The National tribune., 1885-09-17

OF the EtS.tth SOipS, "HiCh i'hSNiy ioiHsS"
as stated above, the First or Eagle Divis-
ion of the Army of West Virginia, and to
eradicate an error which SO many writers
have fallen into.
We will now make statement OF effect
i've strength of the different forces of the
Army of the Shenandoah at Cedar Creek on
the memorable morning of the 18th day OF
October, 1864. Gen. Crook officially reported,
"Op that morning (0ct. 19) the Army OF
West Virginia, under my command, owing
toheavy details made upon 1t, did not num-
ber over 4000 hayonets present"
Gen Comfy, formerly Colonel of the 23d
Ohio (Hayes's old regiment), says: If Gen.
Crook included all the men tit for duty In
his report of not over 1000 bayonets pres
ent.' he overstated his force in line of battle
nearly Loco, aud his real command num-
bered only about 5000 bayonets. OF these
the First Division would have 500 bay
onets and the Second Division ,445. Our
cavalry had all been consolidated with the
splendid cavalry command of the Army OF
the Shenandoah. Our artillery had been
formed into artillery battalion, under Capt.
Du Pont, OF Battery B, 9Th Z. S. l.. A"
We Will examine the official reports of the
effective strength of the Sixth and Nineteenth
Corps, and Gen. TOrbert's cavalry.
ne SsAl1 Ilsth I~,oop shS
Nineteenth Corps had IL, $50 men; Torbert's
cavalry had 6,l26 men. Add TO this the
Army of West Virginia, 5000 men, and we
have total of 33,972 men, independent of
the artillery We are able TO show by official
reports that the Army of West Virginia was
approximately close to one-twelfth the
strength of the entire command.
If the reader will take time to examine the
different maps, and especially Gen. Comly's,
he will find that the First Division, Col. Tho
burn, of the Ist w. Va, commanding was on the
extreme frcnt and left of the entire Army OF
the Shenandoah. This division received the
first assault Of the enemy early in the morning,
it virtually being an OUTPOST. The Nineteenth
Corps held tie center position, and was in
strong compact form behind works which ran
parallel with the enemys camps, and COM
mandcd the bridge with its artillery. 1t was
nater raj TO suppose if an attack WAS made 1t
would be in front of the Nineteenth Corps
The distance from the extreme left of the Nine
teenth Corps TO the front of the old Eagle Dl-
vision was considerably greater than the ex-
treme length of the entire army. The Star D!-
vision extended from the left of the Nineteenth
Corps on the left of the pike. The Sixth Corps
was to the rear and right of the Nineteenth
Corps and could have
COME TO THE AID
of the Eagle DiYisio of the Army Of West
Virginia much sooner than the Star Division
or the NinetecHth Corps.
Gcn. Crook requested that brigade OF cav
airy shonld be sent 70 guard Buxton's Ford and
patrol the country lying between said ford and
the Eagle Division. Gen. Wright, who hap
pened TO ie az that time libsence of Gen. Sheri-
dam the senior officer OF the Army of the Shen-
ando2h ordered, SO it is said, detachment to
Buxton's Ford. Either by misunderstanding
or dis5bedIence of orders, as subsequently de-
ar.aI HAT anyti lar on nnnrOtGPfAn
The officer of the day hearing the movements
of troops but not being able to distinguish OBJ
jects by reason of the dense fog thonght the
troops in frant were those requested by Gen.
Crook and reported sent by Gen. Wright He
advanced TO the troops, when, to his chagrin
and dismay, he was sent to the rear as prisoner
of war, and suffered in prison pen, as many
brave boys did who were captured that MORN
ing. The enemy advanced
IN SOLID LINE OF BATTLE,
without skirmisbers, which shows conclusively
that if the cavalry brigade had been at Rux-
tons Ford he could not have crossed the stream
without the Army of the Shenandoah being
apprized Of au advance.
We must como to either one of two conclu-
sians, viz, the cavalry either diseheyed orders,
OF were not sent by Gen. Wright as promised,
TO Gen. Crock. Was it to sacrifice Gen. Crook /?
Possibly. AT all events, the cavalry was not
at Buxtons Ford, where the enemy crossed,
formed in line of battle, and charged that little
outpest-the Eagle Division, of between fifteen
and sixteen hundred men, under command of
Col Tbobarn, who on that day gave his life
for his country.
as shown By the positions, the Sixth Corps
could have cone TO Col. Thoburn's assistance
sooner than Hayes with his division or Gen.
Emery with the Nineteenth Corps. Yet this
boasted corps could allow handful of As brave
ceearaaes as ever advanced upon an enemy to
biscuit to pieces in detail, and 20 years after
wards sligmatize them as towards.
Had Gen. Crock deployed his two divisions
Thoburn's and Hayes's-aS skirin shers, he
could not have covered the distance occupied
by the enemy ia solid line of battle on that
memorable morning. Yet We find that the
Eagle Division is at the extreme front; the
advance line OF battle not less than one and
one-iogrth miles from the infantry support at
nearest point The space between the two
infantry divisions uader Crook was protected
TO certain extent by several batteries, the
names CT which the writer at this late date
docs not remember. at all events that little
baud OF heroes only lost six or seven pieces o.
the aboye-natIed artillery. The men fought
with desperation to save the artillery, but
were
CLUBDED AND BAYoNETTED
by the enemy, and were obliged to relinquish
the guns which they were contesting for, and
ards, q I:iisn0mer which no brave man applies
to a cou!rade.
1t has been asserted by malicious and self
styled correspondents that Gen. Crook pickcts
were surprised and captured. The writer posi-,
lively denies the assertion, as there never was
mssFe yigilant set of men in any army as they
Their long experience in the Shenandoah and
Kauawhn Valleys, and in the adjacent noun
tans, where guerrilla and bushwhacking war.
fare had been kept up, made them wary and
ylgilant, and surprise was ever looked for
A better set of p.ckets never stood on vide
line ie p:cllets did not get into the work!
much ahead of the eneiay, comtesting step by
step his aaTaEcc, which shows conclusiyely
that they did their duty on that memorable
morning.
II is AZ UNDENIABLE FACT
that tic enemy charged il solid line the Eagl,
Division, his line overlapping il TO a considera
bic distance TO the lott. Yet in the face of thi
positive pro0f some writers insist that this di
vision was surprised and did not do its duty.
Iappesi 20 any cpnrade-any unbiased mind
is il possible for a mere handful Of men K
stand The bruut Of such a charge, exposed &
al enEiaaiag fire, Is occurred then and there
in their exposed position in advance of th
main line one and onc-fourth miles? Couli
they, with the aid Of the old Star Division, thar
whom no better ever went forth to battle
Did they, with the aid of the boasted proves
Of the Sixth Corps? Did they, with the com
bined Army Of tie Shenandoah?
EcEo ANSWERS 40.
History says no. The old Eagle Division coul
not check the onslaught. The Star Division