Gen. Banks’ Retreat

NEW YORK, May 28. – The Herald has pretty full accounts of Banks’ retreat from its correspondent.

Only 150 men out of 800 or 900 engaged escaped from the Front Royal fight.

Forty of our soldiers, mostly sick were captured at Newtown.  On named David Dickinson, of the 66^th Ohio was killed in the skirmish of Saturday.

The Maine and Vermont cavalry suffered severely.  Co. A of the Vermont cavalry were all lost, captured or killed except Capt. Platte, his Lieutenant and half a dozen men, who made good their escape.

Major Collins is among the captured and Major Sawyer, whose horse fell under him and injured his foot, made his escape, with no further injuries.

During the Sunday fight which continued two hours before the retreat from Winchester Donnelly’s brigade behaved admirably and repulsed the enemy but being outflanked by superior numbers they were compelled to withdraw. – Our forces, Donnelly’s brigade on the left and Gordon’s on the right were in position along a gorge between two hills.  The enemy are said to have fought well.  At one point they came up in a large hollow square single file on the frong and back and double file on each side, marching up thus to within a certain distance, they were ordered to halt, fix bayonets and charge, which they did in good order.

Col. Gordon and staff are safe, also General Williams and staff.

While retreating through Winchester, men from houses opened fire with pistols on our soldiers killing a great many of them.

Lieut. Brown of the 28^th N. Y. is said to have been killed.

Col. Knipe of the 46^th Pennsylvania wounded and taken prisoner.

Col. Murphy of the 29^th Pennsylvania killed and many others.

The column retreated in good order pursued by the enemy beyond Martinsburgh.  The baggage train proceeded as far as the Potomac and many of the teams have been conveyed across the ferry boats.  The operator at Martinsburgh had left the town on the first rumor of a battle at Winchester, and taken the instruments with him.  The whole town seemed deserted , the stores were closed, many Union people came along with us, and negroes.

Gen. Banks was in the rear of the retreat and a shell exploded only four feet from him, fortunately without injuring him.  Winchester is reported to be burned.

The enemy had stationed a force at Berryville to prevent our retreating towards Harper’s Ferry and we were compelled to take the road to Martinsburg.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 31, 1862, p. 3

From Bank’s Division

Special to Herald.

NEW YORK, April 3.

It is rumored here to-day that the rebel Cabinet has decided to burn the city of Richmond on the approach of the Union Army.

Business was never so brisk on the line of the Orange and Alexandria RR.

Since the affair in the Sickles Brigade, where a master shot at his servant, Gen. Hooker has positively refused passes to go into the camps of his division to hunt contrabands.

Lieuts. J. P. Hall and W. McGunnegle have been ordered to report to flag officer Foote.

The number of sick soldiers in the government hospitals in the District, as the last weekly report, was 2,314.  Of these 536 are from N. Y. regiments.

Slight skirmishing continues to be the order of the day along our front, each army lying in sight of the other, and entertaining one another with occasional artillery practice and cavalry charges.

Yesterday Col. Geary captured a number of rebels after a spirited skirmish, in which several of the enemy were killed.

The completion of the RR. to within the immediate neighborhood of the advance, places many of our forces in a much more advantageous position, and will doubtless greatly accelerate the movements of our advancing army.

The rebel cavalry continues to make incursions through the country beyond Manassas junction.

WOODSTOCK, 2 P. M.

The rebels, when retreating yesterday attempted to burn a bridge over the creek near the narrow passage, but it was extinguished.

The magnificent RR. bridge, 100 feet high, over the same stream, was burned by Jackson when retreating from Gen. Shields.

A grey stallion, said to be Col. Ashby’s was shot yesterday near this town.  The ball must have wounded the rider in the left thigh.  The current report, however, that Ashby was wounded, is not credited at headquarters.

Some of Ashby’s scouts made their appearance this morning early on the high wooded ridge on the opposite side of Stony Creek, beyond Edinburg.  They were fired on by some of the 29^th Pa., when Ashby unmasked four guns and threw several shells into the camp.  He subsequently retreated under the fire of our guns.

During the day they frequently interfered with our bridge builders, by shelling them at long range.  The foot of the bridge, however, has been completed, and our skirmishers are now on the other side beyond the town.

Lieut. Daff and two privates of Ashby’s cavalry, were captured yesterday, while carrying dispatches, but refused to divulge the contents or tell who they were.

In a late intercepted letter from a rebel officer, the writer speaks significantly of the anticipated open rebellion in Maryland.  This is regarded as one of the means resorted to by secession leaders to dupe their followers.

Ashby’s artillery was reinforced to-day by two or more heavy guns, with which they practiced on us at long range.

Gen. Banks is here and Shields is at Strasburg.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Friday Morning, April 4, 1862, p. 1

From Winchester

WINCHESTER, March 30.

The following wounded died yesterday and to-day, and were buried:

Michael Martin, 67^th O.; Geo Gardiner, 14^th Ind.; Jacob Wolf, 67^th O.; unknown, 29^th O.; Wm. Whitney, 13^th Ind.; Isaac Jackson, 27^th O., died of fever; A. L. Brown, 8^th O.; one unknown; another unknown, clothes marked T. A. W.; Wallace Colburn, 7^th O.; and E. K. Bruce, 7^th O., his body has been delivered to friends.

Previous to the foregoing, our loss stood as follows: Killed and died of wounds, 103; wounded 441; missing, 24.

Only a few of the reports of the detailed regiments have yet been received, owing to the distance and scattered positions of the regiments.  Three or four days will elapse before the full list of names can be received.

The wounded are now contained in two hospitals, and are under the immediate charge of Dr. H. Bryant.

About 230 sick and wounded prisoners have been sent to Frederick.  Sixty wounded rebel soldiers have been taken from the hospital and placed in the houses of their friends, on their parole to report on their recovery, to the nearest commanding officer.

Our wounded are reported as generally doing well.  They number here, about three hundred.

The statement in the newspaper that Major Perkins in the staff of Maj. [Gen.] Banks was instrumental in planning the battle is contradicted, although his presence and advice were of great service to Col. Kimball, who commands the field under directions from Gen. Shields.

Medical Director King, of the medical corps, and Surgeon Jackson of the 29^th Pa., who were present as volunteers, rendered efficient aid in clearing the field of the wounded.  G. Arnheim of the Zuaves Afrique, acted as aid to Col. Baum, chief of Shield’s artillery, and was severely wounded in the leg.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, April 1, 1862, p. 1