ADVANCE OF THE REBELS UNDER GENERALS EWELL AND TRIMBLE.
BATTLES AT MARTINSBURG AND WINCHESTER.
EWELL REPULSED AND MILROY HOLDING OUT FOR REINFORCEMENTS
Ewell, Erans, Early, and Rhodes in Command of the Rebels.
Milroy Surrounded at Winchester, Cuts His Way Out to Harper’s Ferry.
THE REBELS AT CHAMBERSBURG.
THE NATION TO THE RESCUE.
HARRISBURG, June 15.
The rebels entered Chambersburg at 9 o’clock to-night.
HARRISBURG, June 15.—The telegraph operator left Chambersburg at 9 o’clock to-night, some time after the rebels had entered the town. His instrument is now in operation five miles east of Chambersburg, at Scotland Bridge. A. G. CURTIF.
THE STATE CAPITAL IN DANGER.
HARRISBURG, June 15.—Midnight. The rebels occupied Hagerstown at noon to-day. From there they advanced in three columns: one on the main road to Chambersburg, and one to the right, and one to the left. Each column has 5,000 cavalry, besides infantry and artillery.
The centre column arrived at Chambersburg at 9 o’clock to-night.
A large fire was seen in the neighborhood of Greencastle.
Governor Curtin and General Couch are working night and day. On the receipt of this news the Governor ordered the bells rung, and the people assembled en masse at the court house to devise means to defend the city. It is evident that something must be done immediately, or the State capital will be invaded.
HARRISBURG, June 15.—This following is just received:
Lieutenant Palmer, of the Purnell Cavalry has just come in. He had to fight his way out two miles this side of Greencastle.
The enemy is advancing in three columns; one towards Waynesboro and Gettsburg; one direct to Chambersburg, and one towards Mercersburg and Cove Mountains.
It is not known whether the rebels will proceed in separate columns or concentrate here.
A large fire is now seen in the direction of Greencastle.
Lieutenant Palmer reports the column at Greencastle about 5,000 strong, principally cavalry, supported by infantry and artillery.
BALTIMORE, June 15.—Major General Milroy has made a gallant escape from Winchester, after maintaining his position for a long time against great odds.
After many hours’ hard fighting he was completely surrounded, but with renewed desperation cut his way through, with a loss of 2,000 men.
He has now joined Tyler at Harper’s Ferry. This place is now strongly garrisoned and fortified, and will be able to hold out for reinforcements.
The rebels are commanded by Lieutenant General Ewell, of Stonewall Jackson’s corps, and Major Generals Evans., Early, and Rhodes, and evidently constitute a large fraction of the Rappahannock army.
BALTIMORE, June 15.—General Milroy was surprised at Winchester, by 18,000 rebels; but after a desperate fight cut his way through and united with our forces at Harper’s Ferry.
Our forces at Martinsburg have also fallen back on Harper’s Ferry.
BALTIMORE, June 15.—The American‘s special report from Harper’s Ferry says that General Milroy succeeded in cutting his way through the rebel lines, and reached there this morning, after evacuating Winchester.
The fighting was very desperate, and we repulsed the rebels repeatedly with heavy loss, but finally they were largely reinforced, and Milroy made his arrangements on Sunday to abandon Winchester, finding that the rebels were endeavoring to closely invest the place. He lost considerably— some two thousand men, in killed, wounded, and prisoners.
Military movements are in progress to check the rebel movement in this direction which it would not be proper to particularize.
BALTIMORE, June 15.—The Baltimore American publishes the following intelligence from an entirely reliable source:
An attack was made on Sunday morning on a small force of our men at Berryville, nine miles from Winchester, opposite snicker’s Gap, under General McReynolds, of which the 1st Maryland Regiment formed a part.
They fell back before the superior numbers, and joined Milroy at Winchester, after a sharp engagement, of which the results are at present unknown.
At the same time Winchester was attacked in front from the south, by a force said to be under General Ewell, Jackson’s successor.
The troops making the attack at Berryville are said to be under Gen. Trimble.
A third force after this encounter is said to have captured a small detachment of our men at Bunker Hill, and then moved on to Martinsburg.
At 4 o’clock P.M. to-day they demanded the surrender of Martinsburg, giving forty-five minutes for the women and children to leave the town.
General Tyler, commanding at Martinsburg, refused to surrender, and an artillery fight ensued.
At 7.15 to-night the wires were broken between Harper’s Ferry and Martinsburg. What occurred after that is not known.
A battle was also in progress at Winchester to-day. The results are unknown at this hour.
General Milroy repulsed Ewell on Saturday, and said he could hold out for reinforcements to reach him.
No damage to the railroad as yet, and no cars or engines are exposed to capture, as all have been removed. No fewer than seventy locomotives and twelve hundred cars were brought to Baltimore to-day.
Sunbury American, Sunbury, PA
