Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-11-10
The Unexplained Operations in the Valley.

Agate" of the Cincinnati Gazette, thus
explains Sheridan's late retrogade movement
in the Valley, which has seemed inexplcable
to many: ...
Some portions of the recent movements in
the valley belong as yet, to unwritten history.
Everybody watched Gen. Sheridan's brilliant
course up the Shenandoah, from Harper's
Ferry to Winchester, from Winchester to
Opequan, from Opequan to Fishers Hill from
Fishers Hill to Harrisonburg and Staunton,
from Staunton to Rockfish Gap. Then came
a sudden blank, broken only by indistinct ru-
mors of uncomprehended cavalry skirmishrs,
and ended, to everybody's half-concealed sur
prise, by sudden retiring back to Stras-
burg.
Why the blank? Why the retreat? The
rebel journals give hints but it is to the pri-
vate intelligence we must trust for the full
explanation.
The campaign in the Shenandoah Valley
was complete in itself when Early's army was
beaten and broken, the Valley cleared and
the standing menace to the border removed.
1t remained to utilize these local successesfo for
Grant and for the armies before Richmond.
This might be attempted in two ways: by
movement on Lynchburg, taking the stores
and work shops, and cutting the leading arte-
ry of Richmond supply; or by a movement
on Charlottesville or Gordonsville, that would
plant this victorious army of the Valley on the
west fank-so to speak-of Richmond, and
within cooperating distance of Butler and
Meade. -aa
The first was decided to be so difficult as
to be almost impracticable; and it was doubt
ed if the advantages would pay the costs.
Lynchburg was known to be well defended,
and it was nearly sixty miles still further
south from Staunton while Sheridan's line
Of communications was already heightened
out through a guerrilla-infested country and
without railroads for distance of 12O miles
LyuCiIDurS therefore abandoned
Charlottesville, however, seemed accessible;
and the whole time Intervening between Sher
idan'S arrival at Stanton and the sudden re
treating to Strasburg, was spent in efforts to
open way through the mountains. The di-
recet road from Stanton to Charlottesville
led through Rockfsh Gap, and that was tried.
The Gap was found to be so strongly defend
ed by Early's men that passage was imprac-
ticable. After severe diminishing we gave it
up. The others were then tried in success
sion. Jordans Gap, Browns Semon's and
Swift Run Gap, each was found strongly
guarded by a rebel force that could not be
dislodged short of siege approaches, or the
cutting of new roads over mountains that
have always been considered impossible. AT
most of them there was sharp diminishing; at
some, it is said, tolerable heavy fighting.
At any rate, the upshot of it all was that
| the movement on Charlottesville had to be
abandoned. 1t remained to bring back the
army to Strasburg, which is the natural gate
to the Valley, establish chain of strong mil
itary posts there, completely barring the
way, and terrifying the gaps along the Blue
Ridge from Harper's Ferry down to Stras-
burg; and then to accomplish the co-opera-
ton which so large an army owed to the gen
eral development of the campaign in some
other way.
Meantime Early, being heavily reinforced
made the attack On our forces, which result
ed in Sheridan's brilliant victory at Cedar
Greek.