The National tribune., 1907-01-03
CEDAR CREEK

CEDAR CREEK.
Saving a Herd of Fat Cattle From Ear
% shy's Men.
Editor National Tribune: I enjoy
reading The National Tribune more
| than any other: paper, and especially
the various accounts of the battle of
Cedar Creek. Some of these agree al
most PERFECTLY with my knowledge of
the affair, while others are consider
ably miXed.I which is no wonder, con-
sidering hoy badly mixed up the army
itself was about sunrise of that impor-
tant October morning. Eight soldiers
and myself, We're detailed from the
Nineteenth Corps and put in charge of
the corps's fat cattle which supplied
the army with fresh meat, and were
Immediately under a citizen butcher
whom We knew as Joe" who always
stayed at headquarters when we were
not on the move. If my memory does
not deceive me. We camped with our
cattle several nights before the battle
about 300 or 400 yards in the rear of
the Eighth Corps. The morning of
Oct. 19, 1864. L was up before daylight :,
packed my knapsack and made my cof-
fee. AS soon as light appeared In the
East I urged the boys to get up and
to the rear, for l felt convinced tina.
there would be something doing that
day. told them Joe would be on hand
before they had their breakfast, but all
could say had no effect, and they would
not get up. Our shelter tents were up
and while my coffee was cooling
proceeded to take my part of the tent
from my sleeping chum, and he grum-
bled about being thus forced to get up.
Before reveiile I had unbuttoned sew
eral buttons on the reach pole, when I
heard shot behind me, bulle. at
the same time passing between my legs
and thru the tent 1t very successfully
disturbed the slumbers of the sleeping
fellows, ] can tell you, and had every
boy on his feet in an instant. l turned
and saw the rebs just coming out of a
piece of timber in the rear of the
Eighth Corps and on our left flank. /
said, Our cattle are goners." We had
Corporal with us, one-year man
who had never seen Johnny. He flew
out of the tent and yelled, you -;
what are you firing on us for?' 1
turned 10 him and said, Go back and
get your pants on; they are rebs" AS
soon as an old vet could possibly ac-
complish it had my duds on, grabbed
gun, loaded, but had no time to fire,
ran among the cattle and at The same
time towards the enemy the cattle
were still lying DOWN and commenced
to yell like Modoc. knowing that If
could friehten the steers the cattle would
be saved. At that time We had about 200
corn-fed steers The rebs saw my move
and opened fire on me. They were just
outside the drove. and I ran in among
the steers from the opposite side I
lodged among '.he cattle, several of
them being hit by the enemy's shots.
Before l knew 1t the rebs were out Of
sight. At first I thought I would run
to the Eighth Corps, but on looking In
hat direction l saw that the rebs had
capturned to their camps and had turned
their guns in the direction of the Nine.
teenth Corps, which lay on the right of
the Eighth Corps. I had to think fas.
and run faster, as I was all alone be-
tween the two forces. Some boys of
the Eighth Corps were running in the
direction of the Sixth Corps. which was
on the right Of The Nineteenth. The
boys who should have been with me
were gone, I knew not where, but /
followed as near as could in the wake
of the cattle, and when I got mile or
so In the rear from where we had
camped l tried to get thru the mass of
wagons, soldiers and negros, bu. it was
useless. I knew the cattle were ahead
if they had kept on In the direction in
which they started, and the more II
IL
was my duty to find them, and yet I |
was ashamed to be seen going to the
rear in double-quick time. However, I |
persevered, and finally got past and
beyond the struggling mass of men and
teams, and / soon saw signs OF large |
drove passing down the road. I fol- |
lowed the trail thru piece of timber, |
saw the cattle peacefully feeding with |
a number of milk cows. The problem
Of getting large drove of cattle back
with only one man to drive them now
presented itself. 1t was certainly no
small undertaking, but succeeded bet
ter than I expected. and when I got
them back 70 the main road some one
cries out. "Whose cattle are those?"
1t was Joe, who did not know
me. as I was only within hailing dis
lance. shouted back. This is pretty |
time Of day to be looking after the
cattle." Joe had come up to me by |
hat time, and said that he had been
told that the cattle and the men in
charge of them had been captured I
said that the other men might be, but |
tha. the cattle and myself were right |
there, with larger drove than we had
before, as / had helped myself to 10 or
IL of the milk cows and driven them /
off with our steers. Gen. Sheridan had |
just been up, and ordered a line es-
tablished across the valley with strict |
not to let uniformed man
thru the line. The cattle had already
turned the road towards Winchester,
and as / was following behind I was
halted and told of the Generals orders. |
Gen. Sheridan was about 40 or so rods |
ahead of us. galloping towards the |
front. when Joe yelled as loudly as he
possibly could, Gen. Sherldan!' Gen. |
Sheridan turned, and taking in the sit
uation at a glance called back to pass
all men in charge of Government prop
erty. Joe and / took the cattle to VIM |
chester, corraled and left them in prop
er charge, then returned to the battle
field, where we saw and took modest |
part in the achievement of the great
victory in the Valley In the evening
we returned to Winchester and brough.
the cattle up. SO that the Nineteenth |
Corps could have some good fresh meat
for their midnight meal.-C Auten-
rieth, 90:h N. Y, Creston, Iowa.
Gen. Tyler and Fort Tyler.
Editor National Tribune: Some time |
ago COmrade Fred Genwich Co Oh