The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-21
sHBRIDANs GREAT VICTORY.
IIIaII.Y INrtsRL sTINIi nErAII.s

/ battle has been fought and another victory won
/ n victory Cained thai 10 OF more Importance and
more brilliancy than any heretofore achieved,
| because the enemy in the ouitet on this occasion
| was tho attacking party and intended, as said n
| despatch which Wo captured, from Gcrcral
| iungstrect 70 General Early, to "crush Sheridan
Ott Of tie valley nc once and at All hazards"
| How1rRB BATTLE COMMENCED.
| Il was moonlight, and all around was drear
| and still The picket performed his duty and the
1 headquaTSers' sentinel walked slowly up and
1 down his beat Facing towards Cedar creek, and
/ not far from Middletown, on the right hand side
/ Of the pixie, was located the headquarters of
| MajOr.8eneral Sheridan, but the General him
| self was not there having left for Washington
| city few days previously Next 10 General
Sheridan's headquarters were the headquarters
! of Bgevet MajOr-General Crook. Passing over
| an open space, and but u short distance, too
| towards Cedar creek, was the weH-known Major
| General Emory, having his headquarters there.
Wewill now ask tue rcadcrtO travel in imagina-
! tl1n tG method of travel, can assure the reader
/ much resOrted toby philosophers, correspondents,
/ young men from home, and not a few of mankind
! generally towards Front Royal, the scene Of so
| many encounters, victories, defeats, retrograde,
! and "othUTWise" movements. Here we find
| POwells Division OF Cavalry, the cavalry lately
| commanded by General Aycrill, of "ighting"
| nutOIicty.
| Two Of Powelrs guns are posted on q high hill
so as 10 cover the ford of the south fork Of the
| Shenandoah river. The other two guns q por-
! ton of Wier's Battery are so arranged as 10
cover the ford of TIE south fork of the Shenan-
! doah river. Near by is one brigade of the divi-
| sion now commended by Colonel Cophart (lst
! Virginia Cavalry, within supporting distance OF
| In front Of the artillery and the main body of
| cavalry are picket posts, extending across both
| branches of the Shenandoah river, as to pre-
| vent a surprise from three thousand of the
enemy's cavalry, said to be located at or near
| Milford in the Luray valley. Extending from
| Powell, who has his headquarters on the line of
the Front Royal and Winchester pike, across the
Ridge road TO Buckton's ford, are n chain OF
patrols, whose business IL is to communicate with
Colonel Moore, commanding brigade Of the ID
Division Of Cavalry, stationed at and near the last
named ford in question.
From Moore's over to Crooks infantry ex-
tended another PATROL the whole for the purpose
OF keeping mp communication between the cX-
tTemC left (the cavalry and the infantry, and
General Shcridans headquarters. 1t has now
been shown how the cavalry ut Front Royal land
by the way lis Welio add that from our position
at Front Royal we communicated directly and
almost daily with General Augurs forces at
! Piedmont and ReetOrtown, ON the line OF the
| Manassas Gap Raroad), communicated with
| the infantry (CroOks) who were the left OF
the infantry line and on the left of the pike road
! between Winchester and Strasburg.
| A glance at the map will at once give TO the
| reader an exact idea Of the position occupied by
not only Crook at the time Of the attack, but by
the other corps and cavalry divisions of tue army,
| together with the position taken by the army
trains and reserve artillery, and the artillery in
line-ln position for actiOn--and in front on the
CORDS,
/ manded by MajOr-General Emory. On the left
! of EmOry's line, near the pike, were in position
! the lst Maine and what Is known as the Rhode
| Island OF Chase batteries.
