The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-07-06
A ROMANCE OF THE WAR.

Near the northern extremity of the
plain at West Point is deep depres-
sion, a green and shaded dell, which
has long been known as the Execution
er's Hollow. 1t is said that in early
annals of the post the gallows had some
victims there. Yet no place on a sunny
day looks more delightful than this lit
tie glen, into the depths of which a
number of deciduous trees and ever
greens cast inviting shadows.
Strolling there this morning | was re-
minded of an incident of the evil war.
Inasmuch as this incident is strickly
true and nearly concerns an American
lady whose fame as a singer has spread
along with the renown of her beauty
and virtues over civilized lands, |
might not now be tempted to recital
of it if brief and imperfect version.
erroneous in several respects, had not
already found its way into the periodi-
cal press. Since the facts, honorable
alike to the living and the dead, are
those of singular and romantic TRACE
dy connected with the most brilliant
battle Of the rebellion, they belong, as
they really occurred, to the history of
the time.
1t was on the day OF the battle of
Cedar Creek, in the Shenandoah Val
ley. The surprise at dawn of the left
wing of Sheridan's army, commanded
in Sheridan's absence by Gen. Horatio
G. Wright, had been followed by a
check interposed by the old Sixth and
portion of the Nineteenth corps. and
by mastery retreat northward through
Middletown. While Early's troops
tarried to plumber the suddenly desert
ed Union camps Wright had reformed
his forces, which were now receiving
accessions from the arrested stragglers
in the rear. Nearly every soldier of
the Sixth who had not fallen in the
desperate struggle of the forenoon was
at his post. The Nineteenth was shorn
of some of its regiments; other regi-
ments had lost some of their COM
panies, and of others only few rem
nants were to be seen. OF the Army
of Western Virginia, which had been
tumbled out of its tents at dawn and
rolled over and over among it pots and
kettles by the yelling rebels before ii
was quite awake, that part of the new
position assigned to them, where re-
turning comrades swelled their num-
bers hour by hour. In fact, new line
of battle had been formed The in
fantry were employed in throwing up
temporary entertainments. The caval-
ry commands of Custer and Merritt
were allotted their posts. The artillery
was in place. Firing between the two
armies had nearly ceased. Skirmish-
ers had been established in front of the
Union line, and Gen. Wright, eager tc
recover the position which had been
wrested from him and punish the
antagonist who had come near over.
whelming the command in the absence
of his chief, had issued orders for {
general advance in the afternoon.
AT this juncture, when the army O
the Shenandoah was girding itself fol
retaliation, and not, as some records
have it, when it was fleeing northwarC
in dismay, Gen. Philip II. Sheridan, it
beloved and invincible commander
reached the field at the end of his ia
nous ride. The writer of this letter
in company with an officer of the Sixth
corps staff, was sitting on his horse a
the time, just behind battery stationed
on the left of the main turnpike extend
ing down the valley. Across this turn
pike, a short distance in front, the lef
flank of the army had been PARTIAL,
reformed as described. Both my com