, 1864-10-18
skEatpaN'S GREAT VICTORY.
fsnerations Of Castar's and Mer-
ritts Divisions.

Vptf1{36hB OF CHst&IS Aaa EltF"
ritts Divisions.
GALIbETRY OF TIE OFFICERS
AND MEH.
The ceres 7ondent Of the New York Hs~u,5,
writing fr4 n the Bbe4sndoah. gives the fol-
lowing Interesting details Of sheridan's great
victory ovt the rtbcl cagalry:
TIE ArFAR ON SATURDAY.
On Saturday afternoon, While Col Kidd's
brigade IVES preeeinE nack me eteny On the
tufn1 Ike, Col Lowtll's regular brigade, as.
eisted by some oisposable detachments from
tie other BRIG saee, and Taylos's Battery, all
in Merritt's division, moved to yards the
Back load, and, striking In flank the forces
which were following Custsr, engaged them
successfully 81 d bad driven them back per
haps mile, when darkness closed the con-
test on thbt evening. Merritt then withdrew
Col Lowtn's command to the turnpike
PREPARATIONS or THE RNEAIY FOR TIE light
or SUNDAY.
The rebel commander made mes disposi-
ticns or his troops du1i1g the night, and
Wttn as nearly all his troops appeared to be
concet ttrAttd on the Back load On Saturday
evening, considerable force was found on
cpernted puinly on the Back road, opposite
to Cns,ar, al d Lomax on the turnpike, oppo-
site to Merritt
OPERATIONS OF CusTAR's Drv1s1oS,
In obedience to General Shesidan's wishes
Gtn. Torbert, commanding our cavalry
corps, Instructed Custar and Merritt to move
thelr divisions at designated hour on Sun.
day noruipg, attack the enemy aud whip
hin. Soon after SIX O'Clock Gen. Custar,
after diving In the enem5's pickets, formed
his diyislon Tor the attsck. Col. Penning-
ton, Of the Third New jersey, commanded
one of bis br}gatee, and Col. Wells, Of tue
F1rft Verme ut, tbs other. Tie Eighteenth
Penusy y1yania, Msjor Phillips, and tue Fifth
deploytd in front OF the division line as
skLmishers. The Eighth EeW York, Col.
Benjamin. apd the Twenty .Seeond, Major
Moore, (wlo il temporarily ira. sterred from
the ElgAth, 10 Command tie THenty-Sec.
ond, } moytd, formed in line OF battle ou the
right, and the Third New Jersey, Major Rob-
esop, sud the Second Ohio, Lieut.. Col. Pen
nibgioll, OIL the lett. Lisute1ant Pierce's
battery Of horee nrtitierT Ths supported by
the Second New York cavs1ry, unler Major
Hall. Tic First New RaDpshire, C1loncl
ThonptOn aid the First Vermont, Lteut.
Col B.n2ett, followed as reseEyss Tor tue
whole division. The sane general formation
Vas pr. served dut1ng the operations of the
day, the two lsBt Lnmed regiments having
bcen 60 n er gpged nith the otnezs in 'front.'
The eJeny N6s posted fn st1o ong posi-
tion.. A battery OF artillery was plantid on
bill, here It could shoot over the troops
formtd In line about the base.
Just. rs Custar's division was advancing to
attack, the enemy, in counter movement,
made vigorous assault on our leit. The ar
tll1ery ard cavalry on both sides were soon
| cloecly engaged. The enemy's artillery, like
our own, was admirably served. The effect
Of the assault on Custar's lett WAS to force
| It back. On the right, however, being cov-
cred from the artillery fire By Intervening
hills, and following the foot Of the noun
| ta1p, cur line kept steadily advancing aud
| clotirg round By the right, until the rebel
battery, taken In the flauk, and almost In re-
yeree. was compelled to preclpitately aban-
don its poeition. When the rebsl guns were
ta1's line Futhsd forward, the 1eSimeuss IN
reserve came up on the trot, AID then
whole line, with drawn sabres, DASHED tLt.
| ward in grand charge, and carried the po-i-
tion by aeeault. Our men followed the re-
| treating enemy about half q mile to where
on aEothtr crest- When our men came up q
furious fire Of artillery was opened on them,
and, the rebel cavalry having made stand,
charged back upon them from belt OF tim
btr ovtr the open ground. This assault was
| received principally by the lst Vermont, LIST
| NcW duupsl1Te, ana OH NEW 1pfh. l ut
| regiments on our right kept steadily push.
