyed as far as possible. It now appears that I had rightly divined the intentions of our crafty antagonist. On the morning of the 23d a reinforcement from Luray of 5,000 reached Front Royal, on their way to join Jackson. This reinforcement was being followed by another body of 10,000 from Sperryville; but, recent rains having rendered the Shenandoah river impassable, they found themselves compelled to fall back without being able to effect the proposed junction. At daylight on the morning of the 24th our artillery again opened on the enemy. He entered upon his retreat in very good order, considering what he had suffered. General Banks, hearing of our engagement on his way 8th Ohio, of Kimball's brigade, this as the light of day would enable them to united force dashed upon the enemy with a cheer and yell that rose high above the roar of battle, and though the rebels fought desperately, as their piles of dead attest, they were forced back through the woods by a fire as destructive as ever fell upon a retreating foe. Jackson, with his supposed invincible stone wall brigade and the accompanying brigades, much to their mortification and discomfiture, were compelled to fall back in disorder upon their reserve. Here they took up a new position for a final stand, and made an attempt for a few minutes to retrieve the fortunes of the day; but again rained down upon them the same close and destructive fire. Again cheer upon cheer rang in their ears. A few minutes only did they stand up against it, when they turned, dismayed, and fled in disorder, leaving us in possession of the field, the killed and wounded, three hundred prisoners, two guns, four caisons, and a thousand to Washington, halted at Harper's Ferstand of small arms. Night alone saved ry, and, with remarkable promptitude him from total destruction. The enemy and sagacity, ordered back Williams's retreated above five miles, and, judging whole division, so that my express found from his camp fires, took a new position the rear brigade en route to join us. for the night. Our troops, wearied and The General himself returned here forthexhausted with the fatigues of the day, with, and, after making me a hasty visit, threw themselves down to rest on the assumed command of the forces in purfield. suit of the enemy. The pursuit was kept up with vigor, energy, and activity, until they reached Woodstock, where the enemy's retreat became flight, and the pursuit was abandoned because of the utter exhaustion of our troops. "Though the battle had been won, still I could not have believed that Jackson would have hazarded a decisive engagement at such a distance from the main body without expecting reinforcements. So, to be prepared for such a contingency, I set to work during the night to bring together all the troops within my reach. I sent an express after Williams's division, requesting the rear brigade, about twenty miles distant, to march all night and join me in the morning. I swept the posts and route in my rear of almost all their guards, hurrying them forward by forced marches to be with me at daylight. I gave positive orders also to the forces in the field to open fire on the enemy as soon "The killed and wounded in this engagement cannot even yet be accurately ascertained. Indeed, my command has been so overworked that it has had but little time to ascertain anything. The killed, as reported, are one hundred and three, and among them we have to deplore the loss of the brave Colonel Murray, of the 84th Pennsylvania volunteers, who fell at the head of his regiment while gallantly leading it in the face of the enemy. The wounded are four hundred and forty-one, many of GENERAL JAMES SHIELDS. them slightly, and the missing are twenty-four. The enemy's loss is more difficult to ascertain than our own. Two hundred and seventy were found dead on the battle-field. Forty were buried by the inhabitants of the adjacent village, and, by a calculation made by the number of graves found on both sides of the valley road between here and Strasburg, their loss in killed must have been about five hundred, and in wounded, one thousand. The proportion between the killed and wounded of the enemy shows the closeness and terrible destructiveness of our fire-nearly half the wounds being fatal. The enemy admit a loss of between one thousand and fifteen hundred killed and wounded. Our force in infantry, cavalry, and artillery, did not exceed 7,000. That of the enemy must have exceeded 11,000. Jackson, who commanded on the field, had, in addition to his own stone-wall brigade, Smith's, Garnett's, and Longstreet's brigades. Generals Smith and Garnett were here in person. The following regiments were known to have been present, and from each of them were made prisoners on the field-the 2d, 4th, 5th, 21st, 23d, 27th, 28th, 33d, 37th, and 42d Virginia; 1st regiment provisional army, and an Irish battalion. None from the reserve were made prisoners. Their force in infantry must have been 9,000. The cavalry of the united brigades amounted to 1,500. Their artillery consisted of thirty-six pieces. We had 6,000 infantry and a cavalry force of seven hundred and fifty and twenty-four pieces of artillery.' General James Shields, the commander of the Union forces in this wellfought engagement, was a native of the County of Tyrone, Ireland. Born in 1810, he emigrated to the United States in his youth, and at the age of twentytwo settled in Illinois, where he devoted himself to the profession of the law. * Brigadier-General James Shields to Major-General Banks. Winchester, Virginia, March 29, 1862. 333 He was elected to the state legislature, and in 1843 became Judge of the Supreme Court of the State. Two years after he was Commissioner of the general land office at Washington. He served in the Mexican war as BrigadierGeneral of Volunteers, and was severely wounded at Cerro Gordo, for his gallantry on which occasion he was brevetted Major-General. He was again wounded at Chapultepec. Returning to Illinois at the close of the war, he was chosen United States Senator from that State. On the conclusion of his term he settled in Minnesota on lands awarded for his army services, and represented that State on its admission to the Union, as a United States Senator. He next made his residence in California, whence he was called to Washington soon after the commencement of the rebellion, by his appointment as Brigadier-General of volunteers, in which capacity he succeeded General Lander, on the death of that officer, in his command on the Upper Potomac. On the receipt of the dispatches from General Shields announcing the result of the battle, Secretary Stanton, from the War Department, wrote in reply:"While rejoicing at the success of your gallant troops, deep commiseration and sympathy are felt for those who have been victims in the gallant and victorious contest with treason and rebellion. Your wounds, as well as your success, prove that Lander's brave division is still bravely led, and that wherever its standard is displayed rebels will be routed and pursued. To you and the officers and soldiers under your command the department returns thanks." General Banks also "congratulated the officers and soldiers of General Shields' division, and especially its gallant commander, on the auspicious and decisive victory gained over the rebels on the 23d instant. The division had already achieved a renown against superior forces, against a subtle and barbarous enemy, disencumbered of |