woodstock, March 17th, 1802.
The Federals have possession of Winchester. They advanced
upon the town the Friday after you left, but Ashby, aided by a kind Providence,
drove them back. I had the other troops under arms, and marched to meet the
enemy, but they did not come nearer than about five miles of the town, and fell
back to Bunker Hill. On last Tuesday they advanced again, and again our troops
were under arms to meet them, but after coming within four miles of the town
they halted for the night. I was in hopes that they would advance on me during
the evening, as I felt that God would give us the victory; but as they halted
for the night, and I knew they could have large reinforcements by morning, I
determined to fall back, and sent my troops back the same night to their wagons
in rear of Winchester, and the next morning moved still farther to the rear.
SOURCE: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of
General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 243
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