personal memoirs-2-第9章

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extreme　left。



In　consequence　of　the　despatch　already　mentioned；　〃Be　ready　when　I

join　you；　and　we　will　crush　Sheridan；〃　since　learned　to　have　been

fictitious；　I　had　been　supposing　all　day　that　Longstreet's　troops

were　present；　but　as　no　definite　intelligence　on　this　point　had　been

gathered；　I　concluded；　in　the　lull　that　now　occurred；　to　ascertain

something　positive　regarding　Longstreet；　and　Merritt　having　been

transferred　to　our　left　in　the　morning；　I　directed　him　to　attack　an

exposed　battery　then　at　the　edge　of　Middletown；　and　capture　some

prisoners。　　Merritt　soon　did　this　work　effectually；　concealing　his

intention　till　his　troops　got　close　in　to　the　enemy；　and　then　by　a

quick　dash　gobbling　up　a　number　of　Confederates。　　When　the　prisoners

were　brought　in；　I　learned　from　them　that　the　only　troops　of

Longstreet's　in　the　fight　were　of　Kershaw's　division；　which　had

rejoined　Early　at　Brown's　Gap　in　the　latter　part　of　September；　and

that　the　rest　of　Longstreet's　corps　was　not　on　the　field。　　The

receipt　of　this　information　entirely　cleared　the　way　for　me　to　take

the　offensive；　but　on　the　heels　of　it　came　information　that

Longstreet　was　marching　by　the　Front　Royal　pike　to　strike　my　rear　at

Winchester；　driving　Powell's　cavalry　in　as　he　advanced。　　This　renewed

my　uneasiness；　and　caused　me　to　delay　the　general　attack　till　after

assurances　came　from　Powell　denying　utterly　the　reports　as　to

Longstreet；　and　confirming　the　statements　of　the　prisoners。



Between　half…past　and　4　o'clock；　I　was　ready　to　assail；　and　decided

to　do　so　by　advancing　my　infantry　line　in　a　swinging　movement；　so　as

to　gain　the　Valley　pike　with　my　right　between　Middletown　and　the

Belle　Grove　House；　and　when　the　order　was　passed　along；　the　men

pushed　steadily　forward　with　enthusiasm　and　confidence。　　General

Early's　troops　extended　some　little　distance　beyond　our　right；　and

when　my　flank　neared　the　overlapping　enemy；　he　turned　on　it；　with　the

effect　of　causing　a　momentary　confusion；　but　General　McMillan　quickly

realizing　the　danger；　broke　the　Confederates　at　the　reentering　angle

by　a　counter　charge　with　his　brigade；　doing　his　work　so　well　that　the

enemy's　flanking　troops　were　cut　off　from　their　main　body　and　left　to

shift　for　themselves。　　Custer；　who　was　just　then　moving　in　from　the

west　side　of　Middle　Marsh　Brook；　followed　McMillan's　timely　blow　with

a　charge　of　cavalry；　but　before　starting　out　on　it；　and　while　his　men

were　forming；　riding　at　full　speed　himself；　to　throw　his　arms　around

my　neck。　　By　the　time　he　had　disengaged　himself　from　this　embrace；

the　troops　broken　by　McMillan　had　gained　some　little　distance　to

their　rear；　but　Custer's　troopers　sweeping　across　the　Middletown

meadows　and　down　toward　Cedar　Creek；　took　many　of　them　prisoners

before　they　could　reach　the　streamso　I　forgave　his　delay。



My　whole　line　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see　was　now　driving　everything

