The Portland daily press., 1881-11-11
Cedar Creek.
The Story of sheridan's Famous Ride.

Colonel Herbert E. Hill, an ex-oficer of the
Union army. contributes to the Boston Travel
Ter the following graphic descriptions of the
battle Of Cedar Creek, that wonderful victory
snatched from the jaws Of terrible defeat by
the reinforcement of single man, Phil Sheri-
dan:
wednesday week was the seventeenth anni-
yersary of the battle of Cedar Creek, which
was fought on the 10Th Of October, 1864. Very
many people get the battles of Winchester and
Cedar Greek confounded, and suppose Sheri-
dams ride to have taken place in connection
with the battle of Winchester. This is not the
fact The battle of Winchester occurred on
Sept 10, 1864 and the battle of Cedar Creek
occurred just one one month later, on Oct 19,
1864, and twenty miles south OF Winchester 1t
was with the battle Of Cedar Creek that Sheri-
dams ride was connected. The Union army
was intrenched on the banks OF the creek,
stretching across the valley, confronted by the
rebel army under General Jubal Early. Sher-
idan had been absent for a few days on visit
to Harper's Ferry and Washington, and had
returned on the 18th as far as Winchester,
where he stopped with his staff that night.
AT the army, twenty miles to the front, was
ordered on and had charge Of, portion OF the
picket line in front of the center OF our army
the night before the battle. At about four
o'clock on the morning of the 10Th dense fog
snveloped the shiyeriDg guards or pickets, and
continued till daylight just before daybreak,
while lying beside a small fire, with an officer,
who is now an officer of the Clafin Guards, OF
Newton, / heard the sound of three scattering
shots on our extreme right, which were instant
ly answered by the enemy on the extreme left.
They were evidently signals for an advance OF
the rebel host. We were both on our feet in q
moment the Goals of the almost dead fire were
hastily smothered. and the picket reserve ord
cred up took a rifle from the stack close by,
-. Exzax r6c bod
down in the wet grass and listened intently for
approaching footsteps
For a moment the silence was almost pain
full; not sound from the sleeping camp in OR
rear, not even the rustling of leaf about us
nor in front. But this was only for moment.
1t was the calm before the storm. l heard the
sound of muffied foot steps, and the next mo-
ment recognized in the dim light the form OF
a man, and directly upon me / was upon my
feet in an instant, with the point OF my bayo-
net in his facet and the sharp click of the ham,
mer as cooked the musket was the first init
maticn that the rebel skermisher and sharp
shooter had that he was facing a loaded rifle in
the hands of a Union soldier. shouted "Sur-
renderi" and in less time than it takes to tell
the incident two or three of my own men were
at my side, and we hurried the prisoner inside
and piled him with questions. In answer to
my inquiry if he was acting simply as scout
or q skirmisher, he replied: 81 maysas well tell
fer you will know shortly. Our whole army
will be upon you in few minutes" 1 took his
gun from him, which he carried in his right
hand at his side-a fine English rifie-a guard
was directed to hurry him at once to headquar-
ters and couriers were rushed off to alarm the
sleeping army. Neither the guard nor the pris-
oner were ever heard from by us afterward.
We had barely time to strengthen the picket
line, much less to warn the army, when the
crash of ten thousand rifles and the wild. un-
earthly rebel yell burst from twenty thousand
throsts, as the rebel army rushed like an avail
anche past our left, through the gloom, over
across the creek, up the banks, and over the
breastworks of the Eighth Corps At the same
moment large body furiously attacked the
round on the SIC of the mountain during the
night and apparently to within few yards of
our lifies and charged on hearing the signal of
three guns, above referred to- and simultane-
ously with the attack in front.
