, 1876-06-24


tackthy the cnt'ny's right and centre, AMI
Crr, ,k'e Corps liting HCht nr0nft to tt right IN
rnVeInpe 'i!s LETT and rear. Col. Hays UiriA-
ion leu in tfl'a latter movement, and hy making
lctuur through scr!cs Of ravncs arrived nt
punt on Early'a fink deemed unafRaln!lr.
Elafnber!nE ZIP the stcep sklc Of North MUM
thnt whIclI WINS covered with MI almost impct.-
ctral,!c c'tntg1cncrt of trees and un'lerhri,rl1,
the division ulEcrtclyetl Ganct1 Il W,stlon clO-n
tn and IN rear of the cnr1ny'x li,ic, A,nl then
charged With perfect fury, insoInur! that the
Rebels scarcely male my resistance NJ nli, but
fed IN utter rout ans tcrrtF, leaving many l<uns
nntl llumlredA If prfsonpra to The victorious sol.
tltcrs. Meanwhile Earlys t,'ntre had a!s', hcct,
broken, anil s rrny prtc!pItatcly lett The ,irld,
a.lieorlcrcd mob. til. llnyrs was nt the head
u lTs column throughout tic brilliant charge,
example, nt rerssnal .laring. greatly adding to
th. enthusiasm aud t1npctuosi.y Of fills sInen.
Ncary month ELAPSED, during which Early
tllotfoHgy y, 5sorganIzea md la1Ecly tncrea;e'i
With hls cavalry, had Withdrawn tu q ppint near
Er,'nr Greek, & intIus hvlnw Fisllcr's lltll, md
a'' gone on flying trip g Washington. ,lcyolv-
ihE the command upon l,!s Reuior corps cum.
hrh ground, Crook's Corps hring III advance,
Ennry's Nineteenth Oh tile right, mud atn,ut n
mile III rear nf Crook'e frnnt linz, anil WrEht'a
Sixth on the right Of Efnory's, the extreme
CFnok's iorvcs comprised two divisions, iaycs'
aud Thohusn'a, numbering about 1000 men in
al, ftayrs line t,cing continuous u that uf tie
Nineteenth Curps, md TAuburn Wyupyng a
crcd by n light parairt, The Nearest furcc. "
national cavalry un thu left WIS at Port toynl,
tn'lcs distant Gen. Crook hal applied lor
division VI this force t., euvcr his t1ju.ctt left
flank and An atllacent ford Of the Shenandoah,
aud hin request had been granted, but by tone
sn'schance the cavalry did not take its position
Early, aware of tllr absence Of tho cavalry,
resolved e stcal out OF hia forest covert at
Fisher. Hill, pass ty tic Cellar Creek position,
then fail uIun the Cnon flank and rear. lie
began this movement during the night Of Oct.
ls, which, fortunately for hin, hapI' .ucd 70 he
scry fYEgy and dark Sending, ono division
nnn, leaving the turnpike, advanced U the
right BY npfrcquented paths a1nng thu rdc oI
the mountain, llol!llng nt, by bushes whcrc tho
men could scarcely olhcrwiso have kept their
feet, md twlce f',rtlng the North Fork Of the
shenandoah. The cavalry, whict, Crook firmly
believed tn bc I'll position Uu Ills !atlk, would,
llatl II really been there have covered the prin-
cipal one Of thcscfOr and rcn,}crel this lloyc
Hent Impossible. In its ahecnce Early sue
giving serious alarm, and an hour before dawn
| Its troops stood IN the positions US
signed thcin, waiting Tor tho order Of attack.
just ~ tile first gray light Of morning
,lltAnc0usiy the fAluitlar Rebel yell and tre-
| 1ncilluus vollcy 0f JuusketTy, stretching oil
/ atung the aat,k anil far to the rear, announced
the presence Of thu foe. In IN instant Early's
! plungnE llnts swept forward, md, striking
1 Thoburn's Division, crushed IL III twtnk!ing.
| All tho guis In tic linz of rarnpetn ~crc IL
course captured. and tilc broken regiments, ut
tcriy unable to resist sucl un overwhelming on
set, were swept hurrlcdly ~ the rear nHyes'
! Division ,neanwle flew u arms, and, changing
frunt, advanced In the direction fruul which tic
enemy wus evidently conling. Its whole strength
ut thia time WAS but ,445 c1lectvcs, nut enough
III
fruNt Ut attark. In a moment the rnelnv,
inapircu aud inpelled by hls first success
burst from the ihisk wovls Iii front and wa4
t,r-etsa witt, full voslry frou1 Hayes men
| hut successful resistance Has impossible, and
even the attempt to rcslst seemed like 1lnncss.
In moment ,i.t,rc the force which had struck
ThpburM was closing In upon Iinycs' Hank and
! rear nd there wus hu ALTERNATIVE but retreat or
division Withdrew with nteutly lines, niil from
this until the close ot the terrible ogslca! nf sur
prise aNd retreat, maintained its organization
unlrokeN, not losing eu MUCH u q tin-plate.
must skill and intEepdi.y, leading 1t backward
gradually and III good oFler, from unc hilltop
tO another. ard making energetic resistance Ut
every possible point: us superb goodness an'i
cnnfusiol noted likc nlagIc UPON his men, and
the example Of Ills tiiSistun, checking each Rebel
unbei with Its firm and stendy lincs, scanlnattd
tho broken regiments, anl Tired than With tts
| Own determined spirit uf resistance.
Oycrpuwcred and driven from Ills advanced
| posltfun, Crooks command now cntlcavnrrd to
iusm on tho left of the Sixth Corps, which itsclf,
lnturl., fas suon obliged to fall buck. While
this movement was goltlg on tile tFasns were all
rapidly moving oir, though i,n'nncutly exposed
tn capture. Slcrldana headquarters train wns
particularly in peril, n,id desperate effort to
save II was mule, which proved successful.
DUST - thr cte1ly's triumphant lines were
| brD1iwht E{E iyIeft1B ta A halt anl mt tjrIn