before　it；　from　behind　trees；　stone　walls；　and　all　such　sheltering

obstacles；　so　I　rode　toward　the　left　to　ascertain　how　matters　were

getting　on　there。　　As　I　passed　along　behind　the　advancing　troops；

first　General　Grover；　and　then　Colonel　Mackenzie；　rode　up　to　welcome

me。　　Both　were　severely　wounded；　and　I　told　them　to　leave　the　field；

but　they　implored　permission　to　remain　till　success　was　certain。

When　I　reached　the　Valley　pike　Crook　had　reorganized　his　men；　and　as

I　desired　that　they　should　take　part　in　the　fight；　for　they　were　the

very　same　troops　that　had　turned　Early's　flank　at　Winchester　and　at

Fisher's　Hill；　I　ordered　them　to　be　pushed　forward；　and　the　alacrity

and　celerity　with　which　they　moved　on　Middletown　demonstrated　that

their　ill…fortune　of　the　morning　had　not　sprung　from　lack　of　valor。



Meanwhile　Lowell's　brigade　of　cavalry；　which；　it　will　be　remembered；

had　been　holding　on；　dismounted；　just　north　of　Middletown　ever　since

the　time　I　arrived　from　Winchester；　fell　to　the　rear　for　the　purpose

of　getting　their　led　horses。　　A　momentary　panic　was　created　in　the

nearest　brigade　of　infantry　by　this　withdrawal　of　Lowell；　but　as　soon

as　his　men　were　mounted　they　charged　the　enemy　clear　up　to　the　stone

walls　in　the　edge　of　Niiddletown；　at　sight　of　this　the　infantry

brigade　renewed　its　attack；　and　the　enemy's　right　gave　way。　　The

accomplished　Lowell　received　his　death…wound　in　this　courageous

charge。



All　our　troops　were　now　moving　on　the　retreating　Confederates；　and　as

I　rode　to　the　front　Colonel　Gibbs；　who　succeeded　Lowell；　made　ready

for　another　mounted　charge；　but　I　checked　him　from　pressing　the

enemy's　right；　in　the　hope　that　the　swinging　attack　from　my　right

would　throw　most　of　the　Confederates　to　the　east　of　the　Valley　pike；

and　hence　off　their　line　of　retreat　through　Strasburg　to　Fisher's

Hill。　　The　eagerness　of　the　men　soon　frustrated　this　anticipation；

however；　the　left　insisting　on　keeping　pace　with　the　centre　and

right；　and　all　pushing　ahead　till　we　regained　our　old　camps　at　Cedar

Creek。　　Beyond　Cedar　Creek；　at　Strasburg；　the　pike　makes　a　sharp　turn

to　the　west　toward　Fisher's　Hill；　and　here　Merritt　uniting　with

Custer；　they　together　fell　on　the　flank　of　the　retreating　columns；

taking　many　prisoners；　wagons；　and　guns；　among　the　prisoners　being

Major…General　Ramseur；　who；　mortally　wounded；　died　the　next　day。



When　the　news　of　the　victory　was　received；　General　Grant　directed　a

salute　of　one　hundred　shotted　guns　to　be　fired　into　Petersburg；　and

the　President　at　once　thanked　the　army　in　an　autograph　letter。　　A　few

weeks　after；　he　promoted　me；　and　I　received　notice　of　this　in　a

special　letter　from　the　Secretary　of　War；　saying：



〃that　for　the　personal　gallantry；　military　skill；　and　just　confidence

in　the　courage　and　patriotism　of　your　troops；　displayed　by　you　on　the

19th　day　of　October　at　Cedar　Run；　whereby；　under　the　blessing　of

Providence；　your　routed　army　was　reorganized；　a　great　National

disaster　averted；　and　a　brilliant　victory　achieved　over　the　rebels

for　the　third　time　in　pitched　battle　within　thirty　days；　Philip　H。

Sheridan　is　appointed　a　major…general　in　the　United　States　Army。〃



The　direct　result　of　the　battle　was　the　recapture　of　all　the

artillery；　transportation；　and　camp　equipage　we　had　lost；　and　in

addition　twenty…four　pieces　of　the　enemy's　artillery；　twelve　hundred

prisoners；　and　a　number　of　battle…flags。　　But　more　still　flowed　from

this　victory；　succeeding　as　it　did　the　disaster　of　the　morning；　for

the　reoccupation　of　our　old　camps　at　once　re…established　a　morale

which　for　some　hours　had　been　greatly　endangered　by　ill…fortune。



It　was　not　till　after　the　battle　that　I　learned　fully　what　had　taken

place　before　my　arrival；　and　then　found　that　the　enemy；　having

gathered　all　the　strength　he　could　through　the　return　of

convalescents　and　other　absentees；　had　moved　quietly　from　Fisher's

Hill；　in　the　night　of　the　18th　and　early　on　the　morning　of　the　19th；

to　surprise　my　army；　which；　it　should　be　remembered；　was　posted　on

