Today in History:

774 Series I Volume XII-II Serial 16 - Second Manassas Part II

Page 774 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. Chapter XXIV.

Question. Can you state what range was had at an elevation of 5 degrees of those guns, or 4 1/2 degrees, or somewhere thereabouts?

Answer. At 3 1/2 degrees they fell short of 1,300 yards; at 5 degrees they went probably about 2,000 yards. They did not go over the town; I think about a mile and a quarter, probably.

Question. Would you have considered them at all reliable at, say, 2,500 yards?

Answer. I should not have liked to risk them. I would place no dependence upon them. I never saw them, or any one of their tests-and their range was taken every morning and evening from the different bastions-I never saw one carry up to the distance they should for the elevation they had.

Question. Did you have occasion to observe my actions during that afternoon and the night of the evacuation?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. I will thank you to state whether there appeared to be any improper excitement, or precipitancy, or trepidation.

Answer. Nothing. You appeared to be perfectly cool. Your conduct toward me would indicate a forward movement rather than an evacuation. Everything was done perfectly cool. You even told me to get the men out without any undue noise, any excitement whatever; to get them out in column.

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. What was done with those guns that were destroyed?

Answer. I did not see them after they were disabled. I learned from Captain Powell that he wedged balls in them, broke off, the trunnion, and cut off, the traverses.

By General WHITE:

Question. Do you know whether or not the enemy were present in greater or less force about Winchester all the time I was there-for a month or more?

Answer. They were.

Question. Were attacks upon us frequent at night?

Answer. Upon our pickets nearly every night.

Question. And frequent expedition sent out to attack them?

Answer. I sent out, about eight days before the evacuation, one section of a battery to Middletown. I got it back, and the cavalry got between us and them, so that we could see them two or three days before the evacuation.

Question. Have you any doubt of there being sufficient of the enemy present within a half a dozen miles of Winchester to get possession of any stores left there?

Answer. I think there were sufficient to take all the stores there. There was sufficient came in that night, as I learned from one of my lieutenants who was left there, at 11 o'clock at night. He said there were 1,200 came in town.

Question. Did you learn anything of a large force advancing across Blue Ridge?

Answer. I did.

Question. State what you learned.

Answer. I learned from one of my scouts, and also from one of my lieutenants, who wanted to go out, and was sent out, that there was quite a force advancing. There was a force lying at Newtown, a supposed force of about 1,000, and there was a force, of what amount I could not say, around us in parties every day. The demonstration was such as to make me think there was considerable of a force menacing us. The cry was that there were some 3,000 cavalry and some 7,000 infantry advancing over the Blue Ridge.


Page 774 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. Chapter XXIV.