National Republican., 1883-09-25
The Visit Of the New England Veterans to
Fishers Hill and Cedar Creek.
Memorable Spots in Sheridan and EarIy's
Races Up and Down the Valley,
Incidents Of Those Battles Recalled by Revisitng the
Scenes Where They Occurred.
A Soldier Entertetns Lady with Chap
ter in Her Own Experience.
Special Letter.

party went up tho valley early, going first to
Fishers HILL where the forenoon was spent
returning TO Cedar creek in time to take
lunch in tho yard of the Belle Groove house.
(where Sheridan had his headquarters), aud
gave the remainder of tho day to inspection
of the famous field immortalizcd by Buchanan
Reid in his poetic story of Sheridans Ride"
To the veterans, as they won't over the
ground where they had fought, and many of
them had shed their blood, these bloody bat
ties were as the fresh memories of yesterday;
but already to most of the people of this great
nation they are only known dimly, as half
forgotten lines from the pages of history.
Looking as 1 did at these groups Of peaceful,
we'll dressed men, wandering here and
there over wei titled fields, it seem
hard to realize that the same
men few short years ago swayed back and
forth, up and down these slopes and hillsides,
mad with all the wild delirium of battles
rage, intent only on manning and Staying the
same men with whom in the past few days
they have We'd in interchange of gentle
courtCsies and most earnest fraternal senti-
ments.
After the battle of tW Opequan, fought on
the nineteenth of September, 1864, Early's
army retreated down the valley to Fishers
hill, some twenty miles south of Winchester,
and here, on the evening of the twenty
second, Sheridan dealt him another hard
reverse. The valley narrows here until it is
only about four miles wide, with the Blue
ridge on one side and the Massanutten range
on the other. With the upheaval of Fishers
hill in the center and the ravines and de
pressions in front, caused by Cedar creekaand
Tumbling run, Early had very formidable
defensive position, but Sheridan's mill
tary genius was equal to the emergency.
Engaging Early's attention through the day
by operations in his front, he moved Gen.
Crooks division secretly to the right until
sheltered by the heavy woods, they swung
around on the left and rear of Early's posi-
tion without discovery until near sunset,
when, with rush thoy swept over the mar
row intervening space, and before the aston
ished rebels could comprehend the situa-
tion were over their entrenchments. Taken
in flank and rear they were doubled
up and driven along like the sadding clouds
in November gale. At the same time the
two corps in front under Sheridan swarmed
up the gloomy heights in front, and to quote
Ponds admirable history, "hetween sundown
and dark evely portion of the strong position
at Fishers Hill was carried, the action being
80 rapid that the enemy had
Lot time even to get his guns
out of position upon tho pike, and
sixteen of them were captured by the union
forces" So quick and decisive had been the
movements OF the latter, the losses were light
in comparison with what might have been
looked for from the strength of the position
attacked, the union losses being about 400
the confederates about 1900.
Cedar creek was altogether another sort of
affair. This engagement took place month
later, on Oct. 10. Sheridan, after the fight at
Fishers hill, pursued Early about seventy
miles down the valley, until it was apparent
pursuit was unavailing, and then leisurely
marched back, devoting his care to the
,.Nfn 80 e.,
and forage that could be found in the valley
from Harrisonburg to Winchester. ALI mills,
barns, and crops were burned, and domestic
animals driven off with his army. 1t was not in
wanton cruelty, but q stern military neces
sity. The valley had always been one of
Lees main sources of supply, and the destruc-
tion thus wrought by Sheridan was rs damag-
ing to Lee as the loss of an army 'orps would
have been Arriving at Cedar creek Sheri-
dan encampod his army and went to Wash
ingtOn for consultation, leaving Maj. Geu.
Wright, of the 9th army corps, in command.
Early had been strongly re-enforced from
Lees army, and while the union forces were
lying in fancied security moved rapidly down
toward them until he had massed his forces,
ready for attack, under the shadow of the
Massanutten mountains without exciting any
suspicion of his near proximity. Standing
us | did at Belle Grove house, one can easily
see what an advantage Early had here. Two
rises skyward, gloomy and abrupt On
its peak the conlederates had q sig
nal station, whence they could
look down into the union camp and mark the
position of every regiment. With his army
lying woll in hand ut the foot of the noun
tain, Early had his opponents position in
every detail under his eye, and could plan
his attack with a certainty such as is seldom
afforded a commander preparing to surprise
n powerful Foe Under the shadow of night,
with great care and secresy his forces were
moved into position TO attack the unsuspect-
ing union forces ut the break of day.
Long before sunrise the bewildered union
forces were awakened from their slumbcrs by
the rattle of musketry and tho roar of artil-
lery Utterly surprised, the Sth corps was
driven back on the 10th, nor could the latter
long stem the tide, for, taken in the flank by
.Gordon's troops, they too soon had to join the
rout, and short indeed was the time required
to put the exaltng robals in possession of the
camp of the union army.
But that camp was Early's Capua. The
abundance of its supplies was too great a
temptation to his poorly fed and clothed sol
diers, and they could not be restrained from
leaving their ranks TO plumber. aud while
this was going on their foes were preparing
for resistance that was destined to rccoup
their mistOrtunes of the morning, and turn
disastrous defeat into n memorable victory
The sixth corps, lying well in the real
oil the TWO surprised, had been warned by the
noise of battle in front, so that they were
ready to meet the onset of Early's army
when the tide should reach thom and at the
same time afford q rallying point for the dis
organized fragments of the other two CORPS
Soon attacked, they fought superby, retreat.
ing slowly and cOntesting every point until
by the accession of commands that had raj.
lied and reformed under their shelter, they
were able to stop the tide of battle
at MiddlctOwn two miles from the scene o
the surprise, aud at least hold their own. II
was thus that Sheridan found his army vt tho
close of that memorable ride from "Win
chester Town" He had met straggers and
fragments streaming down the pike for mile,
from the battlefield, but they were no
towards simply brave men surprised intC
panic by that fierce attack in the grey
msts of the morning As ho me
them he called on them to returr
to duty, and, as ho quantity expressed
it, "hundreds of men who, ON reflection
found they had not done themselves justice
came back with cheers" But sheridan wa:
an army in himself. He rode along his linei
amid ringing cheers from his heroes, to whom
his coming presaged coming victory
Quickly his arrangements were made, and nj
4 o'clock, instead of being in retreat, Sheri
dams men, with confidence restored, were
fercely charging, the lately victoriou,
cOnlederates all along the line Hard
fighting they met too, hut on they
swept until the dismayed c0nfedcrates broke
division after division, and at nightiall th'
army chat had swept over the field at dawn
was n mass of mpitiyes. Lees choice