The National tribune., 1904-05-05

by Little Phil in the Valley in GA. We
were on the extreme left of the line OF
battle at Cedar Creek: our position on
that morning was in front of Front Royal,
on the Shenandoah River. Front Royal
was across the river. south of our position.
1t was two or three miles from the right
of our line to the left of the Eighth Corps.
The Sixth and Nineteenth Corps and two
divisions of cavalry were on the right of
the Eighth Corps. Cedar Greek here
flows almost due east and empties into the
Shenandoah River.
Some distance to the east of the Eighth
Corps our infantry had constructed line
of works that ran parallel with the creek.
hut close along the north side of it. Our
right wing extended to the base OF North
Mountain MassanuttOn). very high
and rugged mountain. which seen from Il
distance north, appears to stand i'll the
center of the valley. The point Of this
mountain was south and across the creek
from the position of the Eighth Corps.
In the night of the 18th rebels. dressed
in our uniforms. relieved our pickets on
that part of the line that was near the
base of Massanutton Mountain. Our
pickets were cavalry. but / do not now
recall TO what command they belonged.
This gap in our picket line gave Early a
chance to mass his infantry and artillery
in front of and close to the Eighth Corps.
Before daylight on this morning. tn"
rebs opened on the sleeping camps of the
Eighth Corps with artillery at close range.
and their infantry. which lay under shelter
of the creek bank charged into the camps.
Many of our men jumped out of their
hunks and grabbed their arms and went
ont with only their underclothing on.
Under the circumstances there could be
but little resistance by the Eighth Corps.
though no better fighters could be found
In the army. The rebs captured the
camps of the Eighth Corps. together with
the artillery and many prisoners. then
attacked our line to the right. held by
the Sixth and Nineteenth Corps and the
cavalry belonging 10 the right wing.
Here they did not have il all their own
way. though our line was finally com
PEELED To fall back, owing to break OH
the left, which gave the rebels chance
I" flank our works.
Our troops fell back to near kernstowI..
perhaps four miles from our line at Cedar
Creek.
We had very little TO do on the left: the
reb cavalry showed mp in the morning.
but were soon driven back. About ~
O'Clock we were ordered To rear and center
Of the new line, which Gen. Wright was
forming; we remained there till Sheridan
came upon the field. When he formed the
line for the final attack We took position
on the left. and participated in the final
Charge. Gen. Powell had formed us
across the valley near the road leading
10 Winchester, TO stop the stragglers and
send them to the front. We found every
thing in great confusion. and it looked To
us as though all was lost. Ii was Ger
tainly very disheartening to us. ! shall
never forget that scene. We stood OH that
line doing all we could to get those brave
hut panic-stricken men to return to the
front, where the Generals were trying In
form new line. Ii was the darkest day
that We had seen during the war: every
soldier had a sad and gloomy look.
This was the situation when Gen. Sheri-
dan was seen coming down the pike on
his black horse. As he rode up 10 our
line. he waved his hat and shouted to the
stragglers we had stopped: Boys turn
back; WI are going back To camp tonight
The news that Sheridan had come
spread over the field; men who few min
utes before had tried To pass our line to
get To the rear, were now going To the
front. inspired with Il conviction that all
was not lost.
II did not take Sheridan long 10 form
his line and move forward carrying every
thing before il. The rebs were completely
routed and in confusion in trying 10 re-
treat south on the road leading 10 Stras-
burg. which runs through Il kind of pass
not much wider than the road. Such a
saulrmlng mass of men, wagons and artil-
Icry as was presented to our view i'm that
pass wien the cavalry, led by Custer
came charging i'll upon them. We cap
tured 5000 prisoners, recaptured all the
artillery taken from us in the morning
and almost all that Early had brought
against u.s. and We got most of his Wagon
train. Tie cavalry followed the retreat
ing rebel army up the Valley to near
Staunton. but the rebs crossed the Blu,
Ridge Mountains at Dutch Gap not fal
from Cross Keys.
do not wish it to be understood tia
! want to criticize or find any fault Will
Gen. Wright or any of the Generals VIII.
were with him. All did all they conl,
10 retrieve the loss If the morning: bu
We all know how hard it was to handle :
shattered and defeated army. Gems
Wright and Crook were both veterans
able. tried and true. proven on many
bloody field before this: but somehow tin
men did not feel the confidence in then
that they had in Little Phil. As To hi
ride. whether 20 or 1G Eiiles mai * littl
difference. Sheridan GO: there all the same
and i still think As 7 did on that day
that if he had not come, the battle o