The National tribune., 1894-03-22
BOOTS AND SADDLES.
Comrades Must Not Forget that the Cavalry
Had "a Hand at Cedar Creek.

y
Had Hand at Cedar Creek.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: was much
interested in Comrade w. T.. Webster's let
ter concerning those three battles in the
Valley of which Iwas a participant. He
speaks of the splendid record Of the Sixth
Corps, and well he may, for in my estima-
ton it cannot be praised too highly. Being
a cavalryman in the Army of the Potomac,
/ had a chance to know something about it.
While it is natural for every man to speak
well of his corps, must speak a word for
the cavalry, and remind the comrade of one
thing lacking
1t is an established fact that the cavalry
was very important element in those bat
ties; and, from his statement, all might
think the cavalry were uncommonly for
tunate not to lose man in the three en-
gagements. While he does not say we did
not lose q man, he does not say we did.
There is no doubt Gen. Sheridan gave in
his official report the losses of all troops
engaged. Why not when writing show
courtesy to all concerned? / know Gen.
Sheridan thought well of the cavalry. The
comrade says Gen. Sheridan's report of Aug.
10 was $4,000 infantry and $500 cavalry
total, q 800. He also says, from Gen. Sheri-
dams report after the battles, the losses in
those three corps were II, S04.
Barness United States History gives Gen.
SheridaD's loss in those three battles 1900;
according to the two accounts the cavalry
lost 4, ] So or COG more than was present; there
is big mistake somewhere.
am unable to give definite statement
according to numbers, but think our cavalry
numbered between 5000 and 10000, and the
infantry $4,000.
will confine my few remarks to the battle
of Cedar Creek, and hope they may draw
out some brother cavalrymen who were
there, and can give much better accounts
than L can. What l say is from memory.
To the best of my knowledge our cavalry
on the night of Oct. Is lay back about three
or four miles from the Union picket-lne and
to the right of the pike, the Eighth and
Nineteenth lay next to the front, the Sixth
between those two corps and the cavalry.
In the morning. before daylight, we heard
heavy firing at the front, and were not long
in getting out We had time to feed our
horses and eat breakfast. We then saddled
and moved to the 'front.' finding matters in
very bad shape. The question was asked:
"What troops are those running?" The an
swer soon went down along the line: The
Eighth and Nineteenth Corps" We heard
later that the enemy had moved around the
flank Of the Eighth Corps under cover of
the darkness. aud without alarming our
pickets charged into their camps with a
YELL routing them out of their tents. This,
as a matter of fact, caused a great panic in
those two corps. The Sixth had time to get
in line, which they did, and conducted them
selves nobly, they and the cavalry doing
about all the fighting in the morning. do
not censure the panic-stricken corps. Any
corps would have done the same under such
circumstances. They had done noble service
before this and did afterwards.
We were driven back several miles for
sometime before Gen. Sheridan arrived ON
the field. The enemy had halted, established
their lines, aud appeared to be waiting for
us to advance. AS the General approached
great cheering arose, and he passed along
the line. hr %
Soon the Sixth Corps were ordered to
charge, they occupying ground to the right
of the pike, the enemy being in the edge of
woods. This charge was repulsed.
After that there were some changes made
in the cavalry. Gen. Custer was sent with
the Third Division to our extreme right
with orders to flank the enemy; the other
two divisions were sent to our left. I can
not locate the infantry, but think the Sixth
Corps were to the right of the pike.
After these changes were made the whole
line was ordered to charge. The Sixth
Corps broke the center3 and the enemy's line
gave way. From that until dark we had it
all our own way, the cavalry charging what
was not captured to Fishers Hill. 1 think
had it not been for darkness we should have
had them all.
Next morning accommodating party went
20 miles up the Valley, returning without
seeing Johnny. The enemy told the citi-
zens on their rout we had been reinforced
with 10000 troops.
The enemy captured eight pieces of artil-
lery from us in the morning, and we captured
al from them in the afternoon.-SERG'T
A. V. BAILEY, Co. A, I'd q. S. Cav, Level,
Md.