Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-06-28
MISCELLANY.

~ W1 w IA w IA ZA>Zo
MISCELLANY.
HAYES ARMY sERvlCE.
| Sheridan, after raiding the Shenan
doah valley with his cavalry, hat
Withdrawn to point near Cedar
creek, six miles below Fishers Hill
and had gone OH a flying trip t.
Washington, devolving the command
upon his senior corps commander
Gen. Wright. The troops occupied
high ground, Crooks corps being ii
advance, Emory's Nineteenth on tht
right and about mile in the rear o1
Crooks front line, and Wright's Sixth
on the right of Emory's, the extreme
right being covered by division o.
cavalry. Crooks forces comprised
two divisions, Hayes and Thorburn's
numbering about 1900 men in all
Hayes line being continuous of thai
of the Nineteenth corps, and Thor
burn occupying a position about {
mile in advance of Hayes, covered by
o slight parapet. The nearest forces
Of national cavalry on the left was Al
Fort Royal, eight miles distant. Gen
Crook had applied for division o.
this force to cover his exposed lef
and an adjacent ford of the Shenan
doah, and his request had been grant
ed, but by some mischance the cavalry
did not take its position promptly al
ordered. Early, aware of the absence
of the cavalry, resolved to steal out OF
his forest covert at Fishers Hill, pass
by the Cedar creek position, then fall
upon the union flank and rear. He
began this movement during the night
of Oct. l8, which fortunately for him
happened to be very foggy and dark
Sending one division to the west by
way of diversion, his main column
leaving the turnpike, advanced to the
right by nnfrequented paths along the
side Of the mountain, holding on by
bushes where the men could scarcely
otherwise have kept their feet, and
twice fording the north fork of the
Shenandoah. The cavalry which
Crook fully believed to be in position
on his flank would, had it really been
there, have covered the principal one
of these fords, and rendered this
movement impossible. In its absence
Early succeeded in completely passing
the flank without giving serious alarm
and an hour before dawn his troops
stood in the positions assigned them,
waiting for the order to attack. Just
as the first gray light of morning be-
gan to appear this order was given,
and simultaneously the familiar rebel
yell and a tremendous volley Of mus
kerry, stretching oil along the flank
from far to near, announced the pres
ence of the foe. In an instant Early's
plunging lines swept forward, and
striking Thorburn's division, crushed
it IN a twinkling. All the guns in the
line of the parapet were. of course,
captured, and the broken regiments,
utterly unable to resist such an over
whclming onset, were swept hurried.
ly to the rear. Hayes division mean
while flew to arms, and changing
front, advanced in the direction in
which the enemy was evidently COM
ing. Its whole strength at this time
was about fourteen hundred and
forty-five electives, not enough to
make a respectable skirmish- line
along the front Of attack. In mo-
ment the enemy, inspired and impell-
ed by his first success, burst from the
thick woods in front. and was greeted
with full volley from Hayes men.
But successful resistance was impOssi-
bic, and even the attempt TO resist
seemed like madness. In moment
more the force which had struck
Thorbnrn was closing In upon Hayes
flank and rear, and there was no al :
tentative but retreat or capture. In
the face Of imminent peril the diyis-
ion withdrew with steady lines, and
from this to the close Of the terrible
ordeal Of surprise and retreat, MAIN
tanned its organization unbroken, not
losing so much as tin plate. Col.
Hayes directed its movements with
the utmost intrepidity, leading it
backward in good order and from
one hill top TO another, and making
energetic resistance at every possible
point, His superb GOODNESS and cour-
age in the midst of the frightful rout
and confusion acted like magic upon
his men, and the example Of his di-
vision. checking each rebel onset with
its firm and steady lines, terminated
the broken regiments, and fired them
with its own determined spirit of re.
sistancc.
Overpowered and driven from its
position, Crooks command now ell
deavored to form on the left of the
Sixth corps, which itself in turn was
soon obliged to fall back. While the
movement was going OH, the trains
We're all rapidly moving of, though
imminently exposed to capture. Sher-
idan's headquarters train was partic-
ularly in peril, and a desperate effort
to save it was made, which proved
successful. Just as the enemy's tri-
umphant lines were sweeping down
upon the train, Col. Hayes brought
his division to a halt, and met them
with firm resistance. Some of his
regiments wavering under the terrible
fire, Col. Hayes galloped forward to
rally his men, and mounting a slight
declivity was confronted at less than
hundred yards by the enemy's in
fantry, which instantly delivered a
volley of bullets and yells. Hayes
horse fell dead beneath him, pierced
by many bullets, aud by the sudden
ness 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 sol
diers on both sides supposed him to
be killed, as he lay upon the ground
bcnumbed with pain, and scarcely
able to move. Recovering himself
however, he sprang to his feet, and
in the midst Of perfect storm of bull.
lets from the rebels, who were now
almost upon him, ran back to his di.
vision, which he regained without
further injury. Meanwhile the head.
quarters train had escaped, and thu
division being no longer supported
on rear or flank, resumed its back.
ward movement. The fighting now
grew more and more stubborn on thu
union side the enemy, wearied will
marching and fighting, and tempted
with camp plunder, more and mor'
relaxed his pursuit, and at last, in {
position of their own selection, the,
were brought to dead halt. The en-
envy seemed to content himself will
shelling them, and for the time beins
made no further demonstration. Gen
Comfy, then commanding the 22d
Ohio, of Hayes division, thus de
scribed the scene and what followed
/ "Gen. Crook lay couple of rod
away from the line in place whicl
seemed to be more particularly ex
posed than any other part of the line
Col Hayes lay close y,badly bruised
from his late fall and bitterly com
planning because his troops did no
charge the enemy instead of waitin,
to be charged. Suddenly there Is
dust in the rear, on the Wincheste
pike, and almost before they ar
aware Young man in full major gen