Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-11-08

we!l used to tans afirs BY this time, 60 shall
peisiss in writing as u:ual
Tho rcbels played sIrewd game on US yes
terdsyl and calculated to make big thing Of it
They thought Tho Sixth Corps had gone t
Petersburg, for we did get started to 20 laa
Thursday and that now was their time. They
orept around to our l1ft, and commenced the
attack before daylight. The Eighth and Nine
tccnih CorTs, il appears, had no warning oil
their approach whatever. IL is said the rebels
entered suffers sbanly bsforo the sutler was
awake, Inquired the pric, OF whi:key and to-
bacco, and then they ooly informed him that
they would relieve him OF what little be had
and before tho autler had hardly got his eyes
open to perceive tho condition OF affairs, he
found himself minus stock OF goods and a
prisoner ia the enemys hands. Tho troops
were throwa into confusion before they had
time to rally Tor effective resistance. All was
confusion add dismay with them. The plain
to their rear WAS covered with stragglers, panic
stricko and running for dear life. Alas for the
army hero, had there been no Sixth Corps to
stand in the breach and burl back the rebel
hoEdcs that seemed to bG sweeping everything
before them
The first firing We heard was on our right,
then there was little picket skirmishing on
our front, which, however, created no alarm.
They were very fain! iolnts But when the
firing commenced on our left il was explained
% as very quickly that the enemy was upon US
Ia lorce, and that they intended no ehild's play.
Ofdsis soon camo for as 10 pack up, and We
guards an1 pioneers had mons Too much time to
load hsadqlarter baggage and tents into the
wagons and get out Of the way, for in very
few mlnntos afterwards, the Johnnies had
possession Of that place themselves. Our camp
was about half ola mile to the rigAt Of the
" pike, opposite Middleton. That town and
road were in possession Of the enemy before We
had our wagons loaded, and they were coming
rapidly down on our left flank Large squads
were streaming back from the front in reck
lees confusion, totally disorganized, and all the
lines OF provost guards they could establish,
could not check their disgraceful Eight II
became evident at once, that the Eighth and
Nineteenth Corp, were overpowered, and il the
staunch reserve Corps,--tho old Sixth, could
not hold the enemy all would be lost. Indeed,
when our brigade marched out to take stand
against the enemy who were coming impetu
cusly forward, it seemed like opposing child
against giant, and that we should be crushed
at once. The rear Of the enemys muske;ry.
ard their hellish yell, was coming nearer and
nearer, while through the fog and smoke, We
could see but little opposition to their coming.
Alter our brilliant victories at W Winehestef and
Fishers Hill, were we now to be delea ted, per-
haps totally destroyed I As things looked
then, the very best we could hope Tor, was
that we could hold them iill night, and then
retreat t, Winchester or Harper's Ferry.
Our Corps was pushed back about three
miles. Gen. Sheridan was on MS way buck
from Washington, and, thanks to a merciful
Providence, was as near as Winchester when
the fight commohced. lIurrying forward, he
arrived at tho seat Of action just in time to stay
the tide Of disaster, and turn defeat into victory
We met him on his way up. There was look
Of confidence and stern determination in his eye
that inspired the men with more hope and
courage, believe, than whole corps Of rc-
en- n'orcements would have done. Somehow every
body iel; a sens. Of relief when they heard that
Gen. Sheridan was on the ground. We all be-
lleycd he would accomplish ,omtihirg, aad he
did. Up to that time you could hardly tell
that there was any line 10 hold. Each division
appeared to hshi and fall back independently,
aAd the best they could,
Things took different tarn, Immediately,
when Gen. Sheridan rode along the line and
commenced operation himself Seeing some
stragglers he rallied them at once, told them
for uod's sake not TO turn their backs to the
enemy, and promised them that they should not
only get their earthworks back before night,
but that they would have the enemy back across
Cedar Creek, and Gen. Sheridaa abundantly
fulfilled bis promise.
Il was about three o'clock. The Johnnies
had had everything their own way, They had
captured over twenty guns, almost all of the
Nineteenth Corps train, headquarters and all,
anl large numb,r OF prisoners. Ba, their
hour OF triumph was a. an end. Instead OF the
glorious victory they had planned, and supposed
they had within their grasp, they experienced
a most humiliating defeat, worse, IL possible,
than that at Fisber's Hill onr weeks ago. We
captured back all we had lost, except prisoners,
and twice as much more. Some 1000 prisoners
and about 6fty guns we're taken from them,
besides nearly hundred wagons, and more
trophies of victory are constantly coming IN.
The bcys unanimously attribute our knal success
to tie ..meY arrival Of Gen. Sheridan. The
ma sne,ism Of his fiery snorgy electrified the
army with kindred spirit, and they Tough,
with just that desperate yalor tia, sas needed
to turn the tide Of a1airs IN our favor. Send.
inc bic ca,alr, around on their flank, ho com.
PEELED them to fail back, and then he ordered
his boys to up and alter them. The retreat
soon became complete roqt, and If Sheridan
could have told The sun to stand still, as did
Joshua OF old, their ainy would never have
troubled again. |. will need an immense
sight Of repairing before il. can trouble US much.
as it is,
Can eha.lhnn an hia uax m krnrn W,n