The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-28

Thls General concludes with very
remarkable and interesting statement,
that supports what Early always COIL
7 tended-i. e.. that the afternoon assault
| of Sheridans army was loyalty made
and ought to have been repulsed. This
statement is that General Sheridan did
| not resume the fight, but merely to ronke
demonstration" and that when The
saw the infantry on our the Contedernte)
left giving away and retreating from his
skrmish line, he ordered his cavalry to
pursue the fleeing enemy"
JOHN w. DANIEL
After the defeat of General Early's
forces at Winchester, on the 10th OF Sep
TENDER. 1864. and the hurried retrat from
Fishers Hill. two days later General
Early fell back UP the Valley OF tho
Shenandoah; not being pursued by Gen.
eral Sheridan remained for about three
weeks reorganizing and resting his mon
and getting supplies. About this time
| General Kcrshaw's Division was sent to
General Early's assistance. General
Early moved down the Valley and took
position near Fishers Hill. On the 18th
OF October Gen. John B. Gordon, with
one or two of his staff. and Major Jed.
Hotchkiss, Typographical engineer, rode
tain, where there was signal station.
From the top OF the mountain the position
OF the army of General Sheridan could
be readily seem a sketch was made by
Major Hotchkiss, showing the elevation
OF the several camps, roads, etc.
CONFERENCE OF GENERAL EARLY
WITH HIS CHIEF OFFICERS. oCTo-
Der 18TH. AND PLAN OF ATTACK
With this sketch General Gordon re-
turned, and, calling by my tent told me
where no had been and what no had seen,
| and said he was going to General Earlys
quarters. The General told me that
! General Early had summoned all OF the
division commanders for consultations
| General Gordon was present and soon
| Generals Kershaw. Ramseur, Pegram and
Gen. w. III. Payne, of the cavalry, ar
rived. General Early then asked General
Gordon to explain tho sketch and what
he had seen from the signal station on
tho top of the Massanutten Mountain.
This General Gordon did. After some
discussion and general interchange OF
suggestions. it was determined to make
an attack on the certainly unsuspecting
enemy at daybreak or before the next
morning. Colonel. afterwards General,
w. III. Payne was to charge the pickets
on the extreme left of the Federal line,
at the ford and on the bank of the
Shenandoah river. General Gordon was
to take the Second Corps. which included
Gordon's Division under Gen. C. A,
Evans. Ramseur's and Pegram's, and
move at night by a road along the base
of the mountain, and as soon as Payne
arrived or captured the pickets. Gordon
was to strike the left of Sheridan, the
Eighth Corps. and drive that back, and
n nc
Strausburg. Kershaw was to move out
and Join Gordon, and together push the
enemy across the Valley Turnpike. In
the meantime, was TO take my division
along the turnpike. and as soon as the
enemy was forced across the turnpike
so as to clear the bridge on Cedar
creek, was TO cross the bridge and move
UP the turnpike and take position on the
right. Col Thomas Carter. with tho
artillery, was to move along the turn
pike, following two of my brigades, with
my third brigade in rear as guard to tho
artillery. The plan of the attack was
enthusiastically approved by all present
All Were very sanguine of success. beiev-
ing the attack would be Il surprise, and
that we would have an opportunity to
regain what we had lost at Winchester
on the 10Th OF September one month
previous.
INSTRUCTIONS AND MOVEMENTS.
After talking over the proposed plan
so that each could clearly understand
what each one was directed and expected
to accomplish. as we were separating
General Early remarked, II there should
be failure, that officer who failed to carry
| out promptly his part of the programme
| would receive the criticism we ought ia
expect, and he was confident we would
General Ramseur replied. General Early
am sure we are going to win, and II
we do not I shall apply for leave OF
absence to go to 500 my little daughter
whom ! have never seen" l rcjoined ]
thought had n stronger claim. as I hat
n boy four months old l wanted to see
others made similar requests or joking
remarks. All We're confident of success
when each returned to make the neces.
sary preparations to carry out his re-
spectlve orders
General Gordon. having the longest ant
most difficult road. moved his corps ou
earliest. About midnight left my camp
on the right of the turnpike at Fisher.
4 Hill, and moved with two brlgades, lcav.
Ing the third to follow Col. Carter.
! artillery as guard. and moved along Tn,
turnpike until had passed the Solnt a
which the road turns to Strasburg, halt
Ing my command to wait the arrival O
the artillery, While waiting I ordere,
a company Of sharpshooters to the front
directed them to examine their guns, an,
II any We're loaded to draw the load
and explained to the officers that wlshe,
TO capture the picket post Of the Fed
erals without firing gun or causIn,
any noise to alarm the enemy at tn
bridge or In the camps,
WIiARToNvS TROOPS CAPTURING
PICKETs AT VALLEY PIKE CROSS
ING,
We moved on quickly, and when abou
nifty yards from the rle-pits or breast
works which had been thrown up 10
the protection Of the outposts or pic,tete
my men We're deployed and made a rlsl
and captured the pickets between 4 an,
8 o'clock, not Il gun being fired or an,
noise made that could have been hear,
! by the enemy. As soon as sent IN