The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-11-28
SHERIDAN AT WINCHESTER.
Story Of the Ride Told by the Great
cavalryman Himself.
Companion Piece to Buchanan
-sRead's Poem.
How the General Rallied the Strag-
gIers and the Retreating Troops.
Personal Memoirs Of P. II. sheridan

the officer on picket duty at Winchester came
to my room, l being yet in bed, and reported
artillery firing from the direction of Cedar
Creek remarked: "It's all right;
Grover has gone out this morning to make
reconnaissance. and he is merely feeling Of
the enemy" / tried to go to sleep again, but
grew so restless that could not, and soon
got up and dressed myself. A little later the
picket officer came back and reported that
the firing, which could be distinctly heard
from his line on the heights outside of Man
chester was still going on. asked him II 1t
sounded like a battle, and as he again said
that it did not, inferred that the cannon
aiding was caused by Growers division bang
ing away at the enemy simply to find out
what he was up TO. However, went down
stairs, and requested that breakfast be hur-
ried up, and at the same time ordered the
horses to be saddled, for l concluded to 60 to
the front at once.
We mounted our horses between half-past
8 and 9, and as we were proceeding up the
street, which leads directly through Win
chester, | noticed that there were many
women at the windows and doors Of the
and who were otherwise markedly insolent
in their demeanor, but supposing this con-
duct to be instigated by their well known
and perhaps natural prejudice, / ascribed to
1t no unusual significance. On reaching the
edge of the town l halted moment. aud
there heard quite distinctly the sound Of ar
tillery firing in an unceasing roar. Conclud-
ing from this that battle was in progress.
now felt confident that the women along
the street had received intelligence from the
battlefield by the grapevine telegraph"
and were in raptures over some good news,
while l, as yet, was utterly Ignorant OF the
actual situation. Moving on, put my head
down TO the p0mmel of my saddle and lis
tened intently, trying to locate and interpret
the sound, continuing in this position till we
had crossed Mill Creek, about half mile
from Winchester. The result of my efforts
in the interval was the conviction that the
travel OF the sound was increasing too rapid
ly to be accounted for by my own rate of
motion, and that, therefore, my army must
be falling back.
and we were going ahead at regular pace,
when, just as we made the crest of the rise
beyond the stream, there burst upon our
view. the appalling spectacle of panic
stricken army-hundreds of slightly wound
ed men, throngs Of others unhurt but utterly
demoralized, and baggage wagons by the
score, all pressing to the rear in hopeless
confusion, telling only too plainly that dis
aster had occurred at the front. was great
ly disturbed by the sight, but at once sent
word to Col. Edwards, commanding the bri-
gade in Winchester, to stretch his troops
across the valley, near Mill Creek, and stop
all fugltives, directing also that the transpor
tatl0n be passed through and parked on the
north side of the town.
AS continued at walk few hundred
yards farther, thinking all the time of Long
streets telegram to Early, "Be ready when l
join you and we will crush Sheridan" was
fixing in my mind what should do. My
first thought was to stop the army in the sub
urbs OF Winchester, form new line, and
fight there; but as the situation was more
maturely considered better conception pre-
vailed. was sure the troops had confidence
in me, for heretofore we had been success
full and as at other times they had seen me
present at the slightest sign of trouble or dis
tress, | felt that | ought to try now to restore
their broken ranks, or, failing in that, to
share their fate because of what they had
done hitherto.
About this time Colonel Wood, my chief
commissary, arrived from the front and gave
me fuller intelligence, reporting that every
thing was gone, my headquarters captured
and the troops dispersed. When heard this
l took two of my aides. Major George A.
Forsyth and Captain Joseph O'Keefe and
with twenty men from the escort started for
the front, directing other staff officers to re-
main behind and do what they could to stop
the runaways.
For short distance l travelled on the road
but soon found il so blocked with wagons
and wounded men that my progress was i'm
peded and was forced to take to the adjoin-
ing fields. When most of the wagons were
past returned to the road, which was thick
ly lined with unhurt men, who, having got
far enough to the rear to be out of danger had
halted without any organization and begun
making coffee, but when they saw me they
abandoned their coffee, threw up their hats.
ShOnl6nrAl their I od
along turned to follow with enthusiasm and
cheers. To acknowledge this exhibition of
feeling took off my hat, and with Forsyth
and O'Keefe rode some distance in advance
of my escort, while every mounted officer
who saw me galloped out on either side of
the pike to tell the men at distance that
had come back. In this way the news was
spread to the stragglers off the road, when
they too turned their faces to the front and
marched toward the enemy, changing in a
moment from the depths of depression to the
extreme of enthusiasm. l already knew
that even in the. ordinary condition of mind
enthusiasm is potent element with soldiers,
but what saw that day convinced me that
II it can be excited from state Of dispon
dency its power Is almost irresistible.
said nothing except to remark, as l rode
among those on the road, "If | had been
with you this morning this disaster would
not have happened. We must face the 9TH
er way: We will go back and recover our
camp"
My first halt was made just north of New
town, where l met a chaplain digging his
heels into the sides of his jaded horse and
making for the rear with all speed. | drew
up for an instant and inquired Of him how
matters were going at the front. He replied,
Everything is lost, but all will be right
when you get there" Yet notwithstanding
this expression of confidence the parson re-
snmed his breathless pace to the rear. At
Newton was obliged to make circuit to
1.aff 70 rot thsax i ,of
pass through it, the street were so crowded,
but meeting ON this detour Major Mckinley
of Crooks staff he spread the news of my
return through the motley throng there.
When nearing the Valley pike, just south
of Newton, saw about three-fourths of a
mile west Of the pike body of troops, which
proved to be Ricketts, and Wheaton's divis-
ion of the Sixth corps, and then learned that
the Nineteenth corps had halted little to
the right and rear OF these; but l did not stop
desiring to get to the extreme front. Con-
tinuing on parallel with the pike, about mid
way between Newton and Middletown
crossed TO the west of it and little later
came up in the rear of Getty's division Of the
Sixth corps. When | arrived. this division
and the cavalry were the only troops in the
presence of and resisting the enemy; they
were apparently acting as rear guard at a
point about three miles north Of the line we
held at Cedar Creek when the.battle began
General Torbert was the first officer to meet
me, saying as ne rOue up: MY GOQ! I'm
glad you've come" Getty's division when
found it was about mile horth of Middle
town, posted on the reverse slope of some
slightly rising ground, holding a barricade
made with fence rails, and skirmishine
slightly with the enemy's pickets. Jumping
my horse over the line of rails, l rode to the
| crest of the elevation and there taking off my
| hat, the men rose up from behind there bar
ricade with cheers of recognition
| then turned back to the rear os Getty's divis
| ion, and as l came behind it, a line of regi
| mental flags rose up out of the ground, as i
seemed, to welcome me. They were mostly
| the colors of Crooks troops, who had beer
| stampeded and scattered in the surprise Of
| the morning. The color-bearers, having
| withstood the panic, had formed behind th'
| troops of Getty. Tne line with the color;
| was largely composed of officers, amonl
| whom | recognized Colonel r. b. Hayes
| since President of the United States, one O
| the brigade commanders. Ierossed the littl
narrow valley or depression to rear of Getty
| line and dismouting on the opposite crest
established that point as my headquarters
| In a few moments SOME of my staff joined m
| and the first directions gave were to hav
| the Nineteenth corps and the two division
| of Wright's corps brought to the front, 81
| they could be formed on Getty's divisoI
| prolonged to the right; for had already de
| clded to attack the enemy from that line a
i soon as | could get matters in shape to tax
81 A.e-