The National tribune., 1897-12-23
CEDAR CREEK.
The Part Taken by - Heavy Artillery Eegi-
mcnt in That Fight.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: have read
several paragraphs and accounts of comrades
of different regiments that were engaged at
Cedar Creek, and | begin to think that some
OF the comrades that were there could see
farther on that dark, foggy morning than l
could
| was n member of Co. G., I'd G. II. A.,
Second Brigade, First Division, Sixth Corps,
at the time, and was present. My brigade
joined the right of the Nineteenth Corps
on that morning. | was on the detail as
camp guard the day and night preceding the
battle, and had posted the relief perhaps a
half hour previous to the first picket shots
fired on the front line that morning.
Upon hearing the firing, which first COM
menced upon the right and in front of the
Sixth Corps, at or near the ford, | awakened
the Sergeant in command of the camp guard
who had orders to awaken the Colonel in com
mand of the regiment if there was any firing
On the picket-line This he did, and the
regiment very soon was In line ready to
march.
About this time we heard heavy firing on
the left, and about where the Eighth Corps
was camped. We soon moved off at double
quick step to the left and rear of the Nine
teenth Corps on the north side of ravine
to Winchester
We formed Ine-ofbattls nearly ON the
crest of this ravine, and facing the rear of the
Nineteenth Corps, Middletown and the pike,
our left stretched out pretty well toward the
pike Our brigade battery planted its guns
IN rear of our line on higher ground.
ltwas so misty and dark that we could not
see 10 rods III front of us at that time. Men
from the Nineteenth Corps began to pass
through our ranks in disorder. We got orders
to ire, and our battery in rear opened upon
the rebels that had moved to the crest of the
bill opposite us.
Every thing was soon obscured in smoke
and mist, but the rebel bullets found human
mark every little while. The rebels soon
moved past our left flank, and we were ex-
posed to an enfilading fire for some time,
which doubled back our left flank in some
disorder We double-quicked TO the rear,
preserving very fair line considering what
was behind US. hot fire of cannon and
musketry was poured into us nearly all of the
way back for nearly one-half mile to the
woods to which we retreated
There we formed q new line-ofbattle with
the rest of the Sixth Corps which had pre-
ceded us, and we were in this position and
line when Sheridan arrived, rode along the
line, and said
Boys, we will go back to our old camps
tonight"
We charged the rebels from that line, and
they did not tarry long before they went back
faster than we had done in the morning. |
do not think it is right or Just that any com
rade should say that his regiment or COM
mand was the only one which did the fighting
that morning, for my experience was that you |
could only tell what occurred in your I'M
mediate vicinity or regiment. | do know
that four comrades and schoolmates of mine |
were killed, besides several wounded in my |
company, before we went to the rear that |
Our Colonel was also wounded |
and his horse shot, and the loss of the regi-
ment was II killed, 107 wounded and 81 miss
ing. Why there was 50 large a number |
missing is accounted for by one company (L) |
being on picket guard at the upper ford and
being surrounded and cut off from escape
when the Sixth Corps retired to the rear line.
The greater share of our loss in the fight
was in the morning before we retreated and
while holding our first line-of-battle until
we were nearly surrounded on three Sides
WM. L. WADHAMs, Co. c, I'd c. Ii. A, |
Sidney, n. Y.