Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-11-10
RIJTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER |, 1864,
c,a vormout Brigade AZ the HATTIE
of Cedar Creek. .....
COUNT NY AN OFFICER or rHE BLEW
BNTn REGIMENT.

Inc of the 10th wowere reused nom our
Inmber by the roaring Of artillery
.ca the rattle OF musketry. Time
ms not wasted, and there was
,ooe to lose for as we hurried of at u
3opble quick through the fog and smoke
that rendered objects nearly undisting-
,,sbablc, we could see the scattered rag
monts of the Eighth corps, the Army
A. Western Virginia" charging with
| ,Agr usual impetuosity through our
,,amn TO the rear, and the unfortunate
yOeteenth corps, compelled TO leave
heir position by the breaking of the
Eighth, retreatng with as much disor-
der. but far less Generalization. The
route seemed complete and the day lost
before the sun had fairly risen. But an
effort must at least be made to save our
trains and ambulances, and the Sixth
corps must do it. Gen. Wright was in
command Of the army, Gen Ricketts,
commanding the corps was soon wound
.d and our brave Gen. Getty Of the Sec
ond division assumed command of lie
corps. But only his Second division
was in sight, and in spite OF me me remon-
STRANGE Of &c" " Crook, he at once threw
It into the way of the rapidly approach
hg enemy. The Fifth, Sixth, and part
or the Eleventh were thrown forward as
,k,rmi, Sers to cover the formation of the
division, but we're presently driven back
on the main body D. the steady approach
Of double line ofbattle. Gettys dlvls-
lon, posted behind crest, the Vermont
Brigade in the centre, was at once rnil-
ousy attacked. A torrent of shell was
poured upon us by batteries upon the
turnpike. The muskets of the enemy
we're almost in our faces, as they tried
4 to press us from the ridge. Brave old
Gen. Bidwell, commanding the Third
brigade was MORALLY wounded, and
members of the Fifth carried him from
the field. From the brigade on the left
We could hear the'exhortation to Stand,
M the Vermonteys run ~ and our only
far In battle always is that troops will
break upon our TANKS, Many gallant
soldiers fell on that terrible hill top but
h We saved the army for we drove the
enemy back in disorder, and having re-
\ NAMED there an hour, giving time to re-
move the trains and baggage and par
n tally reorganizc the scattered forces, we
we're outfanked by the immensely supe-
nor forces of the enemy, and retired in
complete formation to the place selected
FOR the final stand.
AT this time every thing looked dis
al. We expected to cover the retreat
0, the army and give up the successes
Of our brilliant campaign. But at this
time in our gloom and dependency we
sent cheer rolling down our lines that
rebel prisoners interpreted as welcom-
ing a reinforcement OF twenty thousand
Il men. saw but one, little man on q
black horse,-a as he dashed down in
tront of us how we shouted and threw
up our hats and made the air ring with
our welcome to Phil Sheridan. We knew
in an instant we should not fall back.
His simple "We'll whip 'em before night
boys !" was enough. We felt like a
victorious army again.
Still, Wright had done all he could. He
was not in the least blamable for the
surprise Of the morning, and Sheridan
q only went on with his plan of reforming
the army. We rested till P. NJ, and
then advanced A single line of battle,
) the Sixth corps and part Of the Nine
Z tenth, (the Eighth had not been heard
from, charged Early's victorious army.
1t was hard dislodging them. They
made most excellent use of the stone
walls with which the country is COW
cred, and which gave "Stonewall' jack
son his soubriguet Once the Vermont
Brigade was left alone, but we had a
stone wall too, and held it. At last af-
ter vast expenditure Of ammunition
We could see symptoms of demoraliza-
ton, and with cheer we drove them
back-and back-allowing no time to
form their lines or our own-our colors
In the advance, and all pressing on, we
"whirled" them three good miles till we
z PLANTED our banners in the breastworks
from which we had been so unceremoni-
Ousy flanked In the early morning. And
the cavalry were ready in time, and ev-
cry team on the narrow winding road to
Fishers Hill was seized, the poor John
mics being compelled to drive their ar
tillery to our park guns by the score,
arNhulances, baggage wagons, prison
ers came pouring in, and as we returned
with cheers and hilarity to our camp of
the morning, we heard to our surprise
that the rebels were allowed no rest even
on their stronghold Of Fishers Hill, but
scattered on up through the valley. At
ter Gen. Sheridan, Gen. Getty was the
hero Of the day, and he nobly deserves
the additional star recently conferred
upon him, Very quiet and unassuming,
p .a-r <. Ix.r