The sun., 1897-10-03

VnC SIKH ana Nineteenth CORDS opposite r lShCr
| Hin, with Crook in reserve near Cedar Creek.
| Torbert, with Wilson'S cavalry division and two
brigades of the First division, was sent after
On tho 2ist, probably, Sheridan determined
| to attack again, but he did not apparently de-
was the the capture apt P by the SIKH Corps ] Of posi-.
tion closer and more nearly parallel TO Early's
idan had resolved to attack Early's right flank,
but this part Of the latters line was SO strong
that he could have seriously entertained such
an, an idea De- f. for ,s moment II is probable that at
on soe o9 pont on A % tGfft It
| was tho plan met with Crook disnpproval, on
ecGoun OF the great m d and st certain loss it Would
| the country near the Back Road and the North
| Mountain and had conceived the idea OF NOV:
| ing his command along tho mountain side until
| he could get on tho left and rear OF the enemy's
line, as he had done in the battle of the ope-
allowed himself to be persuaded by the joint ar:
reluctantly gave authority 10 the former TO
carry out his plan.
tions on both sides of the narrow valley, and
on foot leading his command through ravines
nd sr Spk o @ ood the aon se
on the left Of the Confederate lines. Encounter
the to Ss left a to ehnrss Ss
and w,ha Wild yell the % Army Of wv West g virginia
| rushed down the mountain side. rolling the
Confederatos back in surprise and disorder So
sudden so unexpected was the attack. that the
confusion The Six IN Corps Joined in the attack,
entire line Of the enemy giving way before him.
He reached the pike about quarter of "A mile in
fsa aH he oo1s al hS Tf
short distance up tho pike but they We're cT
Coming on, they bivonacEcd on the " roadside if
Earlys loss was about 1850, Of which about
n m N nf mia
Of artillery. which were abandoned. Sheridan
lost in killed, wounded, and missing less than
BY direction of the Secretary of War salvo
Of 1900 guns wns fired 10 celebrate the victory
pletc, and the battle affords one Of the finest
cYamples. OF grand tactics to be found in the
late in the day. however. and the bulk OF he
cavalry had been detached beyond supporting
infantry. The full fruits Of the victory there.
fore. were not gathered. In the Luray Valley
hS ad Tsles hs assgpsd SS ss there @
struction of bridges and the roughness of the
eonntry and not knoWns that The army had
allowed himself to be held in check by an in
feri9r force. II he could @ have descended on
tory might have been even more decisive aud
the captures much greater. i must be said,
decidedly unfavorablc for tho operations of
cavalry, and that bal on the 22d Torbert had no
after tRe bae E"ry retTo@iSd 10 he line
of the Blue Ridge, Sheridan following 10 Har.
Wayncs6oro with his cavalry. Ali this part part
OF the valley he laid waste burning crops
barns treS hs or and @
pleted, he started. Oct. g. on his return down the
In the meantime Early was rcioneti, Sept
-, by the cavalry from the Luray valley and
On the the h lhoTPS o dbSy by p wo dsn
Increased by the arrival of RoSser's cavalry
BATTLE OF TOMS BROOK.
Sheridan's destructive measures had greatly
enraged the soldiers of the Southern army. and
they were eager to be lcd against him. Many
ocer u Of %HfS in his pe
gade," and in defiance of Early's cautions.
ance that on the 9th Of October sheridan di-
' get whipped himself. Rosser a"' was s'" driven Sn
: about twenty, miles losing $50 prisoners, IL
on tho 10th the Union army was posted,
under Sheridan's personal supervision, on the
north bank INK Gf Gedsr m Gr9sk WhSrs %
cess in the field had been complete, and he was
, Of tho opinion that Early's force was too much
shattered to make further trouble. He wrote to
+ Grant: With Crooks force the valley, can be
held; held" A. late a oct II he tclesranhed y
Will not take place" Preparations were there.
fore made, to send the sixth Corps 10 Richmond
ing to his l2ng,chershed Plan OF cutting Lees
dan tocGrephed to HalocE: If any any advance nee ID
0 to be nindc on Gordonsyillc and Chnrloltcs,
/ my my command and have therefore GO Counter r
mandcd TIE order dirScting lhe SIKH M Corps ia
J. loath to carry out Grants wishes in this mnttcr
t and on tho 18th he started, under orders from
t authorities there, leaving Wright in command
a Meanwhile Early had moved unobseryed md
0 | unresiated down the valley, and on the 18Th had
Eh9r 10 t Win % Pr G his cFIS
o front Of sheridnn's lines: His force was nov
: larger than Ut any time since his defeat at Win
= chester, and he was planning an enerGetic. often
t that the southern cause needed u victory, and
N he relied upon Early to gain it,, Nothing fur
y 18th he rcconnoltred the Federal position, bu,
|, found 4, too strong for front attack.
t Tho Massanutlcn Mountains terminate neal
y Strasbulg in bold peak which ovcrlooks lht
/. whole lower Nalicv Of the Shenandoah. Thi,
T TcIm re TSsGs @ an 10 enc. EN- dGn on 2a h
n engineer, Cant. Jed IIotchkiss. From the noun
:. tain submit The Federal intrcnchments. batter
+ les, and camps were laid out before them as on
j. map, and sketc ch was made, showing the UniO,
position in, all liz detoils. A pIan for is At
9 iications, and made hi+ di;ipo:tions for one .
&. :. During thC night Of the 18th of octobc
3, larry moved hls army Shu 80 mat oy morn
n ing he cnveiopcd Crook force; in front In fanl
Ii been greatly Weakened by detachments anc
e rhOhurn's division, about half "A mile in from
&. of the main line, numbered considerably les
4 than 1000 men. Upon this division Earl
Q: threw Kershaws infantry at daybreak on tn
IF lotn Ii was instantly swept away
e. Gordon and Kcrshuw then moved upo
d Crooks other division, striking II In front AM
10 flank, while Wharton bore down upon the Nine
IS teenth Corps. The fighting was desperate, bu
Y the surprised and h4lf,formeGh troops troops wer
b. extreme right, and at some distance from IN
p- point OF attack. had time to form line i ga
10 lantly resisted the enemy's advance, but II ais
g. was Obliged to fall back.
ID Earlys first attack having spent itself, II bc
y came necessary for him 10 re form his lines Tn
L. success OF Gordon and Kcrshaw had carrie
le them across the pike, and when the lines wer
IA rc-cstablished they Were nearly perpendicula
u 10 IL and on its west, An attack upon III