Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-10-28

Gen,l EdrIyS Address to his ARMY.
HEAD QuARTlRs VALLEY DISTRICT,
October 22d, 1864.
Soldiers Of the Arnay Of the Faney:
. I had hoped to
have congratulated you on the splendid VIC
tory won by you on the morning Of the 18th
at Bell Grove on Cedar Creek, when you
surprised and routed two Corps OF Sheri-
dams Army and drove back several miles
the remaining Corps, capturing IS pieces
of Artillery, 1900 prisoners, number of
colours, large quantity of small arms and
many wagons and ambulances, with the en-
tire camps Of the two routed Corps but /
have the ,mortif cation of announcing to you
that, by your subsequent misconduct, all
the benefits of that victory were lost and a
serious disaster incurred. Had you re-
NAMED steadfast to your duty and your
colours the victory would have been one of
the most brilliant and decisive of the war,
you would have gloriously retrieved the
reverses at Winchester and Fishers Hill
and entitled yourselves to the admiration
and gratitude of your country. But many
of you including some commissioned officers
yielded to disgraceful propensity for plum
der, deserted your colours to appropriate to
yourselves the abandoned property of the
enemy, and subsequently, those who had
previously remained at their posts, seeing
their ranks thinned by the absence Of the
plunderers, when the enemy late in the af-
ternoon, with bis shattered columns made
but feeble effort to retrieve the fortunes
of the day, yielded to needless panic and
fed the field in con fusion, thereby CONVEX
ting splendid victory into disaster. Had
any respectable number of you listened to
the appeals made to you and made a stand
even at the last moment, the disaster would
have been averted and the substantial fruits
OF victory secured--but under the insane
dread of being fanked and panic stricken
terror of the enemy's cavalry, you would
listen to no appeal, threat or order and al
lowed small body Of cavalry to penetrate
to our train and carry off a number of piec-
es Of Artillery ind wagons which your dis
order left unprotected. You have thus OBJ
scured that glorious fame won in con;unc-
ton with the gallant men Of tie Army Of
Northern Virginia who still remain proudly
defiant in the trenches around Richmond
and Petersburg Before you can again
claim these as comrades you will have to
erase from your escutcheons the blemishes
which now obscure them, and this you can
do if you will bat be true to your former
reputation, your country and your homes.
You who have fought at Mansssa, Rich
mond, Sharpsburg, fredericksburg. Chan
cellorsville, Gettysburg, and from the vii.
derness to the Banks Of James River, and
especially you who were with the immor-
tai JACKSON in all his triumphs are capa.
BILE of better things. Arouse yourselves
then to sense of your manhood and an
appreciation OF the sacred cause in which
you are engaged. Yield to the man dates
OF discipline-resolve to stand by your col.
ours 10 future at all hazards and you can yet
retrieve your reputation and strike effective
blows for your country and its cause Let
every man spurn from him the vile plum
der gathered on the field Of the 10th, and
let no man whatever his rank, whether COM
blatant or non combatant, dare exhibit his
spoils of that day. They will be the badges
of his dishonor, the insignia of his dis
grace. The officer who pauses in the ca
reer of victory to place guard over SUIT
ler's wagon for his private use is as bad as
the soldier who halts to secure for himself
the abandoned clothing or money of fy-
ing foe, and they both sell the honour of the
Army aud the blood Of their country for a
paltry price. He who follows his colours
into the ranks Of the enemy in pursuit OF
victory, disdaining the miserable passion
for gathering booty, comes out of the bat
tie with his honour untarnished and, though
barefooted and ragged is far more to be
envled than he thav is laden with rich spoils
gathered in the trail Of bis victorious com
rades.
There were some exceptions to the gen.
eral misconduct on the afternoon of the
18th, but it would be difficult to specify
them all. Let those who did their duty
be satisfied with the consciousness of having
done it, and mourn that their efforts were
paralized by the misbehaviour of others
Let them be eonsoled to some extent nv
the reflection that the enemy has nothing
to boast of on hispart. The Artillery and
wagons taken were not won by his yalour.
His camps were destroyed, his army terri
bly, shattered and demor.:.::..oaa !. ..iv losses
Id Heavier than ours ven in p,oporticn- to
the relative strength Of the armies, his plans
materially impeded and he was unable to
pursue by reason Of his crippled condition.
Soldiers OF the Army of the Valley! | do
not speak to you in anger 1 wish to speak
in kindness though in sorrow-my purpose
is to show you the cause Of our late misfor-
tune and point out the way to avoid SINH
lar ones in future and ensure success to our
arms. Success can only be secured by the
enforcement and observance of the most
rigid discipline officers, whatever their
rank, must not only give orders but set the
example by obeying them and the men must
follow that example.
Fellow soLnIERs IL am ready to lead
I