| ing forward on the enemy's flank, and the
| line on the centre and left advancing also.
| The rebel gurs were again timely taken from
the hill, ard cur troops made second as
FAULT. General Custar. attended by his staff
| ard eEcort, caahed forward With his flag In
the most heroic manner, and Joined with BITS
commbnd in grand charge aud chase for
theenemy's artillery. It was an extremely
| interesting and exciting scene. The artil-
| lery aid Wsgons bt ing compelled to keep the
| road, were soon oyertaken md captured, but
the trotpe weEe chased many miles over
/ fields and fences
OPERATIONS CT GEN. MERH1rT's DIVISION.
! While Custar WAS routing Rosser on the
right, Merritt WAS thrashiug Lomax on the
| 1efr. In the morning, when Cugtar'5 diVi-
sion moved Gut, Merritt disposed his troops
20 as I'd form connection and enable both
llyiriops to operate together. Col Kldd's
vision line, Joining on with Custars lett-
Part OF Col. Deyin's brigade was formed in
| the centre, and Col Lowell's regulars on tue
| turnpike ind to the lett Of It. Capt. Mar
Tins New YORK battery was brought Into
| action at the commencement OF the tight:
The line from Custar's right to Merritt 8 left
| Was some three miles or more In extent.
When the ekirmisheIs In front OF Merritt s
division we're advancing they net Tith DC.
terminrd opposit.an ios Hhlle: Indeed the
|
Merritt's LETT, something similar to the one
On CuEter's, and With almost q similar re-
suit A section Of Ta3 lor's 1st United States
/ battery vas placed in position on the pike,
md II piled to the Baltimore hattery'of the
! entmy. Lowel1's brigade then advanced 10
| splendid style, and as 1t mosed the whole
division line charged with It and drove the
enemy in confusion from Its front. From
that moment the retreat WAS turned into q
rout. Col. LoEell on the pike, having good
rebels 70 hurd, tbat they aid not Ct IN op:
pc1tupity 10 form another line: The other
brigades followed as closely as the character
OF the country would permit. LoWelTs brl-
gade captured four gurs and Deyin's one:
The rebels fed az last rs their horses could
CARY them. When hard pressed the drivers
of wagons cut the traces, and leaving The
vehicles to be captured, made good theil
escape with the horees. NC csptnred every.
i thing On wheels on both roads except one
gun On tho turnpike. That was the gu1
that Merritt was so anxious to obtain, and
lies, made the last daring charge On the turn
| pike
TIE CuAsE-6AILASTnY or OFFICERS AM
MEN.
| The chase continued on both roads by
Merritt and Cuetar until the enemy had beer
driven twenty miles from the position or
Tomb's brook, where the fight had com
menced in the morning. Colonel Penning
| ton, of the Third New JERSEY, commanding
Custarfs First brigade, and Colonel Lowell
commanding the regular brigade in MeE
r1t.'s division, have been highly compliment
ed for their conspicuous galiaatry. Their
arc many other officers as we'll as soldiers
| Of whom the official reports Will make hon
o1able mention. Sergeaat Zeeby, Of tn
| Third New jersey, captured one rebel dag
and private Edwsrd Hard!ord, Of the Secont
UNITED States, another.
THE "PLuSDEn -
Besides several hundred prisoners, ther
WIS considerable plunder captured.
Cus':r's division captured six guns, lou
caissols, two forges, forty oEe horses an
artillery harness, forty nine mules a5d Wagol
harnaes, thirteen amy wagons, two eprin
Mago OLE, one medical wagon, one ordnanc
Wae on and. thirteen ambulances, ten OF Whtc
we're brousht of with the wounded. MsI
fitl's division captured, besides the prison
ers, five guns, five caissons, four forges
!: twelve w6gons, with supplies and ordnance
three ambuIances, twenty five horses IN
harnesF. .... 49,.
; Several Of the wagons, .caissons. forge
and ambulances were destroyed, because r
bsl 70 borsea to haul them of Most of tn
valuable property, however, was carried o
the field. .
The fact that two barrels Of liquor WEI
found in one OF the wagons belonging to On
OF the rebsl Generals headquarters Woul
correspond with the statement In the ktct
mond Eu9,.ircr that rebel officers as well {
, ao1dfers, were DRINK during the recent OPP
Iatiops in the valley,
. Among the guns captured were two Whtc