The surprise was complete. The left OF the
Eighth Corps was doubled up, men were shot
and bayoneted IN their tents or taken prisoners
before they could escape. The rebels once in
possession of our breastworks, turned twenty
four OF our own cannon, with terrible effect,
upon our retreating regiments. There was one
continuous roar of musketry. Above the crashes
of musketry the rapid booming OF cannon fairly
shook the earth. But above all this horrid din
rose the wild, piercing battle-cry of the victo-
rious rebel army. Our little band on the picket
line listened with terrible anxiety until we were
forced to believe that our army had been driy-
en- from their works The roar of battle was
receding. We were cut off. A rebel battery
came within pistol-shot, and our commanding
officer was knocked from his horse. The situ-
alton was desperate, and our retreat commens-
cd. 1t soon became impossible to hold the men
in skirmish line, for we were exposed to a rak-
ing fire and almost surrounded. Down the
steep banks of the creek, through the water,
waist deep, the men flung themselves. Almost
exhausted they struggled up only to meet the
rifles of the foe on the opposite side. Rebels
were in front, rebels on our flank, rebels in our
rear, rebels everywhere, and many brave
man sank down to rise no more, in;that winding
murky stream-Cedar Creek. Those of us who
escaped struck off through piece of woods by
a circuitous route, and succeeded in getting at
last in advance of the enemy, and after pass
ing down between the two armies, exposed to
the artillery duel that was going on found the
fragments Of our decimated regiments. Those
once proud regiments looked like mere skele-
tons. Men, hungry and faint, were wander
ing about inquiring for their regiments Bri-
gade and division commanders were unable to
give the desired information. Regiments had
been almost annihilated, and the commanders
could only point to the colors surrounded by 3
few brave followers.
The elated rebel army, after crushing the
Eighth Corps, had fallen in a great fury upon
the Nineteenth Corps, and that, in turn, had
been steadily driven back npon tho Sixth
were bayoneted, and their companions the next
instant shot down, and the tide assumed such
force that even the gallant Sixth Corps, in
readiness to receive the onslaught could not
stand the shock. and slowly fought its way
back, with the Nineteenth Corps sandwiched
in between its divisions. The rebel army had
won q great victory, and, flushed with success,
stopped to plunder the Union camps, and to re-
form their excited columns preparatory to NOV
ing on, anticipating the easy annihilation OF
Sheridan's disheartened army. Sheridan was
away. All the long, horrible morning men anx-
iotlsly looked into their comrades'face and in
quired: "Where is Sheridan?" or exclaimed /;
sheridan must be awayi" but there was no re-
ply from the cienched lips-ohly shake OF tho
head and sullen look. All knew in their hearts
that their gallant chieftain was far away, else
his inspiring presence would have been in their
midst all the morning.
Sheridan had passed the night twenty miles
away, at Winchester. Between six and seven
o'clock IN the morning the officer on picket at
Winchester hurried to the bedside of General
Sheridan, who slept at the house of Colonel
Edwards, and reported the sound of scattering
artillery Shots These Gen. Sheridan supposed
to be made by General Growers division, w hich
was to have made reconnaissance that morn
ing. Sheridans powerful black war-horse was
however, saddled, as veil as the horses of the
staff officers, and they started about eight
clock passing through the main street OF
Winchester. On reaching the southern SUBJ
urbs of the town the sound of artillery made
the fact that battle was proceedingto to the Con-
eral unmistakable, Still he was not alarmed
for he felt sure If Early attacked his strong po-
sition at Cedar Creek he would be beaten.
They walked their horses leisurely until they
reached Mill Creek, half a mile or so from the
town, trying to determine by the sound wheth-
er the firing was coming toward them or reced-
ing, and, after crossing Mill Creek and rising a
little bluff on the south side, saw the heads oi
the retreating troops coming rapidly to the
rear. Sheridan at once ordered halt, directed
that the wagon train be stopped and parked at
Mill Creek and sent orders that the brigade in
garrison at Wipchest er be stretched across the
country, and all stragglers stopped. All this
was but the work of a few moments, and, TAX.
ing twenty trusty men for the escort, he buried
his spurs in his magnificent black steed, and
then began that wonderful ride for life-not fol
his own, but for the life of his gallant army. De
feat, too, meant more than the destruction ol
his noble army; it would have laid open to the
Confederate troops Maryland and Pennsylvania
and the capital of the nation.
Sherdan's ride was no myth. The black
horse Winchester was one OF the most powerful
and feet in the army. The animal seemed Il
be infused with the inspiration of his master
and bore his rider with frightful speed vi
and down the hard piked road, now dashine
suddenly to the right or left into the fields tina
ran parallel with the road to avoid the shout
ing teamsters and crowds of stragglers, ant
then with bound upon the pike again, bu
still and ever on. The crowd dispersed, but stop