d this opening battle of Winchester. A
Confederate prisoner was taken to General Milroy (who, with General
Elliott, joined me at nightfall), who frankly said he was of Hays'
Louisiana brigade, Early's division, Ewell's corps; that Ewell was
on the field commanding in person. Milroy until then was unwilling
to believe that troops other than cavalry were in his front.

Besides Early's division of Ewell's corps, we fought Maryland troops
which had long been operating in the upper Valley, consisting of
a battalion of infantry (Colonel Herbert), a battalion of cavalry
(Major W. W. Goldsborough), and a battery of artillery.( 9) I was
not forced to order a retreat until the object of the advance had
been fully attained, and then only when Hays' Louisiana brigade
appeared on my right flank, and the cavalry there were broken and
driven back. General John B. Gordon (10) (since Senator from
Georgia), who confronted me with five infantry regiments, reports
of this battle:

"About 4 o'clock in the afternoon I deployed a line of skirmishers,
and moved forward to the attack, holding two regiments in reserve.
After advancing several hundred yards, I found it necessary to
bring into line these two regiments on the right and on the left.
The enemy's skirmishers retreated on his battle-line, a portion of
which occupied a strong position behind a stone wall, but from
which he was driven. A battery which I had hoped to capture was
rapidly withdrawn. In this charge my brigade lost seventy-five
men, including some efficient officers."(11)

The total loss of the enemy in this engagement must have been at
least as many more. The Union loss, of all arms, was not more than
one hundred. It was now obvious Milroy's command could not hold
Winchester. I assumed a retreat would be undertaken in the night,
but in a brief interview with Milroy at the close of the battle he
said nothing on the subject, and the reproof of the night before
warned me to make no further suggestions to him with respect to
his duty in this emergency.

General Elliott, my immediate superior, informed me, as I rode late
at night through Winchester to my camp on the heights northwest of
the city, that he thought it was too late to retreat on Harper's
Ferry. I suggested that the Romney, Pughtown, and Apple-Pie Ridge,
or Back Creek roads were open, and that we could safely retire over
one or more of them. He said he would call Milroy's attention to
my suggestion an