The National tribune., 1909-10-28
SHERIDAN AT CEDAR CREEK.
Gen. ". ID. Curtis Gives Description
of His Arrival

Editor National Tribune: have seen
so much of late in your paper concern
ing the time of day Gen. Sheridan ar
| want to give your readers something
that is official and will settle the ques-
ton. This is from a letter written to
me by Gen. w. B. Curtis. man Of ur-
doubted integrity and truthfulness. The
letter is too long az pages) for your
columns. and will only quote what he
says in regard to that mornings battle.
l was in hospital at Annapolis. Md,
when this happened. and wrote him to
give his report of the battle years after
ward. The letter is dated West Liberty,
w. Va, Jan. 25. 1889. 1 now quote
from page two of this letter:
"On the morning of the battle l was
on the road between Winchester and
Newton. commanding n brigade consist
ing of battalion each Os the lst, &th
and 18th w. Va, guarding Il train of
$50 wagons loaded with supplies for
the army at Cedar Creek. 1 had moved
my train out of park and was in motion
before daylight, and heard the first shot
fired by the artillery. We passed on
rapidly towards the front. and soon met
stragglers from the Army of West ViT-
ginia breaking to the rear in all kinds
of disorder. L ordered the wagons run
into park, and placed my command in
line across the road and commenced
stopping the stragglers, forming a bull
pen of them under guard. both officers
and men, They had been completely
surprised by Gen. Gordon getting in
their rear with 10000 infantry when the
attack was made both in front and rear
at the same time. / never saw such
demoralized set of men I'm all my ex-
perience. They came. some on horses
without saddle or bride, some in am
balances or wagons. but the most of
them were on foot, saving what they
could grab as they left their tents, both
officers and men running pell-mell to
the rear. many of them without arms
or clothing When ] saw the condition
Of things in front, and knowing that
Gen. Sheridan had been at Harper's
Ferry in conference with Gen. Grant,
and that he had stopped in Winchester
over night, / sent Lieut. Harry Pur-
point, of my staff. back to inform Gen.
Sheridan of the state of things in our
front: but he had heard the firing, and
had started, he and his staff. on run
to the front, when the battle was then
raging in all Its fury. PurpOint met
him and gave him my message. He di-
rected him to return and tell me to do
just what was doing. put the train in
park and stop the stragglers. In
very short time he came UP to our line
on that magnificent black horse, whose
nostrils you could have run your fist in,
and his eyes glaring as if he smelled
the battle from afar. striking the
ground as tho it was not good enough
for him to light upon. Gen. Sheridan,
standing straight in his stirrups. grit
ting his teeth and looking upon the de-
moralized condition of the stragglers,
cried out: Boys. you, if you don't
want to fight yourselves come back and
look at others fighting. l will whip -
out of them before o'clock And
this he surely did do. He ordered me
to organize the straggleTs into battalons
and put officers over them and start
Immediately to the front with my COM
mand, which / did After he passed
thru our lines. telling the boys what he
intended to do, they commenced to
cheer him. 'about-faced' and followed
him. Reinforcements of 10000 men
would not have had the influence that
his presence had over them. We had
gone but a short distance when the
rebel cavalry made a flank movement
to attack Winchester. Sheridan then
ordered me to take my command back
and put them in line to protect VIM
chester. which / did, and we remained
there during the remainder of the day
and night"
L have given you word for word five