The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-11-05
CEDAR CREEK.
New Workers. Observations On That Weli-FOEgEt
Field.

article in which my old cOmrade and terminate.
| Dewitt Wells, was very cleverly spoken of, and
which recalls to mind his participating in the
| battle abve mentioned in the Shenandoah VAL
| ley. The Eighth and Nineteenth Corps were
| stationed in the immediate vicinity of the
| creek, while the Sixth Corps was in camp half
| mile or more i'll their rear. Gen. Early, with
| his 10000 rebel troops, was across the creek
| confronting these two corps, with the idea that
| the Sixth Corps had gone back to Washington
1t seems the enemy relieved several of the
| Eighth Corps picket-pOsts, and during the
| night under cover OF darkness and q dense fog
| filed acrcss the creek and formed heavy line
| of battle on the Union side. AS as day
| began to dawn they commenced a vigorous at
| tack the two small corps, and surprised
| them completely that they took up haSty
retreat, which soon proved to be u regular stam-
| peGe. They left much of their camp equipage
and some of their artillery i'll the hands OF the
enemy. The Sixth Corps was soon in line, try
| ing to check the incoming tide of frightened
and disorderly men, but our efforts were futile.
| After they had passed us we advanced to meet
| the enemy, but were soon checked by an over
whelming number of yelling and screaming
rebels. We gave them a warm reception, and.
of course, they returned the compliment with
| terrible effect. We were driven back by de-
grecs, but maintained our lines in pretty good
order until favorable position was gained,
where they could not outfank us and We could
| hold them in our immediate front.
| We were at this time commanded by Gen.
| Wright, and he proved himself an efficient Off
Ger for the emergency. He ordered us to fortify
| our position as best we could During the
morning engagement Dewitt Wells and many
others of our regiment were wounded and
| left to the mercy of the enemy. | think
| the hope of recovering our wounded COM
rades was one incentive that impelled US to
drive the enemy from the field later in the
day. In the midst of the morning fight, as
| the order was given to fall back, and as l
| turned to go to the rear, sword fell In front
OF me, and as l stopped to see whence it came,
| Lieut.. johnson, of our regiment, fell, severely
wounded through the thigh. As stopped to
| let him put his arm around my neck to help
| him up a mimic ball passed through tin cup
which was buckled on my knapsack. have
| always thought l saved my own life by offering
! to help a wounded comrade. L was nearly eX-
hausted from the fatigue of battle, but the hope
of saving the Lieutenant gave me strength TO
| stand up under the burden. AS we made our
way to the rear our own artillery was firing
! past us into the advancing foe, and the enemy
was returning the fire as rapidly as possible.
| / managed to keep between the range of eur
| own guns, and succeeded in bringing the
| Lieutenant back to place more secure. This
| had occupied half the forenoon, and we had
| fallen back about mile. At this time there
came a lull in the artillery fire, and we, as we'll
as the exultant rebels, were willing to take
rest. We now had time to look around to see
who were missing although we-well knew we
! could render them no assistance for most OF
| the wounded were left on the field and that, as
| yet, was in possession of the enemy. When our
| lines were well established we commenced
fortifying our position as best we could. by
collecting rails, sticks, stones, ETC., and with
our bayonets and tin plates soon erected breast
works sufficient to screen us from the bullets
hot, yfanf 1x hiyytn md
Time slowly wore away till the middle of
| the afternoon when the fortunes of the day
began to assume more favorable aspect At
| this time Gen. Sheridan arrived upon the field,
and our men, instead of crouching behind their
slender breastwOrks, were on their feet, with
| caps thrown high i'll air. Such huzzah ran
along our lines as to astonish the jubilant
rebels. AS the order came to advance, we went
with bound over our breastwOrks, and in
another minute the rebels were sent pell-mell
across the field that they thought was secure
ly their own. Who can imagine the excite
ment of such moment, the ecstatic joy of our
| officers and men, and the utter disappointment
and chagrin of the enemy at such a sudden
turn of affairs. We now had them on the run,
and their eXultant scream turned to
terrified yelp We had succeeded in surprising
them as utterly by daylight as they had us in
the darkness. After securing the trophies of
the day, which consisted of half of Early's army,
hospital stores, camp equipage, and other NUM-
tiOns of war, we went into camp on the same
ground where we so hastily struck our tents a
few hours before.
But Where are our missing terminates ?"
was the next thing to be considered, and as
night was closing in upon us must make q
search at once. We were not long in making
cup of coffee for ourselves, and, with candles
inserted in the hits OF our bayonets, were soon
in search of the missing. VIM. Waffle and my
self went in search of our old terminate. Dewitt
Wells. We went where we first encountered
the enemy in the morning. The night was
fearfully dark with dense smoke settled upon
us which made it difficult to tell where we were
or how to get back to where we started We
hallowed Justify for Wells, and our hearts sank
within us when we received no answer. We
followed the course of our morning retreat, and
hallowed as before and finally received an an
swer. Itwas low and faint, but we recognized
the voice as he said Here l am :" We found
him under some hay. and after securing for
him his secreted purse and other articles we
carried him to our tent and administered to his
wants as best we could. Wells told us where
we would find Smith and Hagle, two recruits of
our company, and urged us to go and care for
them. think this Charles Smith had formerly
been in the employ of the Republican printing
office in COOperstown, n. Y.
1t was now past midnight and who should
appear among us but young girl of IA years,
attracted there by our bright campfire. She
wanted US to go with her to neighboring corn
field near her fathers house, and get q wounded
man who had lain there all day under her pro-
tecticn. We followed her and found young
man of the 10th Me. wounded in the breast.
We offered to help him, but he said the girl
God bless herr had brought him food and
coffee, and helped to get his rubber blanket
under him and all the blood had stopped,
and he feared if we moved him he might
bleed to death before morning. He was
very cold, and said if we would build him a
fire it was all we could do for him. We soon
had good fire made of some rebel ammunition
boxes that lay near by, and after preparing him
plenty of fuel and laying it within his reach,
we left him and his little benefactress to wait
and watch till morning. This girls parents
had left their home during the morning fight |
but our little heroine had been in the midst of
the fearful tempest.
We went back to our tent and tried to make |
our wounded comraie comfortable, but Weiss |
knee was so badly shattered that nothing short |
of the Surgeons saw and knife could save the |
poor fellows life. Dewitt Wells and Lieut.. |
johnson are still living, and can tell the more |
minute particulars of their experiences of the |
battle of Cedar Creek, which was fought Oct.
10, 1863. What day and night that was for
one to experience, and who can get the falntest
idea but those who actually endured it?
| would like to state right here that Dewitt
Wells had on new pair of boots when wounded,
and while he was there at the mercy of the