The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-26
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eheltor Of hostile force on the ilanks OF a
Union army operating in northern Vir-
glnia had not been occupied by single
good, consolidated Union force. Stone
wall jackson fought one army under Ere
mont and another under Banks On alter
nate days in 1862 and defeated both. After
that Sigel had compand of separate
army, Genera. J. h. Cox Of another and
General b. T. Kelley Of another all cbarg-
ed with looking after the Contederates in
and around the valley.
Later Milroy and Kelley and French
had Union commands supposed to be
avallablc TO prevent the Confederate occu-
patton in force, but Lee made It u high
way when he chose TO and used it for a
granary OF leisure. Next came Crook and
Sigel again and thon Hunter--thcse last
In 1S64-aRd st the erd Of hard sum
mer's cahnyaign Early held the valley, and
the Union forces, composed OF the rem
nnnts of these communicable Nineteenth
corps from tho suuthwest and the Sixth
corps from the Army of the Potomac
were buddled around the Potomac, with
General Grant on the ground doyising
some method TO solve the problem of pro-
tecting Washington.
The four old departments were consoli-
dated ard formed into the middle mill
tary division under Sheridan.
His forces constituted an army. Be
sides tho Sixth and Nineteenth corps
Crook had two divisions of infantry In his
West ViFginin army. To the division of
cavalry brought on from Petersburg by
Sheridan was ADDED Wilson's from the
same army, Averell's division from West
Virginia and now brigade under Colonel
G.. r.. Lowell. General A. L. A. Torbert,
whose division followed Sheridan froin
the peninsula, became chief of the cavalry
OF tho new army, and General Wesley
Merritt took command of Torbert's divi-
sion. Sheridan had asked for cavalry to
solve the question Of holding the valley,
ard nov he had three divisions and an
extra brigade led b. Wilson, Merritt and
Averell.
In little moro than 60 days Early suffer
cd dofcat In two heavy battles and went
whirling up the Shenandoah valley before
Sheridan's all conquering battalions,
which advanced as far as Staunton, the
Confederate Key to the region.
The position held by Sheridan was one
that would compel him soon to advance
and fight or retreat down the valley.
Thcre were no railways south from the
Potomac west Of the Blue Ridge, and he
was nearly $50 miles distant by wagon
roads from his base. In view of these dis
advantages, ho asked permission TO com
pletely abandon the valley after laying it
waste from the Potomac to Staunton,
leave guard on the line of the Baltimore
and Ohio rond and transport the bulk of
his army to Petersburg 10 aid in an attack
on Richmond General Grant left the de.
cision with Sheridan, and on Oct the
retrograde movement began. In his MEM
oirs Sheridan says:
1.-The cavalry as it retired was stretched
across the country from the Blue Ridge
to the Allcghanies, with orders TO drive
of all stock and destroy all supplies as 1t
moved northwSrd. The infantry preced-
cd the cavalry, passing down the valley
pike, and as we marched along the many
columns Of smoke from burning stacks
and mills filled with grain indicated that
tho adjacent country WAS fast losing the
features which hitherto had made it a
great magazine Of stores for the Confeder-
ate armies" The army moved back nerth-
ward and halted at Cedar creek on the
heights In the angle formed by that stream
anddhc Shenandoah
The next battle was delivered by Early
and took place on this field. The Confed-
crates appeared at Fishers hill, just across
tho valley, on the 12th of October, and on
the same day Sheridan was summoned to
Washington to confer with General Grant
about tho movement ON Cordonsvillo and
Charlottesville.
Before leaving the camps Sheridan post
cd Crooks command, tho Eighth corps,
along the valley pike on the left. Next
came the Nineteenth corps-Emory--along
the east bank Of the creek, with the Sixth
corps, undcr Wright, on tho right OF the
Nineteenth. The cavalry lowered on the
extreme tanks, watching the roads that
come In from tho east and west. Leaving
the command to General ii. G.. Wright,
Sheridan set out on the 18th.
On the 18th Sheridan had finished his
conference and had returned as far as Mar
tinsburg. On the 18th no started up tho
yalley nike ON horseback and haltpd I'm