the　north　bank　of　Cedar　Creek；　Crook　holding　on　the　left　of　the

Valley　pike；　with　Thoburn's　division　advanced　toward　the　creek　on

Duval's　（under　Colonel　Rutherford　B。　Hayes）　and　Kitching's

provisional　divisions　to　the　north　and　rear　of　Thoburn。　　The

Nineteenth　Corps　was　on　the　right　of　Crook；　extending　in　a　semi…

circular　line　from　the　pike　nearly　to　Meadow　Brook；　while　the　Sixth

Corps　lay　to　the　west　of　the　brook　in　readiness　to　be　used　as　a

movable　column。　　Merritt's　division　was　to　the　right　and　rear　of　the

Sixth　Corps；　and　about　a　mile　and　a　half　west　of　Merrit　was　Custer

covering　the　fords　of　Cedar　Creek　as　far　west　as　the　Middle　road。



General　Early's　plan　was　for　one　column　under　General　Gordon；

consisting　of　three　divisions　of　infantry　（Gordon's；　Ramseur's；　and

Pegram's）；　and　Payne's　brigade　of　cavalry　to　cross　the　Shenandoah

River　directly　east　of　the　Confederate　works　at　Fisher's　Hill；　march

around　the　northerly　face　of　the　Massanutten　Mountain；　and　again

cross　the　Shenandoah　at　Bowman's　and　McInturff's　fords。　　Payne's　task

was　to　capture　me　at　the　Belle　Grove　House。　　General　Early　himself；

with　Kershaw's　and　Wharton's　divisions；　was　to　move　through

Strasburg；　Kershaw；　accompanied　by　Early；　to　cross　Cedar　Creek　at

Roberts's　ford　and　connect　with　Gordon；　while　Wharton　was　to　continue

on　the　Valley　pike　to　Hupp's　Hill　and　join　the　left　of　Kershaw；　when

the　crossing　of　the　Valley　pike　over　Cedar　Creek　became　free。



Lomax's　cavalry；　then　in　the　Luray　Valley；　was　ordered　to　join　the

right　of　Gordon　on　the　field　of　battle；　while　Rosser　was　to　carry　the

crossing　of　Cedar　Creek　on　the　Back　road　and　attack　Custer。　　Early's

conceptions　were　carried　through　in　the　darkness　with　little　accident

or　delay；　Kershaw　opening　the　fight　by　a　furious　attack　on　Thoburn's

division；　while　at　dawn　and　in　a　dense　fog　Gordon　struck　Crook's

extreme　left；　surprising　his　pickets；　and　bursting　into　his　camp　with

such　suddenness　as　to　stampede　Crook's　men。　　Gordon　directing　his

march　on　my　headquarters　（the　Belle　Grove　House）；　successfully　turned

our　position　as　he　gained　the　Valley　pike；　and　General　Wright　was

thus　forced　to　order　the　withdrawal　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps　from　its

post　at　the　Cedar　Creek　crossing；　and　this　enabled　Wharton　to　get

over　the　stream　there　unmolested　and　join　Kershaw　early　in　the

action。



After　Crook's　troops　had　been　driven　from　their　camps；　General　Wright

endeavored　to　form　a　line　with　the　Sixth　Corps　to　hold　the　Valley

pike　to　the　left　of　the　Nineteenth；　but　failing　in　this　he　ordered

the　withdrawal　of　the　latter　corps；　Ricketts；　temporarily　commanding

the　Sixth　Corps；　checking　Gordon　till　Emory　had　retired。　　As　already

stated；　Wharton　was　thus　permitted　to　cross　Cedar　Creek　on　the　pike；

and　now　that　Early　had　a　continuous　line；　he　pressed　his　advantage　so

vigorously　that　the　whole　Union　army　was　soon　driven　from　its　camps

in　more　or　less　disorder；　and　though　much　disjointed　resistance　was

displayed；　it　may　be　said　that　no　systematic　stand　was　made　until

Getty's　division；　aided　by　Torbert's　cavalry；　which　Wright　had

ordered　to　the　left　early　in　the　action；　took　up　the　ground　where；　on

arriving　from　Winchester；　I　found　them。



When　I　left　my　command　on　the　16th；　little　did　I　anticipate　that

anything　like　this　would　happen。　　Indeed；　I　felt　satisfied　that　Early

was；　of　himself；　too　weak　to　take　the　offensive；　and　although　I

doubted　the　Longstreet　despatch；　yet　I　was　confident　that；　even

should　it　prove　true；　I　could　get　back　before　the　junction　could　be

made；　and　at　the　worst　I　felt　certain　that　my　army　was　equal　to

confronting　the　forces　of　Longstreet　and　Early　combined。　　Still；　the

surprise　of　the　morning　might　have　befallen　me　as　well　as　the　general

on　whom　it　did　descend；　and　though　it　is　possible　that　this　could

have　been　precluded　had　Powell's　cavalry　been　closed　in；　as　suggested

in　my　despatch　from　Front　Royal；　yet　the　enemy's　desperation　might

have　promp