Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-03-24

der to advance was given, and Farley says
that the attack on his lines was made
/" about ten" These Generals were busy
and time flew by them fast. Twenty
minutes past eleven was the hour, as nu-
merous subordinate commanders have
agreed in testifying. Why this first ad-
vance was not successful, but terribly
otherwise, Colonel Walker plainly shows
by simply describing what happened in
his own brigade. What could General
do when nearly all his troops, his best
with his worst, ignored the line of battle
and forsook it, and took to fighting by
brigades and regiments, some fighting the
enemy, some fighting the air ? Sheridan,
not being superhuman and able by omni-
presence to prevent such madness, could
only be as much of a man as was possible
while his rash soldiers took the victory
into their own hands, aud, plunging dis
ordered into woods and ravines, soon left
it in the hands of Early, who hurled out
from his lines superb, audacious coun-
tercharge. That Sheridan won the vic
tory back again later in the day is fea-
Their in his cap quite as fine as that of
Ceder Creek. His army at the Opequan
was for a time in very little better care
than he found it ON the 10Th of October,
after his famous ride.
Colonel Walkers account of the battle
of Fishers Hill is excellent 1t puts in
clear light the ingenious and dashing
maneuvres by means of which Sheridan,
with trifiing loss, routed Early from an
almost impregnable fortress, which nature
had provided by closing in the mountains
till the valley, compressed into billowy
IL - - he,
&c half written letter." says Colonel
Walker, d" found in the works after we
had carried them, spoke of the rebel army
as secure in a haven of rest" We
doubt if any participant on either side
will write very much better description
than Colonel Walkers of this battle.
The best tribute we can pay to "the
Vermont Brigade" at parting, is to say
that it stood fast at Cedar Greek with
Getty's division when all the rest of the
infantry had crumbled away to the rear.
Sheridan, on coming up, found only this
division, besides the cavalry, confronting
the enemy; and if it had not been for
Getty's troops Sheridan could scarcely
have kept his promise to the retreating
soldiers he met on the road, that they
should sleep in the old camps that night.
The worth of Getty has not been suffi-
GENTLY noised abroad. The trumpet of
fame which blared so many names of mock
heroes in our war has been almost silent
in his praise. He always proved himself
to be most excellent soldier; and at
Cedar Creek, with lost battle raging
around him, he was model even for the
Vermonters to copy. He kept great de-
feat alive until world famous victory
flashed up from it.
Colonel Walker vexes himself with the
question What was the relative strength
of Sheridan and Early's forces We will
not follow him into that There is no
record yet available to show what Early :
strength for battle really was. 1t is true,
we think, that Sheridan's army outuum-
bered his, from first to last, but this de-
tracts nothing from the merit of the Union
general. If it was demanded of Sheridan
that he should answer for his superior
numbers in overwhelming success, the an
initiated army of EARLY is an eloquent
witness how well this demand was met.
The Vermont Brigade in the Shenandoah
Valley 1859. By Alden F. Walker" Burlington,
Vt TIL Ftee Press Association. 1865.