Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-01-06


which about made up my losses at Win
chester and Fishers Hill. went INTO
this fight with eight thousand five hun
dred $500 muskets, about iorIy pieces
Of artillery and about twelve hundred
200 cavalry. as the rest Of my caval-
ry, which was guarding the Luray Val
ley, did not get up in nme, though order
ed TO move al the same time l moved TO
the attack Sheridan's infantry had
been recruited fully up to lis Strength al
Winchester, and his cavalry numbered
500, as shown by the official reports
captured. The main cause why The
route of his army in The morning was not
complete was the fact :hal my cavalry
could not compete with his, and The lat
icy, therefore, remained intact. tie claim
ed all his own. guns that had been csPiur'
ed in the morning and a(ltrward recap
lured, as so many guns caPIured IRON
me, whereas | osi only twenty three
luns, and the loss OF these and The wa
CONS which were taken was mainly ow-
ing TO the fact that bridge, on narro"
par, OF the road between Cedar Greek
anG Fishers Hill, broke down. and the
fronled Sheridan on the | llh and l2th IN
front Of his enlrenchments between New
Town and Kesrnstown and then relIred
back TO New Matkei because provisions
and forage could moi be obtained in the
lower Valley. The expeditions by
which the posts OF New Creek and BeV-
erly were subsequently captured, were
sent on. also from my force Ia The Valley.
The strong force which General Grant
says was entrenched under me al Wsynes
boIo, when Sheridan advanced up The
Valley in The latter part of February,
1865, with two divisions Of cavalry oI
guns and wagons. which latter were not
numerous, could mol be brought off. Pur'
suit was not made 10 Mount Jackson, as
stated by both Grant and Stanton, but
we halted for the night al Fishers Hill,
three miles from Cedar Creek, and next
day moved back to New Market, six
miles from Mount Jackson, without any
pursuit al all. SO far from il being true,
a. stated by Mr.. Stanton, that no force
appeared in the Valley after this, the fact
is that organized my force at New
Market, and on the 10Th of November
moved down the Valley again and con-
5000 each 10000 n aII,) consisted OF
about one thousand (I,U00) infantry and a
few pieces Of artillery, mos! Of my inlsn-
try having been returned TO General Lee
TO meet corresponding detachments from
Sheridan TO Grant. and all my cavalry and
most of the artillery having been sent of
on account Of the impossibiity Of for
aging the horses in the Valley. Obvious
reasons Of policy prevented any publIca-
ion of these facts during The war, and it
will now be seen that was leading for.
Iorn hope all the time, and The public can
appreciate the character Of the victories
won by Sheridan over me.
The statements have made are from
facts coming within my own knowledge,
and they are made 10 show the disparity
between the Confederate armies and
those Of The United States. These state.
ments will serve 10 give some idea of the
dispsrilies existing in other lines. lnow
ask which has retired from lhe contest
with more true glory, that heroic band
Of Coniederales who 50 long withslood
tremendous armies and resources Of the
United States, or ,ha, "Grsnd Army of
,he Upion," which, while being recruited
from all The world, was enabled by ICON
linuous hammering" 10 so exhaust its op.
ponenl "by mere allriion' as 10 compel
surrender! The world has never wit
messed so great apoilicsl crime as that
committed in the destruction Of the Con
lederate Government by armed force.
.Olher nations, in ancient as well as mod.
ern times, have fallen under the yoke Of
The conqueror or usuTper, because their
own follles, vices or crimes had prepared
the way for their subjugalion. Many
tears have been shed over the fate OF un-
happy Poland, but we cannot shut our
ewes 10 The fact that the Poles had shown
their incapscily 10 manage their own
Government ere they were consigned 10
foreign rule. In our case, however, the
civilized nations Of the earth have stood
sloof and seen brave and patriotic peo-
pie politically murdered, while msintsin-
ing an unprecedented struggle for the
right Of self government. and manilesting
at every step their capacity for it, and
lhis. TOO, when under an assumed neu-
tfslity, the resources o! men, money and
munitions Of war OF those very nations
were being freely used TO consummste tie
monlrous deed. and thereby give the e.
nal blow 10 genuine republican govern,
ment even in Ihe United States.
On behalf Of my down-Iodden country,