Thursday (21st),
marched to near Snickers Ford. Camped near Colonel Ware's. Fifteen miles. The
next day, marched to Winchester. A fine town before the war. Eleven and onehalf
miles. Saturday (23d), enemy reported in force approaching Winchester.
Skirmished all day. Small force of Rebel cavalry fool ours. Seven miles. Sunday
(24th), defeated badly at Winchester near Kernstown by Early with a superior
force. My brigade suffered severely. Rebels came in on my left. Poor cavalry
allowed the general to be surprised. Seven miles. All [that] night marching,
twenty-two miles, to Martinsburg. My brigade covered the retreat. Retreated
from Martinsburg; turned on Rebels and drove them out. Monday night to Potomac
at Williamsport, [Maryland], twelve miles, a severe, sleepy job. Camped on
Antietam near battle-ground.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams,
editor, Diary and Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2,
p. 484-5
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