The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-13

moving portion OF my command to a
position almost In rear OF the enemy.
= caused my battery to open and
nj tho same Tins charged with three
regiments. The effect was surprising.
80 1t was apparent that the waver-
Ing In tho enerly's ranks betokened q
rctreat. and that this retreat might be
converted into a rout. tsiis Seeing
So large a cavalry force bearing rapidly
dow, upon an unprotected flank, and
their line OF retreat in danger OF being
Intercepted. the line OF tho enemy, al
ready b-okon, now gave way IN; the Ut
most confusion While the denloralized
ro,,t that ens,ied has commonly been stig-
matized as isgraceful. after Abe LETT was
put to fight nothing but rapid move
ment behind Cedar Creek, or to the river
saved the wohle army from tho possipil-
.!ty Of capture. And matters would pa We
been much worse bat for the splendid
service Of, the artillery, commanded by.
Colonel Thos. Carter. which held the pur.
suing cavalry In check. Tho retreat
wns communicated TO Humphreys bri-
gade II, d very difficult situation. For.
strength Of position II had been pro-
jected somewhat beyond the general line.,
behind protecting stone fence Ana
on tho f,rst motion OF withdrawal the
force we had beaten came on us and
Ramseurs left With n rush. AS soon as
We got on fighting ground the men were
rallied. Here the resistance was spirited.
But the misfortune Of the fatal day c,ll-
minated IN the death OF our brigade COM
mander, Lieutenant Colonel Jno. II. Sims,
OF the Twenty-1rat Mississippi. A man OF
daring spirit and coolest courage, pos
sessed OF a personal dominance that
sw.ayed oil around him. after his fall the
brigade wns resolved into. the general
rout. :,
THE GREAT CAVALRY ToRCD OF
SHERIDAN THE OBSTACLE TO
OUR CONTINUOUS ADVANCE.
The fatal obstacle to the Continuous
advance" theory was sheridan's mounted
force In the face Of the experience
OF its proves at winchester n month
before. It Is treated by Early's Cedar
Creek censors as negligible quantity.
1t really decided the day that begun IN
triumph and ended In gloom. 1t en-
braced about 1000. men. equipped with
horses and arms Of the best. In NUM-
bers our cavalry was no more than
half and was made inefficient and tinid
by poor mounts and frequent defeat
lighting against vast odds In his re-
port Of a previous engagement Maoor-
General Lomax says: lost four pieces
OF artillery on account Of the miserable
condition OF the horses II ~ Will
state that this division has been wanting
IN organization, in discipline. In arms.
It Is composed Of good material. In
his report Of this affair General Early
said "the enenny's cavalry is so superior
to ours in numbers and equipment that
It Is impossible for ours to compete W..
Ills besides che command is de-
moralized It would be better II they
could be put Into. the infantry. But
II that were tried I am afraid they would
all run on. To show the strength
and Importance Of the Union cavalry Of,
this field, I will quote, from Annals Of
the War AN account by Major. <Nettle-t
divisions Of Merritt and Custer. aggre-
eating nearly 5000 OF the finest mounted
troopa In the world. were on the right
OF the infantry. It was no longer
a matter Of Indifference where cavalry
was placed. /, For the first time during.
the war the Federal cavalry was really
raised TO the dignity OF a third arm Of
the service and given Its full share In
the hard fighting. With their Spencer
repeating carbineu. their experience in
transferring themselves Into foot soldiers,
.Shertdnn's mounted force was at once
tho eye, and, the. ght arm ot his nghting3
H. ''F3EN,
centre" was tho laconic command from
General Wright. And MS the sun was
rising foiir thousand troopers. with ac-
companying batteries. marched into the
fight" @ Both Custer and Merritt We're
marched from sheridans right and In 4;
terposed across the advance OF Earl Va
right. Says General Merritt's report:
About 10 o'clock the First division was!
moved to the left and ,disposedi 80 ash
to cover the valley pike and the country
to the left Custer's report reads :EE4" An,
order received to6noyes all my command
except three regiments Ito The extreme
left. - - 81 ~
LONAX'ss CAVALRY D1vTs1O N,ABOUT;
AND CLUSTERS AND MERRTTT's 4
DIVISIONS sENTsADYANCU.
Such force drawn across Il Its front
seems perfect ans wer IN Itself to the.
question SHOULD Early,,a advance have
been continuous? It IS brushed aside
by General Gordon In. the following:
''The brave and steady Sixth corps could
not possibly have escaped had the. pro-
posed concentration and assault upon. 1t
been permitted. & - In thirty min.
ules the ii yelling Confederate Infantry
would have been rushing reslstlessly. on
Its TANKS, front and rear. we halted,
we hesitated,f We DIAL ed. we waited, for.
what7 It Is claimed by the confed erate
commander thai. we were threa tennd with
cavalry on ! our rig il t, b wtereass General
Loniax was on that flank. -, - This pass
age Is transpa rentlyt extravagant. Under
any circumstances foot soldiers can. III
an open country, withdraw ]. and ''es-
cape" from foot soldiers. As TO Lo-
max's cavalry, 1t was miles away on
tho Front Royal Winchester pike. and
engaged with another Federal cavalry
division. 1t was designed for him to
effect connection with the right, but no
never got up. In his report he states
he twas unable to communicate with
General Early through the day. en-
deavored to strike tha pike Mt Middle.
town. but found It occupied by the en-
envy" This was after our rout had
set In The only cavalry ION that
flank" was Payne's brigade. 300 strong.
OF the movement and the use Of the
Union cafalry Gordon's war Remi-
niscences'Gnys "rhe Union cavalry was
sent back to sheridan's left when It was
discovered there was no danger OF seri-
Gus assault by Early" The two cavalry
divisions were shifted from ono OF the
Union tanks to the other to check