The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-12-06
CLEARING AMYsTERY.

4
in late issue comes into the discussion
between Comrades Webster and Powell, and
gives his experience at Cedar Creek on the
morning of Oct. 10, 1864, which in substance
is that, being with his, regiment picket
| in Thoburn's 'front.' and hearing some
strange noise between them and their camp
he and his squad started on the double
| quick toward their camp, and much to their
| surprise found themselves among rebel
| troops. He asks the question: How in the
world did Gen. Early's army flank us, and
get between our picket and our camp with
out being heard ? Was there not a screw
| loose somewhere"
| In his second epstle Comrade Powell
| essays to locate the loose screw referred to
| by Comrade Turner, and claims that after
Gen. Sheridan started for Washington, leav-
| ing Gen. Wright in command of the army,
changes were made in the disposition of the
cavalry and their picket-lne, leaving a
gap in the picket-lipe between Buckton's
| Ford and the left of the Army of West Vir-
ginia, making it possible for the enemy to
| gain admittance fas he did) within the lines
| of the Union camps without disturbing the
| picket-line Of the Army of West Virginia.
| The comrade will have to try again, as the
records are against him.
Moore's Brigade Cavalry was moved Oct.
| IL to Buckton's Ford, and, according to Gen.
| Torbert's official report, connected their
| pickets with the left of the Infantry; and,
again, Cen Gordon, who conceived and eI-
ecuted the principal fiankipg movement,
studied the situation closely from the rebel
| signal station on Three Top Mountain, and
| from that point Of advantage chose the
route by which his troops were TO move.
| He says that at the point selected for the
crossing the Union line was picketed by cav
airy, and he made his plans accordingly; and,
| further, Gen. Gordon, in describing the
movements of his thanking column, says:
"On the morning of the 10Th, just before
daylight, we fired three or four shots; away
| the Federal pickets went, with our cavalry
/ brigade after them. ] rushed across, wading
the river, with my whole corps of infantry"
The foregoing shows that GOrdon's column
did not come through any gap" in our
|, picket-line.
The following statement will, think,
clear up the mystery to COmrade Turner'S
satisfaction. On the night of Oct Is and
morning of 18th the picket-line of the Army
Of West Virginia was made up of the 9th n.
Y. II. A. and 34th Ohio, Kershaw during he
night massed his division in front of that
part of The line held by the Saith Ohio, and
at the proper time dashed through this line,
killing and wounding some of the 34th Ohio
and capturing the Colonel and Is of his men,
Kershaw's column moved on Thoburn's
works, so that when Comrade Turner and
his comrades ran in the direction of their
camps they of necessity soon found them
selves among Kershaw's troops, who had
placed themselves between Thoburns camp
and the right Of the picket-line held by the
9th n. Y. H. A.
In this same second epistle Comrade
Powell garbles an extract from Sheridau'5
Memoirs, and by forced construction at
tempts to show that Sheridan said the Sixth
Corps was also badly demoraiZed, whereas
the context shows that Gen. Sheridan did
not intend to convey any such idea, and 10
fair minded and unpLej udiced reader would
place such construction upon Sheridans
language.
Sherdan's Memoirs were written over 90
years after the close of the war, and it is a
wei known fact that so far as the narrative
pert~ins 10 the mornings operations ut
Cedar Creek it is incorrect IN many instances,
and this is one of them.
1t was before all of Crooks men had been
driven from the original line that Gen.
Wright ordered two divisions of the Sixth
Corps to that part of the field XII ching's
Provisional Division and Hayess Division
were still standing fast when that order was
given, but after they rctreated Gen Wright
directed Gen. Ricketts, commanding SIKH
Corps, TO move his corps TO some tenable line
in the rear, and the 10 IL was directed to
form on that new line, on the right of the
Sixth Corps.
As Sheridan's Memoirs have been quoted !
in this discussion | feel ut liberty to intro |
duce an extract from that work, which in
my opinion, does az great act of I'M Justice |
to the Army of West Virginia rs can be |
charged to any writer vino has contributed |
to these columns. See Vol. 2, page SO,
where, after describing his famous ride |
" from Winchester, 20 miles away" and |
his arrival at the 'front.' where he found |
Getty's Division holding the line, Sheridan |
says:
= / then turned back to the rear of Getty's |
Division, and as | came behind it line of |
flags rose up out of the ground,
as it seemed, 10 welcome me. They were
mostly the coIors of CIR, ok's troops, who had |
been stampeded and scattered in the sur
prise of the morning The color bearers
having withstood the panic, had formed be-
hind the troops Of Getty The line with
the colors was largely composed of officers,
among whom | recognized Col. r. B. Hayes,
since President of the United States, one OF
the brigade commanders
There is no double meaning to the fore
going. The idea expressed and conveyed
is that the rank and file of the regiments of
Crooks command had been siampeded and
and this group of officers and
were the surviving remnant
and sole representatives of the Army of
West Virginia at that point.
] am satisfied that this is not correct. and
Gen. Hayes is my authority for saying
that there were 1000 to 1000 of the
Army of West Virginia in line at that
time on the right of Getty's troops. These
were of Hayes Division, who had stood by
heir colOrs faithfully, and were not stam-
peded or panic-stricken-m who had
proved their valor many hard-fought
ield, and who were ready aud willing to
ollow their colors into the thickest of the
ight.-S A. MCDONALD, 122d n. Y, Cleve-
and, o.
IN