, 1885-02-19
AT CEDAR CREEK.
xhs Roar That Passed Along the Line
"A Good nin<--A battery Pl.sine
Havoc with an Ammuni-
tion Train


foen. james NJ. oomiey IN Ths Enqulrsrl
The following account OF how "sheridan's
Ride" looked to a spectator at one end OF IL
was copiei by Mr. Whitslaw Reid from my
private diary lent him for @Ohioia the War;
and I know 1t Is true: Crook waslyinR a rod
or two TO our left. Hayes aud I wars 30
Rether with our commando. he was badly
bruised by his fall when his horse was kiisd
under him, and had several slight wounds
beside. He was teasing me and grumbling
because we did not advances, instead Of walt
ing for the enemy.
-snddenIy there l. a dust in the rear, on
the Winchester road, and almost before we
are aware. a dery-iooking, impstuous, dash
ing young man in full major-gsnornls uni
form. and riding furiously = magnificent
black horss. literally hecksd with foam. and
no poetic license about It, reins up and
springs OF by Gen Crooks side. There Is a
perfect roar a. everybody recognized sher>
idan- He talks with Crook q little while,
cutting away at tho top OF tho woods with
his ridins-whip. Gen Crook speaks half-s
dozen sentences that sound a great deal like
the whip. aud by that tins some Of the staff
are up. They are sent flying in different
directions Sheridan and Crook lie down
and seem to be talking. and all is quiei
again, except the vicious shells OF the differ
emit batteries and the roar Of artillery along
the line Aftsr awhile Col. flames WI For
syth comes down to our front and shouts TO
the general; The Ninstsenth corps Is
CLOSED up. SIR Sheridan jumps up, gives
one mors cut with his whip, whirls himself
around once. jumps on his horse and starts
up the lima Just as no starts he says to our
mon: we are going to ave a good thing
on them now, boysr Itdon't sound Ike Gle
gro or Daniel Webster. but it doubled the
force at our end Of the line. Il may say,
now, hat II dom sound even like Buchanan
Rsad1
"And SO ho rode of, a long WA 70 Of yells
rolling up to the right with him. We took
our posts. the line moved forward-and the
balance Of the day Is already history"
Isnpposs there IL no necessity for burden
ing you with n description OF our part in the
advance. as there Is no dispute as 10 our be-
ing there, or az to our place in the line. One
panscs In this forward movement our COM
pany was delayed by a very high rail-fencs
Il can hardly believe such Ia fsnce was left,
but IL wasl. Crook was on his horse, and had
passed tho fonce when Hayes climbed up,
and. by holding 10 ono OF the stakes" and
standing on the arider,n was more elevated
than Crook, and could use his glass more Of
fectivsly. He was abls thus TO give Crook
soms important information. which ibid not
hear. But tho result was that Hayes mounted
his horse and dashed to tho front at a head
long gallop, ahead OF his infantry. l havs
learned since that he found Capt Dupont,
who was moving down the pike. and under
his immediate orders Capt Dupont passed
through Middletown at a swinging trot,
with his own battery, going 10 the front
Hayes. being very well mounted, and free
TO -cut across" got ahead out Of sight, and
on the eminenco near whore our camps had
been found Cen Sheridan, entirely alone,
using his glass In the most excited manner.
As soon as he saw Hayes he yelled at him:
III had a battery hare we could knock
h-n out OF their train and capture all their
artillery" Hayes answered: IAN right,
general; Eve got just what you want com
ing as fast as It canr' He galloped back to
Dupont. who Immediately started all his
horses at a gailop. and came down tho pike
like n whirlwind. The first shell he fired Lit
In tho very midst OF a narrow place whore
the head Of the enemy's retreating column
had got gorged by attempting to pass too
many abreast Gen. Hayes has described
the scene to me wildly, and 1t Is enough to
make one got up and give three cheers all
alone by himself TO think OF It as he describes
it-sholl altar she'll dropping In tho ttickest
Of tho throng, drivers cutting traces and
scampering out Of 10, teams. ammunition,
caissons and cannon abandoned and left lit
orally piled up by tho gorge.