The National tribune., 1890-05-08
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WAsINGION D. o. THURSDAY MAY s. 1890

were thrown TO the tops Of the scattering oaks
but beneath and yet superior to these noisy
demonstrations, there was in every heart u
revuIsion of feeling and pressure Of emotion
beyond description No moro doubt or chance
for doubt existed; VIC were safe, perfectly and
Internationally safe, ard every man knqw it.
When our greeting had somewhat subsidized Col.
Tracy, the first mau in the corps to address
him, rode up, hat in hand saying:
"'Gcncral, we're glad to see you.'
Well, by -, I'm glad to bo here! cx-
claimed the General. What troops are these p
Sixth Corps, Vermont Brigade!' was shout
cd from the ranks.
His answer was MS prompt: All right
We'ro all right! Wen have our camps by
night! and he gaioped on SO soon had lie
determined to defeat the enemy.
1t was now about noon. The next hour
was spent by the General in riding through tho
whole command, con nfirming Wrights disposi-
tons and inspirting the troops by his presence
and his words. He thus surveyed tho entire
field, and felt that he was master of the posi-
tion. About / o'clock tho Vermont Brigade
was hastily taken through tho woods TO Il point
in the rear of the Nineteenth Corps, where the
enemy was pressing, but the attack was easily
repulscd without our assistance"
1t is no romance, il is no fiCtion-Phil Sheri-
dan did rally that army and there is no sug-
gesti0n that without his rcdeoming presence
mornings disaster. Tho army generally was
unaware of Sheridan's absence The men of
my own corps tNincteenth) were thoroughly
indignant mad clear through" They didn't
understand it, They felt that some big blunder
had been made, and IL seemed unaccountable
that Phil Sheridan could be guilty of so much
mismanngoment. The philosophy Of the after
moons unparalleled reversal is simple enough.
If nm army moves on its belly" it fights on
its emotions. Neither Wright nor Getty nor
any other man between Stanton and Ifarpcr's
Ferry could have moved that army rod back
toward Belle Grove When Sheridan returned.
and the men saw that he had been away
throughout that dreadful morning, tho royul.
sion OF feeling which thrilled those mon is
almost without n parallel in the episodes of
war. In that moment Of eager Joy Sheridan 8
soldiers rose to 4 possibility Of fighting which
they never dreamed OF before. | am sorry that
t1nnoneCr" was not lifted on that tidal wave.
How ruerlo Is all carping! The glory Of that
achievement cannot be tarnished. In the light
Of the most blazing truth it must he cut deep
IN MI truthful annals that Sheridan saved the
day"
Hero is tho testimony Of a Sixth Corps
writer, the historian of the I'd r. l.:
The part which Sheridan played in il was
most brilliant and gave him an enduring dis
tinction. That he was able to rally with such
expedition "a defeated army. restore battle
which to all appearances had been irrctriev-
ably lost put new life aud order into disor-
ganized troops, and change defeat into victory
beiokencd the possession OF personal power
TO degree hitherto nnsuspcCted."
There nre other statements in "Cnunoneer's I"
article which arc inaccurate or misleading lie
does not seem 10 have noticed the fighting on
tho right, between and o'clock. where the
entire force OF two furious charges was received
and handsomely repulsed by Growers Division;
and he is further, ignorant of the fact that the
brunt OF Shcridan's offensive and triumphant
movement IN the afternoon was borne by the
Nineteenth Corps "Cannoneor appeals to
statistics. ! viii do the same. The Sixth and
Nineteenth Corps were about equal in numbers
IN The Valley. The killed at Cedar Creek were
ms follows: sixth Corps 25J; Nineteenth Corps,
2i3 Tho wounded were: Sixth Corps, 1865: :
NtncteoDth Corps. 81. In this connection il
- to bo noted that fram o'clock till the
Nineteenth Corps through the orders of Gen.
Wright, was practically out OF the eight As to
the lighting achievements OF the two corps, IL
should not be forgotten that IN the Valley cam.
paign the Nineteenth Corps lost moro men in
killed than did the Sixth Corps.