Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-09-23
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR.
How Sheridan Procured the Information
Which Led to Victory.

Valley, near Winchester, Va, Sep
tember 10, 1864, was a beginning of
the downfall of the Confederacy-
since that victory, with the operations
of the following month in the same
quarter, destroyed the military power
of the rebellion in the valley, closed
permanently that broad highway of
Northern invasion, by which the
South had been able so long and so
successfully to divert the war from the
interior Of Virginia to its boundaries,
and eifectually circumscribed the ter
ritory Of the struggle in that State.
The battle Of Winchester was one of
the most sanguinary and hotly con-
tested battles of the war. The actual
lighting of the day was confined to a
space Of about FIVE hours time afer
mid day, and before the final result
more than 5000 of Sheridan's army
were put hors du combat. The con-
test ended about 6 o'clock with the
rout Of the enemy, who fed in the
greatest disorder to Fishers Hill.
The Confederate historian is probably
correct in the Importance that he gives
to this Union victory, although [ be-
lieve he is the only writer on either
side who has clearly pointed out the
reasons which made it disastrous to
the cause of the South. The report
of General Grant (page 16,) sets forth
in few words the military situation
in the Shenandoah Valley just prior
to the battle. He says:
The two armies lay in such a posi-
tion-the enemy on the west bank OF
the Opequan creek, covering Win
chester, and our forces in front OF
Berryyille-that either could bring on
a battle at any time. Defeat to us
would lay open TO the enemy the States
of Maryland and Pennsylvania for
long distances before another army
could be interposed to check him.
Under these circumstances, | hesi-
tated about allowing the initiative tc
be taken. Finally, the use of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad and the
| Chesapeake and Ohio canal, which
were both obstructed by the enemy
| became so indispensably necessary tC
| us, and the importance of relievinl
| Pennsylvania and Maryland from con
Itinuously threatened invasion SC
Egreat, that | determined the risk
should be taken. But fearing to tele.
Egraph the order for an attack without
| knowing more than did of Genera
| Sheridan feelings as to what woulc
be the probable result, | left Cit,
Point on the 10Th of September tC
visit him at his headquarters, to de.
eide, after conference with him, what
should be done. | met him at Charles
town, and he pointed out so distinctly
how each army lay, what he could dc
the moment he was authorized, and
expressed such confidence of success
/! that | saw there were but two words
of instruction necessapy-Go in ~
"On the 10th of September, 1864, a
cOlored man came to our house and
gave me a little package of tinfoiI
about one half an inch square, which
| he said contained note from General
| Sheridan, desiring me to give him any
reliable information | could of Early :
forces. | had spent an evening with
a rebel officer the same week, and as
the war was the most interesting sub
jec', we talked of it. asked many
questions, and he replied to them; so,
when General Sheridan's note came,
| knew all he wanted to know, an.
swered his note and rolled it in the
same foil. The colored man put it in
his mouth and vent away, The next
| heard Of it was the booming of can
non on Monday morning. You well
know the result of that day. The
general called in the evening and told
me it was on my information alone
| that he gave his orders of attack"
1t is quite evident from all this that
| General Sheridan had very exact in
formation as 10 the numbers and dis
position of Early's army. The facts
as to how he obtained this information
make one Of the most interesting in.
cidents of the war; and considering
the great importance of the results
that followed, the incident deserves to
| be preserved in reliable form. Some
attempts have been mado to tell this
story to the newspapers, but always
with an effort to give romantic gloss
to the affair which has detracted from
the simple and interesting truth. The
writer hereof passed through all the
fortunes of that glorious day in one
of the New York regiments, and feel
ing desirous of learning the actual
facts as to how Sheridan obtained his
information, he recently wrote to the
person who had been accredited with
giving it-a lady supposed to be living
at Winchester-requesting the facts
and permission to make them public.
Both were given a few days later in a
letter from Washington, and the writer
is glad to be able to furnish to the
thousands who will feel deeply inter
ested in the matter the statement of
Sheridan's informant in her own
words. She says
The writer Of the above now fills a
place in the treasurer's Office of the
treasury department, Washington.
Her name is forwarded to the Times
with this communications but as she
probably does not crave the notoriety
which would follow its publication, it
is withheld. OF all the thousands of
Union women at the South during the
war who helped along the good cause,
it may be questioned if any of them
had better opportunity to aid it, or
improved 1t better than this one. She
performed an inestimable service for
that cause, by giving this information,
and deserves the gratitude of every
patriot for II. j. +. +.
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