The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-05

gallopped forward to rally his men,
and mounting a slight declivity was
confronted at less than a hundred
yards by the enemy's infantry, which
instantly delivered volley of bullets
and yells. Z Hayes horse fell dead
beneath him, pierced by many bullets,
and by the suddeness of its fall, while
at full speed, flung its, rider violently
out of the saddle. Col. Hayes was
terribly bruised, and his foot and ankle
badly wrenched in being disengaged
from the stirrup. For a moment the
soldiers on both sides supposed him to
be killed, as he lay upon the ground
benumbed with pain, and scarcely able
to move. Recovering himself, how
tver. he sprsng to his feet, and in
che midst of a perfect storm of bullets
from the rebels, who we're now almost
upon him, ran back to his division,
which he regained without further in
jury. Meanwhile the headquarters
train had escaped, and the division
being no longer supported on rear OF
flank. resumed its backward movement.
The fighting now grew more and more
stubborn on the union sides; the ene-
my, wearied with marching and fight
ing, and tempted with camp plumber,
more and more relaxed his pursuit,
and ut last, in position of their own
selection, they were brought to dead
halt. The enemy seemed to content
himself with Smelling them, and for
the time being made no further de-
monstration. Gen. Comfy, then COM
handing the 23d Ohio, of Hayes diyi-
sion, thus described the scene and what
followed:
"Gen. Crook lay a couple of rods
away from the line, in place which
seemed to be more particularly exposed
than any other part of the line. Col.
Hayes lay close ny, badly bruised from
his fall, and bitterly complaining be-
cause his troops did not charge the
enemy's line, instead of waiting to be
charged. Suddenly there is dust in
the rear, on the Winchester pike, and
almost before they are aware a young
man in full major general uniform. and
riding furiously a magnificent black
horse, literally flocked with foam,
reins up and springs offat Gen. Crooks
side. There is a perfect roar as ev-
erybody recognizes Sheridan. He talks
with Crook a little while, cutting away
at the tops of the weeds with his rid.
ing-whip. Gen. Crook speaks a half
dozen sentences that sound a great
deal like the crack Of whip, and by
that time some of the staff are up.
They are sent flying in different direc-
tiOns.
Sheridan and Crook lie down and
seem to be talking, and all is quiet
again, except the vicious shells of the
different batteries and the roar of ar
tillery along the line. After a while
Col. Forsyth comes down in front and
shouts to the general The Nineteenth
corps is close up, sir Sheridan jumps
up gives one more cut with his whip,
whirls himself around once, jumps on
his horse, and starts up the line.
just as he starts, he says to his men:
eve are going to have good thing on
them now, boys" and so he rode off,
a long wave of yells rolling up to the
right with him. The men took their
posts, the line moved, forward, and
the balance of the day is a household
word over the whole nation.''
The advance here described began
at 3 o'clock P. NJ, the men moving
steadily. and confidently forward over
the wooded and broken ground, the
screams of shells and rattle of musket-
ry at the same time swelling into fu-
rious chorus along the whole line.
Quickly the enemy's front line was
carried by brilliant charge and his
left decidedly turned, Gordon's divi-
sion, which led the attack in the NOR
ming, having been outfianked and brok-
en-, Then came a pause in the ad.
vance, but not in the fight, as the enc
my opened with his full artillery force
now largely strengthened by his. cap
lures. The different divisions were
adjusted to the new attitude of the en-
envy, and then followed a second
charge more determined and more
overwhelming than. the first, breaking
the rebel line at all points and forcing
the flying fragments back upon the
turnpike, a frantic, hopeless mob. In
to this bowling mass-blocking the
narrow roadway with wagons, cais-
sons, and disordered troops-the artil-
lery now poured terrific fire, Great
ing a wild panic that speedily spread
throughout the entire army. Guns,
teams, everything was abandoned by
the flying enemy, and Sheridan's vic
torious battalions, gaining momentum
each moment, picked up prisoners by
the hundred and cannon by the score.
The rebel army was completely. pull
verified, and only darkness saved it
from total capture or annihilatlon.
there was nothing left for
Sheridan to 6ght,~ and, excepting two
or three cavalry skirmishes, the war
in the valley was ended.
Col. Hayes was now promoted to