The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-29

It is now 90 years and a half since
the battle of Cedar Greek. Va, oct.
49, 1864, but there are five men who'
until recently, were residents OF Fort
Douglas who remember it as well as II
it happened yesterday, for they We're
actors in that great war-drama in the
beautiful valley Of the Shenandoah.
They are General w. H. Penrose. now
following the arts of peace in this city,
Lieutenant-Colon e. M. Coates, Chap
lain u. r. Lowell, Sergeant Silas Coles.
company D, Sixteenth infantry ana
Private John f. Smith, company u,
Sixteenth infantry.
General Penrose was then command
ing a brigade in the famous 'hghtnS
Sixth" corps, and was wounded three
times during the battle, the last peing
a very serious enc, and he was carried
fainting from the field. Colonel coates
was also in the Sixth corps, holding the
rank of first lieutenant, but escaped
without q serious wound. Chaplain
Lowell who was then serving as prl-
vate in the One Hundred and twenty
first New York infantry, lost an arm
in the battle after the arrival or Sherl-
dan on the scene, and his empty sleeve
will forever remain souvenir OF the
fight.
Sergeant Coles, who was then
lad of Is, did rot receive a wound dur
ing the engagement, though his reg1-
ment was fighting almost continually
from before sunrise until late III the
afternoon. At the time of the battle,
Coles was a private in company d, One
Hundred and SeVenty-third New York
ne ( the MPfFQnOllfan
regiment under command of Colonel
Peck. He remember very well when
the hero on the black charger appeared
and rode along the front of the broken
line endeavoring to reform the retreat
ing troops, and his memory is equally
as vivid regarding the bursting shells
and tipping bullets which were trying
to find a resting place in his body that
day.
Private John Smith of company C
was a private in company A, One Hun
dred and Twenty-eighth New York in
fantry, which was a part OF the Nine
teenth army corps in the battle of
Cedar Creek. He was then a, beardless
youth of 20. The night before the
battle, Oct. Is, 1864, he was on picket
duty at a small bridge and became
separated from his detachment, and
would have fallen into the hands of the
confederateS and been sent with other
prisoners to Richmond, had he not sue
cceded in out-running his southern
friends who. on that occasion, he says.
gave him the chase of his life. Smith
rose early on the morning of the 18th,
much earlier than he expected, and
did some more running. His regiment,
with the others, was compelled to retire
about five miles back to the Winchester
pike before q firm stand was made. 1t
was near noon, and here he ran into
large wagon train that was about to
he blown uD to keep it from falling
into the hands of the confederates. At
this moment General Sheridan and a
rart of his staff came in sight on the
pike and being instantly recognized,
fhe oroiect was abandoned. Sheridan
came up somewhat excited, waving his
sword. his horse literally covered with
foam. and after holding a hasty con-
sultation with q group OF officers, ne
dashed off to the front. Smith did not
see him again until late in the after
noon. when the tide of battle had
turned in favor of the Union troops.
Then he was riding a fresh horse and
had a confident smile on his flushed
face.
Smith says but few volleys were
fred on his side during the day so
great was the decentralization, and
that firing at will was the rule. One
of Early's shells passed over and
burst in the rear Of his company,
wounding several men. Had it fallen
a few yards nearer it would have cut
his head off.
After the defeat at Fishers hill,
September %. 1864, Early received
heavy reinforcements, and in his
camp there was hustle and prepare
lions for an advance. Sheridan's
torches had laid waste the valley, the
provisions and forage which the Con-
federate general had brought from
New Market were nearly exhausted
and ne was forced either to attack or
retreat He chose the former alter
native For not only would attack
delay that meditated transfer Of forces
to Grants army, whose Importance
Sheridan had been quick to see, but
in addition Early had some ground |
for hoping to win at least a partial |
success, since he had received rein |
forcements, amounting. exclusive of |
the valley reserves that may have |
Joined him, to nearly 5000 men.
q {. g
Having, reached this determination. |
he set about planning an attack. !
Gordon, taking a brigade, went for |
ward to Hupp's hill. to find whether |
position was fortified, and 1
that it was; Early, therefore, |
resolved to take the intrenchment in /
reserve. Pegram was sent TO recon- |
noitre the Union right, but the project |
OF turning that flank was abandoned, |
..because,' as Early wrote TO Lee two |
days later, the greater part OF the
enemy's cavalry was on his right, and /
Rcsser's attempt had caused that
flank 10 be closely picketed." There,
also, the banks of Cedar creek We're
found TO be high and PERCEPTIONS. Yet,
on the other hand, ito get around
the eremy's left was difficult under
taking, as the river had to be crossed
twice. and between the mountain and
river, where the troops had to pass
to the lower ford, there was only
rugged pathway" Early, however
upon the whole, decided that the
chances of success would be greater
here. from the fact that the enemy
would not expect q move in that di-
rectton, on account of the difficulties
it, and the great strength of
their position on that flank" Careful
Examination by Gordon and by Cap
tain Hotchkiss, OF EaFly's staff. from
the signal station on Three Top. also
showed that Sheridan's left flank
was lightly picketed. and that there
VAS but a small cavalry picket on
the North Fork of the Shenandoah.
below the mouth of the creek
% g @
From the crest of Three Top, Cor
ion and Hotchkiss could look down
ITO both camps-rivers, nils, roads,
lords, woods, and ciearings all spread |
,ut before them, and not less clearly
J,s 4,.o01aS and the fes1fS tho cr,1nc oy1