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

Ieentn corps, which was immediately
brought under q concentrated fire that
enfiladed AMI took in reverse its entire
line of works. It being impossible TO
4 maintain the POSITION, Wright COM
rnanded the corps to fall back. AS for
the gallant Thoburn, he had yielded
his life in breasting the tide of his i'll
fortune.
The Sixth corps now came on the scene.
! mating first on wooded knoll not far
IRON the pike and holding off the enemy
there Fog and smoke still shrouded both
the combatants. but Early soon learned
that the Sixth corps had taken d position
50 as to arrest his progress. The first
stand of much consequence was near Mid
dletown, about mile to the rear. In the
position taken UP on the ridge west OF
Middletown. the Sixth corps batteries
were in and near the cemetery. The
enemy was forced by this halt to consol-
idate his own line, and reported that they
must have assistance. as they could not
break through; accordingly. Wharton was
sent TO their aid. Grants command drove
wharton down the hill. but EarIy's ar
tillery checked the counter-charge with
whitening fire from 20 guns, and the
division fell back, BidweI being among
the mortally wounded.
Three hours had now elapsed since the
/ opening of the battle. The sun had dis
PEELED the fog. allowing the Union gener-
els to see what there was in their front
u
/ the confederate attack appeared to be
slackening. The position en- echilon of the
: Union troops had caused each corps to be
/ farther north than the one on its left;
hence when Early turned the left of the
! Cedar creek line. the successive marching
across of the Union forces TO confront him
brought them farther down the pike.
After Early had brought up his tagged
Zines to this new position, he found his
task increasing in difficulty, for the Union
cavalry now extended beyond the pike.
D arlxr IL
Paynes brigade was all the mounted
force he had at the pike. Neither Rosser
nor LomaX was able TO strike the pike
although Early's surprise of the infantry
camps had filled it with fugitives. Dis
couraged at length by the presence of the
Union cavalry, Early determined TO essay
an attack on his other flank, and sent an
aid to direct the advance. This officer
he delivered the order to General <er-
shaw. but the latter informed him that
his division was not in condition to
make the attack, as it was very much
scattered. and there was a cavalry force
threatening him in front. Another officer
also stated that he had seen Gordons
division in Kershaw's rear reforming and
tnat II was much scattered, and that he
had not delivered the order to General
Gordon because he saw that neither his
division nor Kershaws was in a condition
to execute it.
Abaut this time occurred the most dra-
matte incident of the battle. Journeying
from Rectortown to Washington, the
night of the 18th, Sheridan had completed
his business there by the 18th, and had
hurried by the noon train to Martinsburg.
Finding himself again in the valley, with
no apparent urgency for his presence at
Cedar creek, he deemed it expedient to
remain and finish some business with
Colonies Alexander and Thorn The morn
ing of the 18th found him at Winchester.
At about Z o'clock an officer on picket
duty reported the sounds of artillery, but
he gave no special heed to the matter,
supposing that the firing resulted from
reconnaissance. How ever, a few hours
later. mounting his horse, he rode through
Winchester. and then the continuous roll
of artillery made a battle unmistakable.
At Mill creek. half a mile beyond the
town. he found trains and troops from
the broken line.
Hastily giving orders to park the re
at Winchester to form a Gordon across
the pike and fields to stop the StragglerS,
Sheridan dashed along the pike with an
escort of 20 men. He called to the fugt-
tiveS to turn about and face the enemy,
and as he expressed it. hundreds of the
men who, on reflection found they had
not done themselves justice, came back
then eleven and a half miles from Win
chester, he was received with a tempest
of joy and enthusiasm.
When Sheridan arrived the enemy had
just been forced to relinquish his attempt
to seize the pike, yet had not completed
his arrangements for attacking the Union
right. The only parts of the army he
found engaged were the second division
OF the Sixth corps and the cavalry. At
fairs at the pike being no longer urgent
he proceeded at once to the important
task of securing strong formation, of
his line. In the eXertionS on the one
side to carry, and on the other to hold
the turnpike as the key-point of the
h0 .
lines We're much broken Sheridan, there
fore, rode off to personally aid his staff
in bringing up all his available troops on
a line perpendicular to the pike. He
caused all of Clusters cavalry to be
brought together on the right. He mad
determined not to allow the enemy to
recover it at the earliest hour possible.
This assurance he gave to the troops as
he rode along the lines. and the splendid
inspiration Of his presence was an omen
of victory.
Astonished at the reports brought him
from his left. Early had proceeded
O clock he succeeded in getting some of
his troops ready. and the Nineteenth
corps and Wheaton's division of the
easily repulsed. The affair might have
proved very serious had not the Union
right been strengthened by Sheridan. and !
made ready TO receive the onset by 1
rails and logs. Early thenceforth con-
tented himself with the endeavor to get
his prisoners and captured guns and |
wagons back to Fishers Hill. At J
O clock Sheridan having formed his line
ordered an advance. In Emory's front I,
the advance was Stoutly contested until |
a spirited dash OF Dwight's division, I'M /
der the personal direction of Sheridan, /
nut the enemy TO flight at that point |
CONSERVATION then spread along the con- !
federate ranks until division after divis- |
ion gave way, and the army that had |
swept over the field in triumph at dawn |
was a mass of fugitives at night At |
Cedar Creek the infantry pursuit stopped, |
but the cavalry kept on. The roads be- |
came blocked with mass of guns. cats- /
sons ambulances and wagons and sew |
eral bridges broken down. Custer and |
Devin swooping upon these gathered /
them up for the disoTganized mob took
to the fields not attempting to save any
thing.
Early's loss was about 800. according |
to his own account. Twenty,four con-
federate guns We're captured and the |
q lost by the Union troops in the morn
ing We're all retaken and a plumber of 4
battle flags were among the spoiis. j
Early's trophies were 1,429 prisoners. |
whom he had taken the 9-ecaution to
send betimes to the rear and to forward
to Richmond where they arrived a few 1
DAVIS later. The Union loss in killed,
and missing was 5,164
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