Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-13

4lblc dS]COULb COlukdIS0 VIII IuS pIlZ0 lucy
were expected to get"
"Was there not danger of premature
onset at some pointP
Before the movement began we had COM
pared watches SO that the attack might be
Simultaneous"
''Were the first actual demonstrations in
accordance with your planr'
Perfectly, 50 far as the real attack on the
right was concerned On the morning of the
18th, just about daylight, we fired three or
four shots Away the Federal pickets went
with our cavalry brigade after them.
l rushed across, wading the river, with my
whole corps or infantry. we went w1un
rush and double quick. Before starting ]
had selected the house on the road at which
the head of my column should stop. 1t was
white house at the turn of the road, farther
down toward the river, and was on the flank
of the enemy's line. As soon as | got there
was in position, and l had nothing 80 do
but to close up in front and move. Dash
ing forward with one brigade, we
plunged into the enemy's camp and found
the men asleep. Many of them never awoke
in this world. We went right through them
and shot every one IN fight. The cavalry
had reached the headquarters, and Gen.
Wright barely escaped, leaving his papers
behind him. and they fell into our hands. We
killed and wounded between 1000 and 5000
of the panic stricken and bewaldered Federals
and broke two corps entirely to pieces The
loss in my command was only about 200. By
sunrise we occupied the breastworks The
enemy's cavalry was forced to retreat before
Rosser, although superior to him in numbers
We did not press our advance. The enemy
still had the Sixth corps in reserve, but we
drove it back and captured a few Of its
pieces. That was the battle of Cedar Creek,
and it was complete victory"
POSITION OF Roth ARMIES.
''You say you had gained a complete vic
tory What was the position of the two
armies then|
1.-THE Eighth corps was scattered to the
winds, the Nineteenth corps, after hard
fighting, was routed and driven entirely out
of their works, and we had possession of the
entire Federal position except part of that
held by the Sixth corps. This corps had filed
out by the left toward the pike, and we had
driven them back and forced them to ridge
Just west of Middletown. We had the pike
away along up to the edge of Middletown,
and our position was admirable every way"
"What was the real cause Of the halt in
your progressf'
II viii tell you, and there has been a great
deal Of misunderstanding on this point. I
saw that the enemy had strong position, but
that it was the last one they could hold. We
had one of the finest positions for posting
artillery | ever saw. You know the spot
right on the highest point of the pike south
of Middletown, and east and above Sheri-
dams headquarters / called for Col. Carter,
the chief OF artillery, and wanted thirty guns
planted right there, and we would have bat
tered that Federal line all to pieces, democrat
lied an already beaten army, and sent it in
utter panic down the valley
"Why didn't you get your guns to work
on us:'
eyes, there's the rub We did get a few
enough to break the line--but here comes the
lamentable feature of that days business.
Y on know Early says that the final defeat
was caused by the demoralizatio of his own
men in plundeTing the Federal camp and in
gorging on suffers supplies there captured"
That is the popular belief"
''Well, there isn't word of truth in it.
There never was less struggling or plumber
ing among any troops than there was in our
army that morning. l had them well in
hand, and had issued the strictest orders that
any soldier falling out for plumber should be
shot instantly. That whole statement is
false The real trouble was here. 1 was
making every effort to get mass of artillery
in position when Gen Early rode up. He
was wild with Joy. | exclaimed Gen Early,
give me thirty pieces of artillery right here
and we will destroy that army and send it's
fragments over the Potomac knew that
the supreme moment had come"
GEN. EARLY's ELATION.
"What was Earlys view of the situations"
"'No, no. said he. We've won a great
we've done enough for one day; we
will stop here But said 1, let us finish
the job 1t is true we have won a great vic
tory; let US complete il. We can do it In
an hour, and so destroy that army that it will
never show its head in the valley again
But Gen. Early said no; that the men had
seen fighting enough, and that we had won
glory enough for one day. Very well, SIR
I replied; then l will return to my COM
mand Until then | had had charge of the
entire movement ON the right. did return
to my corps, and Early carried on the bat
tie. We followed up the Federals as they
Our men were too much elated
with their victory"
To the question as to Esrly's personal con.
dition that morning Gen. Gordon gave no
reply.
GLOW did the battle changer
Everybody knows about how Sheridan
reached the field in the nick of time, and
how he came laundering down from Winches-
ter. He found his men scattered along the !
road in terror stricken confusion, and he |
compelled them to turn about and follow
him. He was fury on horseback, dashing !
here and there among the flying soldiers and
beating them back to the field of death which |
they had quilted Meanwhile, the men who !
were retreating from the front had been
brought to some sort of order. Then fol- /
lowed one of the most extraordinary revers-
ais in the history of any war. As soon az
Sheridan reached the field he reformed his |
line and practiced upon us precisely the same |
which had demoralized his own |
forces in the morning. He just moved around |
our flank, swept down it and whipped us out |
Of existence He broke our line all to frag- |
mentS and routed the whole army absolutely. |
It was as thorough a defeat as / ever saw. |
The day had dawned upon victory and ex- I
lltation. 1t closed upon utter disaster and /
lie election. Two distinct battles had been /
fought, and in the last we lost all that we
had gained in the first one and all that we
had before. The reaction was dramatic in |
It's suddeneSs and completeness, and when We
left the field that evening the Confederacy |
bad retired from the Shenaudoah. It was |
our last fight in the valley."-Boston Herald |
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