Sunday morning, Kearnstown, hot. Ordered out into line early
for inspection. Instead orders came to advance. Hot skirmishing began right
off. Our regiment placed at the right of the line, west side of the pike.
Colonel Mulligan with his division form the left of the line. Our position is
on high ground where we can overlook the field. Orders came to charge into the
woods. There we found the enemy en masse. They poured their fire on Mulligan's
division. Mulligan was killed, his division losing very heavy. They were
ordered to fall back. Orders came for our regiment to fall back to Winchester.
We marched back and later the enemy came out of the wood, when we saw plainly
the large force they had. Owing to my naked feet I could hardly keep up, but
kept pushing. There are many hills around Winchester. Before we could reach the
earthworks the enemy had field guns posted on hills commanding our position. As
I could not keep up with the boys I came near being captured. I made a running
jump over into the rifle pits near the old Star Fort. As I landed in the pits a
solid shot also struck there. As I looked at it was thankful it was not a
shell. Running around in the pits I was able to get out on the opposite side
from the enemy and take my place in our company, line being just in the rear of
the fort, where we formed. Shells began to drop all around us. Finally one came
in our midst, doing much damage, some being killed and wounded. It caused great
excitement as the dust and dirt flew over us. A peculiar numbness came to me,
making me think I was wounded. Picking up my gun that had fallen to the ground,
I discovered that it had been hit by a piece of the exploded shell, the barrel
being flat and bent. I threw it down and picked up another on the field. That
was no doubt the cause of my numbness. Orders came for a change in our position
and to fall back to Bunker Hill. Up to this time we had been fighting and
falling back for about sixteen miles. Had the 6th Corps remained in the valley
it would have given us more show against Early's large force, as they are in
plain sight and we can see them from the hills. We will hold Bunker Hill and
remain here for the night. I am in agony with my feet. We are in a ragged,
dirty condition. The life of a soldier is a hard one. Our suffering at times is
intense. It's all for our country that we all love.
SOURCE: Charles H. Lynch, The Civil War Diary,
1862-1865, of Charles H. Lynch 18th Conn. Vol's, p. 104-5
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