McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-02-07

ooOhS hoWOSCiS thC ooQuo VA uCutN
battle was unmistakable, and half a
mile from town the fugitives came in
sight with appalling rapidity. He at
once ordered the trains halted, and
parked and stretched brigade of his
troops at Winchester across the country
to stop the stragglers. Then, with an
escort of twenty men, he pushed to the
front. The effect of his presence was
electrical. He rode in hot haste, swing
ing his hat, and shouting as he passed:
Face the other way, boys! Face the
other wayi' And hundreds of the men
turned at once and followed him with
cheers.
"After reaching the army he gave
some hurried directions, and returned
to collect the fugitives. He was in
majOr-general' s uniform, mounted on
magnificent horse, man and beast COW
cred with dust and foam; and as he
rose in his stirrups, waving his hat and
his sword by turns, he cried again and
again: IF l had been here this never
would have happened. We are going
back. Face the other way, boys! face
the other way!' The scattered soldiers
recognized their general, and took up
the cry. 'Face the other way!' 1t
passed along from one to another, ris-
ing and falling like wave of the sea,
and the men returned in crowds, fall
ing into ranks as they came. They fol-
lowed him to the front, and and many
who had fled, painting and panic
stricken, in the morning, under Sheri-
dams lead had covered themselves
with the glory of heroes long before
night. Such Il reinforcement may one
man be to an army.
GA few dispositions, and the battle
began afresh. But now all was
changed. The enemy advanced, it is
true, but were at once repealed, and the
national line, in its turn, became the
assailant. Sheridan led brigade in
person, and the enemy everywhere
gave way. Their officers found it i'm
possible to rally them; a terror of the
national cavalry had seized them. The
captured guns were all retahen, and
twenty-four pieces of artillery besides.
Sixteen hundred prisoners were taken,
and Early reported eighteen hundred
killed and wounded. Two thousand
made their way to the mountains, and
for miles the line of retreat was strewn
with the debris of beaten army.
Early himself escaped under cover of
darkness to Newmarket.
"Sheridan was made major general
in the regular army, as he was informed,
in Lincoln's own words, for the per-
sonal gallantry, military skill, and
just confidence in the courage and gal
lantry OF your troops, displayed by you
on the 10Th day of October, at Cedar
Run, whereby, under the blessing of
Providence, your routed army was reor-
ganized, a great national disaster
averted, and a brilliant victory achieved
over the rebels for the third time in
pitched battle in thirty days
cit was just eleven weeks since Sher-
idan had assumed command in the val
ley. In that time he had taken thirteen
thousand prisoners, forty-nine battle
flags, and sixty guns, besides recaptur-
ing eighteen cannon at Cedar creek
He must, besides, have killed and
wounded at least nine thousand men,
so that he destroyed for the enemy
twenty-five thousand soldiers. Turn
ing what bid fair to be disaster into
glorious victory stamps Sheridan said
Grant, what 1 have always thought
him, one of the ablest of generals"