The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-11-29
osHEEIDAN,g RIDE.

back from the consultation at Washing
J ton, to which he had been ordered. In
the morning artillery firing was beard,
but It was attributed to an intended re-
connoisance, and nothing was thought
of it. After an early breakfast, Sheridan
mounted and trotted quietly through
Winchester, southwark. A mile from
the town the first fugitives from the lost
field were encountered. He instantly
gave orders to park the retreating train
on either side of the road, DIRECTED the
] greater part of his escort to follow as
best they could, then, with only twenty
cayalrymen accompanying him, ne
struck out in a swinging gallop for the
scene Of danger. AS he dashed up the
pike the crowds of stragglers grew
thicker. He reproached none; only,
swinging his cap, with CHEEKY smile
for all, he shouted: 'sFace the other
way, boys, face the other way. We are
going back to our camps. We are
going to lick them out of their boots"
Less classic, doubtless, than NapoleOn's
'.My children, we will camp, on the
battlefield, as usual" but the wound
ed raised their hoarse voices to cheer
as he passed, and the masses of fugi-
tives turned and followed him to the
front. As he rode into the forming
lines, the men quickened their pace back
to the ranks, and everywhere glad
cheers went up. "Boys, this never
should have happened if had been
here, he exclaimed to one aud another
regiment. 81 tell you it never should
have happened. And now we are GO
| ing back to our camps. We are going
to get a twist on them; we'll get the
tightest twist on them yet that ever you
saw. Well have all those camps and
cannon back againI" Thus he rode
along the lines, rectifed The formation,
cheered and animated the soldiers.
Presently there grew up across that pike
as compact body of Infantry and
cavalry as that which, month before,
had sent the enemy, "whirling through
Winchester His men had full faith
inthe "twist " he was "going TO get"
on the victorious foe; his presence was
inspiration, his commands were victory.
While the line was thus reestablished,
he was in momentary expectation Of
attack. Wright's Sixth Corps was some
distance in the rear One staff officer
after another was sent after it. Finally
Sheridan himself dashed down to hurry
it up; then back to watch it going into
position. As he thus stood, looking of
from the left, he saw the enemy's col
umns once mofe moving up. Hurried
warning was sent to the Nineteenth
Corps, on which It was evident the at
tack would fall. By this time it was
after three o'clock. go
The Nineteenth Corps, no longer
taken by surprise, repulsed the enemy's
onset. "Thank God for that said
Sheridan gaily. Snow tell General
Emery if they attack him again to go
after them, and follow them up. Well
get the tightest twist on them pretty
soon they ever saw" The men heard
and believed him; the demoralization of
the defeat was gone. But still he wait
ed. Word had been sent in from the
cavalry of danger from a heavy body
moving on his flank. He doubted it,
and at last determined to run the risk.
At four O'Clock the orders went out:
"The whole line will advance. The
Nineteenth Corps will move in counec-
ton with the Sixth. The right Of the
Nineteenth will swing toward the left"
The enemy lay behind stone fences,
and where these failed, breastworks of
rails eked out his line. For little he
held his position firmly. His left over
Tapped Sheridan's right, and seeing this
advantage, he bent it down to renew
| the attack in flank. At this critical
moment Sheridan ordered charge of
| General McWilliams' brigade against
/ the angle thus caused in the rebel line.
1t forced its way through, and the rebel
6anking party was cut of. Clusters
cavalry was sent swooping down upon
tit broke, and fled or surrendered, &C
cording to the agility of the individuals.
Simultaneously the whole line charged
along the front; the rebel line was
crowded back to the creek; the difficult
ties of the crossing embarrassed it, and
as the victorious ranks sweptup it broke
in utter confusion.
Custer charged down in the fast
gathering darkness to the west Of the
pike; Devin to the east of it; and on
either flank of the fleeing rOut they
flung themselves. Nearly all the rebel
transportation was captured, the camps
and artillery were regsined; up to Fish
er's hill the road was jammed with
artillery, oaissons, and ambulances;
prisoners came streaming back faster
than the Provost Marshals could pro-
vide for them. 1t was the end of
Early's army; the end OF campaigning
in the beautiful Valley of the Shenan-
doah. .g.s aII aS
| The effect upon the Government and
the country was electric. The first
rumors of disaster were painful and
widespread. On the heels Of these
came Sheridan's dispatch, announcing
the reverse and its retrieyal, and giving
a faint hint Of the splendid prizes-ar-
tillery for an army, transportation, am
munition, small arms in profusion that
could scarcely be estimated. General
Grant telegraphed from his position be-
fore Richmond: 81 had a salute Of
one hundred guns from each of the
armies here fred in honor of Sheridan's
last victory. Turning what bid fair to
be disaster into a glorious victory,
stamps Sheridan what always thought
him, one of the ablest of generals"
The Secretary of War endorsed and
published this to the world. The
resignation of General Mcclellan soon
made vacant Msjor-Generalship in
the regular army, and to this highest
prize in his profession Sheridan WAS
promoted.
1t was giddy height to which our
modest little red-faced Captain, who
thought he might yet be Major had
risen but his head was not turned. lie
did not even give vent to his exultatiou
in congratulations to his army. every