The National tribune., 1895-03-14
WINDING 1T UP.
Comrade Mcdonald Fires the Last Shot In
the Cedar Creek Controversy.

| Comrade Mcdonald Fires the Last Shot In
the Cedar Creek Controversy.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE. In my las
| communication, referring to matters al
Cedar Greek, / said "Comrade Powell gar.
bles an extract from Sherdan's Memoirs.
| This seems to have offended the comrade.
1t is true, as he claims, he used Sherdan's
| exact language, but iDasmuch as he used
| only that part of sentence that suited his
purpose, the charge that he garbled the quo
tation stands good. He omitted part of the
sentence, as follows: Ricketts,, temporarily
commanding the Sixth Corps, checking Cor
don till Emory had retired"
Here Sheridan gives the Sixth Corps credit
| for holding the enemy in check and covering
| the movement of the Nineteenth Corps.
Certainly a demoralized corps would not be
credited with the performance of such an
| important duty. The followers of the old
| Greek Cross will ever maintain that the
stubborn resistance offered by the Sixth
Corps made possible the glorious victory won
at a later hour in the day.
My contention is that when Sheridan
says that Wright was unable to form a GER
tain line with the Sixth Corps he does not
say nor convey the idea that said corps was
demoralzed and i claim that no reader
whose judgment is not warped by prejudice
would place any such construction upon
Gen. Sheridan's language
Gen. Wrights failure to place the Sixth
Corps on the line proposed, after the attack
upon Thoburns Division, was due to the
fact that before it could reach that part OF
the field the troops 1T was intended to re-
inforce (part of Crooks command) had made
hasty retreat, and the ground it was in
tended 10 have the Sixth Corps occupy was
held by the enemy. Gen. Wright expresses
the opinion that had Kitching's Provisional
Division and Hays Division held the line
for 10 minutes on which they had been
placed under the direction of himself and
Gen. Crook, reinfOrcements would have
reached them from the Sixth and Nineteenth
Corps, and the battle fought out on the ground
east of the pike, and with the same results
that ensued later in the day.
The comrade seems particularly unhappy
because / am not so much of hero-wor-
shipper as to consider Gen. Sheridan infalli-
bic. i take second place to no man in adj
miration of Little Phil.D / consider him
the ablest, most brilliant dashing and ener-
getic General developed by the war; but the
abilities and achievements Of Gen. Sheridan
as military commander do not necessarily
enter into a discussion OF his merits and ac-
curacy as historian, and when / question
the accuracy Of his account of what trans
pired at Cedar Creek before he arrived upon
the field, or criticise any part Of his highly
interesting book where the narrative con-
ficts with the official reports, / do so "more
in sorrow than in anger" and with due re-
spect to the memory of a gallant and dis
iinguisbed officer who has joined the silent
majority, but whose name and fame will en-
dure through the ages.
Aud now as to the alleged gap in the
Union picket-line. When the comrade first
claimed there was such gap, he said it was
due to the fact that certain changes were
made in the disposition Of the cavalry after
Sheridan left for Washington. Whom he
intends 10 blame by this charge is not quite
apparent, but it does not matter, as the
statement is incorrect. The changes he
speaks of were made before Sheridan turned
the command over to Gen. Wright, as is
shown by the official reports Gen. Merritts
cavalry, stationed on the left of the infantry
and picketing the line where Gordon's col
umn came inside the Union lines, was
moved Oct. IA to the right OF the infantry,
while Gen. Sheridan did not leave Cedar
Greek until Oct Is.
Comrade Pond, in his Shenandoah Valley
Campaign" says that with the exception Of