When it was first reported that the enemy had pushed between us
and Winchester, General Hatch was ordered to advance with all his
available cavalry from Strasburg, leaving Colonel De Forrest to
cover the rear, and destroy stores not provided with transportation.
Major Vought, fifth New York cavalry, had been previously ordered to
reconnoitre the Front Royal road to ascertain the position of the
enemy, whom he encountered in force near Middletown, and was compelled
to fall back, immediately followed by the enemy’s cavalry, infantry
and artillery. In this affair five of our men were killed and several
wounded. The enemy’s loss is not known.
After repeated attempts to force a passage through the lines of the
enemy, now advanced to the pike, General Hatch, satisfied that this
result could not be accomplished without great loss, and supposing
our army to have proceeded but a short distance, turned to the left,
and moving upon a parallel road, made several ineffectual attempts to
effect a junction with the main column. At Newtown, however, he found
Colonel Gordon holding the enemy in check, and joined his brigade.
Major Collins, with three companies of cavalry, mistaking the point
where the main body of the cavalry left the road, dashed upon the
enemy until stopped by a barricade of wagons, and the tempestuous fire
of infantry and artillery. His loss must have been severe.
Six companies of the fifth New York, Colonel De Forrest, and
six companies of the first Vermont cavalry, Colonel Tompkins,
after repeated and desperate efforts to effect a junction with
the main body—the road now being filled with infantry, artillery
and cavalry—fell back to Strasburg, where they found the Zouaves
D’Afrique. The fifth New York, failing to effect a junction at
Winchester, and also at Martinsburg, came in at Clear Spring, with a
train of thirty two wagons and many stragglers. The first Vermont,
Colonel Tompkins, joined us at Winchester, with six pieces of
artillery, and participated in the fight of the next morning. Nothing
could surpass the celerity and spirit with which the various companies
of cavalry executed their movements or their intrepid charges upon the
enemy.
General Hatch deserves great credit for the manner in which he
discharged his duties as chief of cavalry in this part of our march,
as well as at the fight at Winchester, and in covering the rear of our
column to the river; but especially for the spirit infused into his
troops during the brief period of his command, which, by confession
of friend and foe, had been equal if not superior to the best of the
enemy’s long trained mounted troops.
From this point the protection of the rear of the column devolved upon
the forces under Colonel Gordon.