The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-03

3pcrnte, strugglctCf the carry nor l'' 's -
May 18th, occurred. .n,e,>,
JUST BEFORE TIE BATTLE.
Incident 81 the Battle Of Win
chester, or Opequoi1.
BY Samuel K Nj. Gaines, formerly First
Lieutenant or the Charlotte CuVairS,
Fourteenth Virginia Regiment, NC
M Causland's Brigade.
The Undersigned recalls an 'sincldcht
OF tho evening before the battle OF WIN N
chester or Opcquon. and OF tho enriy
morning onSwhich it vas fought. which
Is illustrative Of the situation .8. y !.
f 1 w,ls nt that limo second Lieutenant
Of the Charlotte Cavalry, Company y,
Fourteenth Virginia Cavalry, of McCnus-
lands brigade / Ind charge OF u iine
Of pickets extending from BrucctoWn'
OH the bnnkst{of tho Opcduon 10 tho
crossing OF tho Bcrryvllo pike. mad
Cotton acquainted with some OF tho oflt-
GERS md men Of tho Federal army VINO
tpiclsetcd the opposite side OF the stream,
and we exchanged civlllties when not
firing. Ono OF, my acqunlntanccs was
a Yankee lieutenant. and wo had gotten
OIL hS CtSy lClIIlS tS WI ~
with our hostile relations. On the after
noon fof tho 18th of September 1864, TINS
Officer hallooed across the Opoquon to me:
Don't you want some ncwspn pcrs !! . "
course, replied that ] did,. n @ rolled
them around n stone or stick, ana lluhs
two papers over to me- Ono was n l5al <
timore paper. the other of washington
d. c. In bothSof them read the state
5ment Of a Union man, who had spcd
out tho situation IN Winchester ana
who reported that Early's force or ail
arms did not exceed 1900 men. ana INA.
Kershaw s division had left Early ana
returned eastward across the mountnin y.
AS soon MS I saw this I SAID 10 In ..y's
and told my companions wc J., VII % ..
speedily driven from here. S3S The !. next
morning the Yankee lieutenant hallooed
TO inc nguIn,' and in good-natured way
said: 1--WE don't want to kill YOU fellows,
and YOU had better get away; we are
coming after YOU" I Immediately or
dered my men to mount for felt that
trouble was on hand. In FEW moments
heard the sound of artillery to my left,
and In n little while tho battle was on
Tho fact was that Earl lad been so ac-
tive and aggressive attacking sheridan
in various directions, by rapid lnarches
playing such Il bold hand. ana Demon
stroting under appearancefo1 power I'M.
he had completely pulled tho wool over
shcridan's eyes. and made MN pe',eVc
that he was far stronger than the reality.
Il felt Mt the time that as soon rs sheri-
dan was satisfied OF the fact that ker-
shaw was gone and that EarlySs display
OF force had been moro seeming IMAM
real, he would lead his heavy 1orce
a rninst him. Grant was expecting Il, ana
was constantly tproddlng Sheridan Y 20 20
forward The administration at WASH
inrton. which had supplied him with an
oycrabundance Of men and resources u'so
expected It, and as soon as SheFluai ~ =.
Intelligence or, the true condition nc a' pa
advance. LII,
Ills timdlty. however which he MN
self acknowledges he felt, was n"n'iese. :.
cd by. his plan OF battle, and nag ne ny ~
felt .misglvngs he would have thrown ms
cavalry corps on Early's right across the
ValicyaPlke and pressed his ttle ~
that direction. IInd&h done 80 and sus-
| tanned his assault With sturdiness. II looks ]
as II he ought to have captured all OF
Y IN rly,s army. On tho contrary, he 1elt
Thls way forward with extreme caution
i and In to o'clock In! tho afternoo n' hot
! withstandng his overwhelming iorce' II,
was checked and Beaten by Early IN INC
| battle, which for sturdy Valor mas TIC
4 - F.f
Ramseur, on our right held Ms own
against sherdan's assault most CALAMITY
| Rodes came In and drove the enemy
front,Na splendid achievement The Dat
Ito "trembletl in the balance as Coione'
Thon1ns II. Carter says, and the artillery'
of which he was the chief, rolled PACK N
| disaster and dismay the assaults MADE
| uponi:it. Tho turn tof the pattic cnll'
about time the Eighth Corps and TOT
| IL, Nf I'M
| exception OF Wilson'S division (Which hnt
1 been thrown to our right and held u
| check by I.omax) ADVANCED. oYerlappint
1 the small commands Of aFitz. Lee m!
| Rrcckenridge a mile In distance and seem
! Ing to covor The whole face OF the cart
with their massive numbers. just
l that juncture Rodes fell, while olrectitll
his division with great skill ana cnersy
1 and but for this deporahlc misfortune
~ far from certain that tho Confederate
/ would not have prevailed, But inc w
| things came at once, tho enemy's rem
4 forcements and the fall OF Rodcs.
| never saw such n sight In my III
az that OF the tremendous force ~ g ny
1 Ing banners, sparkling bayonets m.
| flashing snbrcs. moving from the norll
and east upon the left flank and rear Q
! our army. II is wonderful to relate TIM
notwithstanding this tremendous force
which OVcmumbcred lIhrIS luilS .loui
one, and Notwithstanding the fall OF IN
l gallant and efficient Rodes, early cxtri
Gated his army, and tho battle closee
with tho losses of Early (plus the loss
y his cavalry, which for all OF Septempo
was sixty killed and 2Ss wounded sun
posing that all To have been incurred y
WInchestcr), Shcridan's force wonld ~
largely exceed Early's.
From my observation OF that comman
and from my knowledge OF the numnel
which Early encountered, my opinion Ia
long been fixed that Leo had no llentef
ant whose talents for war were MOI
brilliant than those Of Early. the rec :,
\ ords prove his achievements 80 cieur 8
that they cannot either no rubbed out
} diminished by tho pretenslons OF r'Vh
or tho earnings OF critics.
!. SAMUEL M GAINES, (
Late First Lieutenant Charlotte caviar
Fourteenth Virginia REGIMENT. M
Cnusund's Brigade
The Linotype Corrected.
Norfolk, Va. August 2s, 1905,
Editor of The Timcs-Dispatch'
= tan ~ AnviIpt