Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-01-05

Fishers Hill. I went into this fight with
eight thousand FIVE hundred 6, 5000 muskets,
about forty pieces of artillery, and about
twelve hundred (1,2o0) cavalry, as the rest
Of my cavalry, which was guarding the Lu
ray Valley, did not get up in time, though
ordered to move at the same time moved to
the attack. Sheridan's infantry had been re-
cruited fully up to its strength at Winchester,
and his cavalry numbered 5000, as shown
by the official reports captured. The main
cause why the route Of his army in the morn
ing, was not complete, was the fact that my
cavalry could Lot compete with his, and the
latter, therefore, remained intact. lie claim
ed all his own guns that had been captured
in the morning and afterward recaptured, as
50 many guns captured from me, whereas l
lost only twenty three guns, and the loss OF
these and the wagons which were taken was
mainly owing to the fact that bridge, on a
narrow part of the road between Cedar Creek
and Fishers Hill, broke down, and the guns
and wagons, which latter were not numerous,
could not be brought off. Pursuit was not
made to Mount jackson, as stated by both
Grant and Stanton, but my troops were halt
ed for the night at Fishers Hill, three miles
from Cedar Creek, and next day moved back
to New Market, six miles from Mount jack
son, without any pursuit at all. So far from
its being true, as stated by Mr. Stanton that
no force appeared in the Valley after this,
the fact is that reorganized my force at
~ +hn cfN lhnr
moved down the Valley again and confront
ed Sheridan on the 18th and 18th in front of
his intrenchments between Newton & Keans-
town and then retired back to New Market
because provisions and forage could not be
obtained in the lower Valley The expedi-
tons by which the posts Of New Greek and
Beverly were subsequently captured, were
sent out also from my force in the Valley
The strong force which General Grant says
was entrenched under me at Waynesboro,
when Sheridan advanced up the Valley in
the latter part Of February, 1865, with two
divisions Of cavalry Of 5000 each, $1,000
in all, consisted Of about one thousand a.
000) infantry and and a few pieces Of artil-
lery, most Of my infantry having been re-
tuTloU 10 NcLleidl Ilec w Hi0oo OollCHPoAo-
ing detachments from Sheridan to Grant, and
all my cavalry and most Of the artillery bav-
ing been sent off en- account of the impossi-
bility Of foraging the horses in the Valley.
Obvious reasons Of policy prevented any pub
lication Of these facts during the war, and it
will now be seen that was leading forlorn
hope all the time, and the public can appre-
., A., II, Of no bu
Sheridan over me.
The statements have made are from facts
coming within my own knowledge, and they
are made to show the disparity between the
Confederate armies and those Of the United
States. These statements will serve to give
some idea Of the disparitics existing in other
lines. | now ask>which has retired from the
contest with more true glory, that heroic
band Of Confederates who SO long withstood
the tremendous armies and resources Of the
United States, or that Grand Army Of the
Union.n which, while being recruited from
all the world, was enabled by continuous
hammering'' to 50 exhaust its opponent by
mere attrition" as to compel a surrender :?
The world has never witnessed 50 great po-
litical crime as that committed i'll the des-
truction Of the Confederate Government by
armed force. Other nations, III ancient as
well as modern times, have fallen under the
yoke of the conqueror or usrrper, because
their own foIlies, vices or crimes had prepared
the way for their subjugation. Many tears
have been shed over the fate Of unhappy
Poland, but we cannot shut our eyes to the
fact that the Poles had shown their incapac-
ity to manage their own Government ere
they were consigned to foreign rule. In our
case, however, tie civilized nations of the
earth have stood aloof and seen brave and
patriotic people politically murdered. while
maintaining an unprecedented struggle for
the right Of self government, and manitesting
at every step their capacity for it, and this,
too, when under an assumed neutrality, the
resources of men, money and munitions Of
war Of those very nations were being freely
used to consummate the monstrous deed, and
thereby give the final blow to q genuine re-
publican government even IN the United
States.
On behalf Of my down trodden country,
I make the appeal to those nations that they
will not commit the further injustice of re-
ceiving the history Of this struggle from the
mouths and pens Of our enemies. but that
they shall wait until the time shall come for
placing true history before them. In the
meantime, let all roy countrymen who were
in condition to know the character OF the
contest, put in trangible form to be pre-
served for the use Of the future historian,
such facts and materials of that history as
are in their knowledge or possession.
J. A. EARLY,
Lieut.. Gen. G. S. A.
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