Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-12-08

Colonel Herbert F. Hill. all ex-oficer Of
7rIreiier the following graphic description
Of the battle Of Cedar Greek, that wonderful
victory snsiched from the Ja~. Of terrible
defeat by THE reinforcement, OF a single man.
Phi. Sheridan:
WEDNESDAY week ~As the seventeenth an
uiser.sry of the battle Of Cedar Greek
winch as fought on the lsth Of October,
lNGi. Yer, manl people get the battle. Of
Winchester and Cedar Greek confounded.
and suppose Shcridan's ride 10 have iAk en-
place N connection with the battle of Win
chester. lhls - not the fact. The haiil.
OF Winchester occurred on Sept. 10, lNbi
and the battle OF Cedar Crrck occurred Just
one month later. on Oct. 49, lSb4. and
twenty miles south o! Ninohc.ter. Ii was
With the battle OF Cedar Creek lha: Sherl-
dams ride vas connected. The Unon army
~as .utrruChed on the banks of the creek
stretching across the valley, confronted by
the rrbtl army under General .LbAl EaTlN
Sheridan had been absent for few daNs on
a Nlslt Ia liarper's Ferry and Washington,
and haQ returned on the 18th as FAR 81 Vim
chester, where he stopped With his stati that
night.
At the army. twenty miles 10 the front
w4s 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
l9th dense fog easeloped The shiserIng
guards or pckrts, and continued TIL day-
isght. Just before daybreak, while lying
beside a small fire, with an officer, who is
81 81 Ia
Newton. | heard the sound Of three scatter
ing shots Oh our extreme night. which were
Instant, answered by the enemy on the en
teme left They we're evidently signals for
an adv anoe Of the rebel hu.i. We were
both on our feet IN a moment, the Goals Of
the almost dead fire we're hastily smothered,
and the picket reserve ordered up. took
a rife from the stack close by, stepped oui
in front some five wards, crouohed down IN
the Vet grass and listened lntently for sp-
preaching footsteps.
For u moment the silence was almost pain
ful ; not sound from the sleeping camp in
our rear, not even the rustling Of leaf
about L. nor in front. But this Was only
for a moment. Ii was the calm before the
storm. J heard the sound of muffied foot
steps. and the next moment | recognized in
the dim light the form Of d man, and d.
rectly upon me. was upon my feet in an
instant, with the point Of my bayUnet IN his
face and the sharp click Of the hammer as
cooked the musket was the hrst Inumatlon
that the rebel skirmisher and sharp-shooter
had that he was facing loaded rife in the
hands of Union soldier. ! shouted Sur
render :" and in less time than it takes to
Toll h. fun pF
men we're al nv side. and We hurried the
prisoner inside and Piled him with questions
In answer to my inquiry if he was acting
simply q scout or a skirmisher, he replied:
Il NAV as well tell for YOU will know short
ly. Our whole army will be upon you in a
few minutes" | took his gun from him,
which he carried in his right hand at his
side-a fine English rihe-s guard was di-
rected TO hurry him at once 10 headquarters
and couriers were rushed oh to alarm the
sleeping army. Neither the guard nor the
prisoner were ever heard from BY US after
ward. We had barely time to strengthen
the picket line, much le.s to warn the army,
when the crash OF ten thousand rifles and the
Wild. unesrthly rebel yell burst from twenty
thousand throats, as the rebel army rushed
like an avalanche past our left, through the
gloom, over across the creek, up the banks,
and over the bTeastworks of the Eighth
Corps. Al the same moment q large body
furiously attack ed the left flank of that corps
having crept cautiously round on the side of
the mountain during tie night and appar-
entity TO within few Yards of our lines, and
charged on hearing the signal Of three guns
above referred to, and simultaneously 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 eannons, with
terrible effect, upon retreating regiments
| There was one continuous roar Of musketry
Above the crashes of musketry the rapic
| booming Of cannon fairly shook the earth
| But above all this horrid din rose the Wild
piercing bsttle-cry of the victorious rebe
army Our little band on the picket line
| listened with terrible anxiety until We wer'
forced to believe that our army had beer
driven from their works. The roar Of bat
tie was receding. We were cut Of.
rebel battery came within pistol-shot, ano
our commanding officer was knocked from
his horse. The situation was desperate, anS
our retreat commenced. Ii soon became
| impossible to hold the men in skirmish line
for We were exposed to raking fire and al
most surrounded. Down the steep banks o
the creek, through the water, waist deep, th
men flung themselves. Almost exhausted
they struggled up only to meet the rifles o
the foe on the opposite side. Rebels wer
in front, rebels on our flank, rebels in ou
rear, rebels everywhere, and many hrav