Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-11-10

er in the following order the South
Branch of thePotomac, the Great Cacapon,
and the Shenandoah The latter, there.
fore, flows between the Blue Ridge and the
Great North ranges of Mountains. The
north fork of this stream rises in the next
valley to the westward the Cacapon, we call
it, flowing through the Great North prong
of Mountains at Strasburg Here also the
Manassas Gap railroad crosses into Caca-
pom (?l Valley, and after striking Strasburg
turns Sharply to the south towards Wood
stock and Mount Jackson, where it termin-
ate1.
At Strasburg, too, after taking its rise in
Little North Mountain range, Cedar Creek
flows into the North Fork Of the Shenando-
ah.
A few miles south of Strasburg is Fish
ers Hill, where Early lay entrenched a
few miles north of Strasburg is Middleton,
where Sheridan 5 army lay entrenched. -
Thus, between the two armies, ran Cedar
Creek and stood Strasburg
On the 18th October Monday General
Early, who commanded the Confederate
forces sent accommodating party from his
camp to that Of the Federals. This party
consisted of cavalry with an infantry soldier
astride of each horse, behind its proper RI
der BY this means the fatigue of ten
mile march was avoided rapid means Of
retreat secured, and more effective arm
Of the service brought into use than cavalry
would be for such a service. This recon
noitering party discovered that the strong
est part of the Federal position was on the
left where a precipitous height crowned
with cannon, bid defiance to assault, and
that the weakest part Of their line was on
the right, where the ground was more level
~, nnn, noncatn Inr tbic bnwnva. tbo hoo--
lest portion of their troops was massed
here. 1t was while accommodating this por-
ton of the Federal line that the Cunfeder-
:, ate scouts were discovered. They were
/, then drivenby the First Connecticut cavalry,
Captain Marcy, who lost forty men to effect
it,
= This reconnoisanced the Federal army to
number between sixty and seventy-fye
thousand men. There were three corDs
Tarmee, which, if of full complement.
would number forty thousand men each, and
two divisions of cavalry, and division of
troops from Western Virginia, besides ar
tillcry, &c, 1t was commanded by Gen.
Sheridan, then absent at Washington, for
the purpose, it was supposed, Of making
arrangements to transfer the Sixth and
Nineteenth corps to the army of General
Grant before Richmond.
The Confederate General, after noting
these circumstances, conceived the audacus
plan of attacking and routing this vast
host
His own force consisted of but from
hrcirc 10 fifteen MouSnn,i infantry soldiers
the same little army that was chased up tn,
: Valley by Sheridan cavalry. But as this
is only one of three parallel valleys, all open
ing into one another by means of occasion
. al gaps, or passes, it had become impossi
bic to catch the nimble Confcdcrates, an,
, here they were all together again two week
: after they had been repeatedly annihllate,
, in Gen Sheridan dispatches.
g The war Correspondent of one of on
r daily papers, Mr. Jerome b. Stilson, say
Oct. 10 "The army which fought us to
, day is estimated to have been from l5,0 00
=, to 20, 900 stong. II used no caral,N -
. The latter is an important statement
AS we shall presently see. As to the mum
Der Of men, it is probable that nobody stop
> ped to count them. They consisted of fy
divisions of infantry, under Ramscur, Cor
, don, Pegram, Wharton, and kershaw
The plan was to creep upon the Federal
at early dawn with noiscless step, and sur
prise them in their tents before they coul,
form line Of battle. To do this successful
it was necessary to march from Fishers Hill
1T utuu VI HISIll' W nDt OHI
CHhom artillery Of any kiad, but even with
out water cantccns, for fear the latter would
by their clanking, bctray their approach
This latter fact is vouched for by MIR. Still
son in his published account of the battle
1t is obvious that if they dreaded the nois,
Of cantecns clanking, which could not b,
heard at distance of over one or two hun
dred feet at the most they would not hav,
yentured TO bring artillery with them-thl
rumbng and cracking of the latter beini
easily heard at distance of many rods
and sometimes for miles. Besides the hor
scs would have made tremendous rattlinl
with their hoois. In addition to this, We
must remember they counted on surprise
II it succeeded, no cannon would be needec
if it failed, cannon would be useless Fl
nally they mad to ford stream and storm ;
range of fortified heights. Cannon woulc
not only be difficult to transport but of no us,
without an adequate force to second its ef
forts: As we have before said, this wa
) an affair of l5,OO0 against 10000. Mani
testify 1t could not succeed except by sur
, prise, and cannon are never wanted for sur
prses. Mr. Stillson says: "Irhe force o
the enemy which made the first advance us
ed no artillery, the nature of the countr
through which it passed being impassibl
r for wheel.
i We have been thus particular to accum
,, ulate evidence that the Coniederates ha
d no artillery, the whole point of the stor
h turning, as we shall presently see, on thi
!, fact alone.
J. On the 18th of October Tuesday, til
n federals sent out accommodating party III
!. der Col Harris, Third Brigade, Thorburn
:. Division, Eighth Corps This party pen,
;. trated as far as Strasburg. They examine
,. the whole country with great care. I'll
:, party returned without firing shot, an
- reported the enemy hiding among the mour
tains. Gen. Wright not satisfied with tn
al reconnaissance, determined on one in for,
a for the next day Unfortunately Gener,
rs Early anticipated him.
le On the 10Th of October "Wednesday
le two in the morning, in pitchy darkness, Il
O. Confederate army began its march. III
le men were unincumbered by anything sa,
y their arms and ammunition. A dense fc
id prevailed. They marched through Stra
lie burg and approached the north fork of Il
Shenandoah, near Cedar Creek. 1t W,
W now half past three. Every man was shi
~ I, ering with the chill The scouts who can
in reported all quiet ahead. A small for
was detached to the right of the FEEDER
la lines to make teint attack. Meanwhi
j. the main army crossed the Fork. The era,
nr Of rifles on their left told them iont q
tack had begun. Then with bound th
in started for the Federal entertainments. III
as half awakened pickets were anticipated
the race, the heights gained with rush, d
gunners slain, the guns captured and tur