| To the right of Emory was Clusters Cavalry. In
rear of Custer General Merritt, with his cavalry
| division had taken up position. Near Merritt,
and in rear tpartially OF the 18Th Corps, the 6th
Army Corps (Wrisht's) was held in reserve Not
great distance from the pike were the head
! quarters Of General Sheridan, in the yard Of an
| Old Virginia mansion. Near this mansion, and
| on an open field, were the army trains (lnmun-
| lion and uthlrWisC) and the Reserve Artillery
| General Crook had some artillery On portion Of 1t
| being the l4Ih Pennsylvania Battery and four
! pcC,s Of a regular b1ttcry) in position so
as 10 rOvor the ford nc and the bridge over Cedar
| creek, While General Emory had some more
| artillery Che lSJ Maine Battery, the Chase Rhode
Island Batteries, aud some OtheCs,) Ia position 10
| thcil The highlands on the opposite side of Cedar
UeCk-lhc highlands across the creek in front of
| the IoslOn he occupied. Custer was watching
! ihe1iEht uank OF the army with artillery inpJsi-
tion, to prevent n surprise or advance from that
direction. Merritt was in readiness 10 support
I Custer, and the 9Th Army Corps is in position -
move to either iank where more or most needed.
This was the position the army occupied ~ the
time when the attack vas made.
THE RATTLE.
As l have previously stated it was moonlight,
AID all around prevailed the stiffness usual In
Mat hour Of the morning.
While this stiffness was prevailing, the enemy
had noisCllssly maSsed heavy column of troops
| behind the hills on the southwest side of Cedar
creek, and directly in front Of the positions occu
pied by our extreme pIclscts. At agiYen signal
(as We afterwards loaTned), the enemy advanced
rapidly in solid columns Of regiments. Our
pickets were chargcd-sOme Of them captured,
! and some of them driven in--hardly before they
I bad time TO discharge their muskets. In facs,
, OF what few p,Ckets did come in, the enemy
cane in so soon aiICr and so close 10 them, that
1t was near tic rs 70 which parties Nvarued the
slumbcrius camp o ,he army of the danger near
at hand.
Having driven IN or captured our pickets on the
left Of tho line cf the infantry of the army, the
enemy charged across Cedar creek at the ford,
and very soon after on the bridge over said
stream, and reached the side OF the hill and
bleastWorks occupied by ThOrburn's Division OF
the Ssh Amy COTps--CTOOk's. The Rebels hesi-
tutCd not, but pressed on as a dashing cataract
overall barriers, completely surprising and In
measure stampGliug the left of General Sheri-
. dams me. by lhlb success the enemy gained
I some aItiliery-I believe the 18th Pennsylvania
= Battery and some pieces Of regular battery.
The suddenuess Ul the attack and its wonderful
s success for short time bowdered the troops 50
, suffering. Many OF them were taken prisoners,
but by far the greater portion got away, and with
I their arms. The oll2r division OF Crooks Corps
, which Was allowed ONE time 90 form, did 50, an
a was soon joined in line by the remaining portion
G . ofIhobun's Division All this while the enemy
o kept pressing ON and pouring IN upon our men
S arguid and mur1 .fous fire, fire from mu5kctry
8 Us 80 IRON nlIlo!y posted upon the hills on the
!. opposite side o. Cgilr creek.
e forces lHe enemy quickly turned his attention
q toward, lhg right II she pike, where the 18Th
i Corps GcECra luOrys COmmand) was gotten
o into ii @, and bis artillery to work at short range
. Al this lime q bold charge was made by the
enemy under cover Of his guns 70 capture
ImOy'S artillery. lu measure this charge wa
successful, although 1t was resisted with grea
yigor ana by a fire that would have done credi
to the best Of veterans under the most trying cir
g Cumstances.
/; In the charge tho Rebels took one or two
d, pieces of the lst Maine Battery, aud l believe
portion OF the Chase Battery. What most helpeC
l. the Rebels was the exact range which they go
o OF our pleCes-the ones captured-trom the Gle
n yat.d, Commanding position on the opposite 5id
OF the creek.
!! As soon as the tight commenced and il Wa'
q known how the left had suffered, the 9th Corp
u passed from It's position OF reserve over 70 where
= the Slh Corps was located in the commencement
- OF tile engagement
: The trains, too, were got out as speedily as pos
sible taking the pike road TO winchester, where
they arrived in safety,
. Tie enemy discovering the success Of his sur
: prise, and believing that il was now for him only
? 10 triumphanty advance land by the way mus
mention that il was now broad daylight, brought
bis columns and artillery across Cedar creek, &C
, press the pursuit with yigOr.
While this was being done, and brief lul
| DIeYaileQ. our line WAS contracted, and com