The sun., 1900-06-20
THE BATTLE or CEDAR CREEK.
An Account Of That Brilliant Actisa BY Al
other Participant.

To THE EpIroR or THE SUS-Sir: Having
read with interest some Of the communications
in your paper about Sheridan and Cedar Creek.
have thought that an account from psrtiei-
pant in that battle might be interesting.
Iwas member of the Second Massachusetts,
Cavalry. This regiment, with the Sixth Penn
sylvania, First. Second Fifth and Sixth regi-
ments Of regular cavalry. composed the Reserve
Cavalry Brigade. commanded by Col. Charles
Russell Lowell. Jr., q gallant soldier who fell In
that engagement The Reserve Cavalry Bri-
gade. the New York Brigade. Brig. Gen. Dsvin.
and the Michigan Brigade. Gen. Clusters old
command. now commanded by Col. Capehart.
formed the First Cavalry Division. commanded
by Brig -Gen. Wesley Merritt, now senior
Major-G General of the Army-a very competent
officer.
On the morning Of the lsth Of October. 1894.
when the battle opened. the Reserve Cavalry
Brigade was camped near the right OF the line
OF the army. probably three miles to the west
Of the Valley turnpike. The morning was clear
and starlight. except that toward Cedar Creek
there was a slight fog. The dawn was just
breaking when, relieved from camp duty.
was about to enter my tent heard heavy
volley of musketry away TO the east, soon fol-
lowed by the continuous and rapid firing denot-
ing an engagement Col Lowell. the brigade
commander. always prompt In the perform
ance OF duty. quickly ordered Boots
and Saddles" and within q few minutes
the Reserve Cavalry Brigade was ready
for action. As our flank OF the army
was not attacked. we remained In line
waiting orders. The air being clear. as timo
passed We could distinguish from the sound
the progress Of the action and thus knew that
our troops on the left were rapidly falling back.
After some time our brigade was ordered from
its position on the right to the extreme left OF
the army where the fighting was In progress.
In making this movement we saw all the troops
that were standing 10 their colors on the fight
ing lino-composed Of the grand old Sixth
Corps and part Of the Nineteenth Corps. I'm
I'll we reached the east Of the Valley turn
pike, where the Eighth and part Of the Nine
teenth Corps should have been. but were not,
we had not realized how badly stampeded had
been part Of the army.
do not now bring to mind that we saw any
infantry then on the east OF the pike; II any
were there they must have been north OF Mid
dletown: but here about one-half mile south OF
Middletown. we struck the fianking column OF
Gen Early's Confederate army. and immedi-
ately engaged 1t. It was the opposition OF the
Reserve Cavalry Brigade under Col Charles
Russell Lowell. Jr., that brought TO an end
Early's fanking movements that had so success
fully driven back more than one-half OF our In
fantry Early extended his line TO flank our
position, but Gen. Merritt came up with
the New York and Michigan brigades.
which took the position We occupied and
we moved still further to our left until We out
flanked Early's line. In this last movement to
the left we again struck and had a sharp en-
gagement with the advance OF the Confederate
fanking column accompanied by light bat
terry. We charged this battery and failed to
capture it. but we halted the column and held 1t
In check all the long hours before Sheridan
came on the field and arranged and ordered the
advance OF the whole army Except for one or
two charges by my squadron to feel the enemy
and heavy skirmish firing. there was a lull now
In the engagement for several hours.
During this time we learned that great part
OF our infantry had been surprised and driven
In disorder from their camps; that Gen. Sheri-
dan was away. but was coming up; that his
staf. with Gems. Wright and Emory. were reor-
ganizing the infantry somewhere north Of
Middletown. There IL another important thing
that we knew-that the veteran Sixth Corps and
the First and Third cavalry divisions. all sea-
soned troops Of the Army OF the Potomac, had
not been stampeded and. more than that. could
not be stampeded.
Some time during the lull Col. Lowell rode
hastily from Gen. Merritt's headquarters to our
brigade and announced that Gen. Sheridan
was then coming along the turnpike and soon
We saw him. accompanied by two or three aids
or orderlies. and We gave him few rouslng
cheers Sheridan did not come down to the
cavalry line. but turned west and rode along
the Infantry front. Because Of the cheering
he received the Confederates thought that
charge was on or resnforcements COM
Ing up and opened their batteries and put q
heavy fire into woods in our rear filled with
skulkers. much TO the satisfaction OF the men on
the front line Half an hour after Sheridan had
passed down the infantry lines our cavalry
division under Merritt was ordered to charge
the Confederate line In our front This line
was composed OF Kershaw's division. veterans
OF Lees army. intrenched behind high stone
fence We made the charge and almost reached
the fence. but line OF mounted men is good
mark for such veterans as were before u.s. 50
we were driven back.
In this charge fell at the head Of bis command,
where he always was found as brave an officer,
as fine gentleman as ever lived-one beloved
by all OF his command Col Charles Russell
Lowell. Jr.. the commander OF tho Reserve
Cavalry Brigade. whose commission as Briga-
dier-General Lincoln had signed that day
After this charge we reformed and waited for
more than one hour until an order came for
another charge, which We made and drove the
enemy from the stone fence and followed him
quite distance. when We saw our infantry on
the right advancing in battle line. and Early's
army was soon after In fight down the valley,
and Sheridan's forces occupied their old camps.
The point make Is this. II the Eighth Corps
and part Of the Nineteenth Corps, comprising
the left Of our army. were not stampeded, where
were they when the cavalry took position on
| the left, and why did they not stop Early 8
fanking movements2 II the larger part Of the
infantry remained with their colors, what could
have been the necessity for bringing a whole
division Of cavalry from the extreme right to
the extreme left Of our army to pit It against
the Confederate Infantry II at any time, from
the beginning Of the battle to the time when
Gen. Sheridan came up. the infantry was so
well In hand as some OF your correspondents
wish to make 1t appear. why did Gen Wright
who was q good and competent commander.
wait the long hours for Sheridan TO arrive.
when Wright could have moved the army
forward. retrieved the disaster and reaped tho
honors that came to Sheridan2
II the army was well In hand and the fugi-
tives OF the mornings engagements had re-