The National tribune., 1910-03-17
CEDAR CREEK At DIFFERENT
ANGLES ~

ISEDah ShEgtSN Al itE
| ANGLES. c
The EOys Who Were With the Sixth.
Eighth and Nineteenth Corps Tell of
the Foggy Morning Attack. n
The controversy started some months
| ago in the columns of The National
Tribune as to the time of arrival of
Sheridan at Cedar Creek brings s6me
additional contributions bearing on that
and other phases of the battle fought
there on oct. 19, 1864:
| Retreat Like Parade.
o. f. Stevens, Captain, i7fth My,
Westport, n. Y, says: Soon after day
light our regiment (of the Sixth Corps)
moved to the left near the pike. Our
line was first formed at the foot of the
hill. ! was sent to the skirmish line
with my company, and when the fog
| lifted saw the enemy forming for
charge. They made three charges on
us, and every time they came to the
top of the hill we gave them volley
and went for them with a yell. They
turned and fled each time. A Rich
mond paper / saw afterward said every
thing went we'll until they struck the
Sixth Corps behind breastWorks. All
the works we had were what nature
had prepared. After their last charge
| had been repulsed the rebels opened
| on us WITH ana tth. hluWelI,
| of our brigade, was killed and Capt.
Orr, of our regiment, on the Generals
| staff, lost an arm Col. French, of our
regiment, assumed command of the
brigade. After the shelling had nearly
subsidized our division fell back. AS far
as 1 could see they went back as if on
parade. We had to fall back to con-
meet with the rest of the army-not
from any pressure from the enemy
Afterwards we moved back to the front
short way, and threw up rails for pro-
lection. At that time our left was on
the pike, joining the cavalry. Gen.
Sheridan, on arriving, rode along our
line, and made inquiries of Col. French.
The General had not gone long before
orders came down the line for the men
to make coffee, so you see he arrived
before breakfast. Our regiment was
the first organized troops in line of bat
tie that Gen. Sheridan struck. At 3
o'clock p. m. we charged down to the
bridge, and saw the enemy cross, and
then went back to. the camp we left so
hurriedly in the morning.
With the Ammunition Train.
Lemuel C. Coffin, Co. D, 175th N Y,
Elgin, Okla, says. 1 belonged to Co. ID,
175th n. Y, Second Brigade, Third Di-
vision, Nineteenth Corps, detailed to
guard the ammunition train. We were
SldllcHeu DeloW ten. Sherluans head
quarters in q valley. On the morning
of Oct. 19 we were in line before dawn.
AS the light began to show In the east
there came a shot from a field gun
Soon the shots came a minute or so
apart.
line of battle was formed on the
ridge close by Gen. Wright's headquar-
ters. Federal battery was stationed
there, shooting grape and canister
When got fha Ia
creek there was not leaf left on the
trees. Just after we got the last wagon
across shell exploded under the front
axle and cut the six mules loose with
out injuring them. AS we retreated up
that hill near Gen. Wright's headquar-
ters we had several men killed or
wounded, and l never will forget that
rebel yell. Capt. Milo e Washburn
wound his sash around his arm, got
INTO an ambulance, and we did not see
MN again for two days. That left Da-
Vid Burnham, First Lieutenant, In com
mand of our company. A great proper
uon of those running were from the
Elghth Corps. which was the first to be
attacked. Their pickets had been cap
tured by Eariy's men in Federal uni |
forms. The Nineteenth Corps was be-
tween the Eighth and the Sixth. and
was next engaged. By the time the
Sixth was brought into action the sun
was well up, yet a number Of them
were on the run. We retreated down
the pike about five miles When Gen.
Sheridan arrived he at once sent out |
the cavalry, and brought the stragglers
in, forming line of battle, and they re-
deemed themselves nobly Gen. Sheridan
deserves full measure of praise, but
Gen. Wright had his men in such good
shape, that we felt that the result
would have been the same without
Sheridan i,y'a
too much of our commssary whisky. /
which contributed to the seemingly easy
victory achieved by Gen. Sheridan.
Comrade Eveland. in The National
Tribune of Nov. II, 1909, is in a mud |
die as to positions. The Eighth Corps
occupied the left. and was the farthest
up the Valley; the Nineteenth came
next; the Sixth held the right. I think |
Comrade Eveland is also mistaken |
about being in line at the opening of |
the game, unless doing special duty In |
answer to his question as to how the |
Sixth Corps got in the front line at the |
first attack, will say they were not in |
the first attack; their position clearly |
proves that question.
The Surprise of the Eighth.
]. T. Sturm, 14th w Va, Corbin |
Kan, says: / belonged to the Second |
Brigade. Second Division, Eighth Corps. |
AS 10 tht flShth corps belng surprised |
in their beds and many bayoneted and |
the others driven from the field in con-
fusion without making any determined
stand, that is partly true as to the First !
Division. but very untrue as to our di- !
vision. The First Division was attacked
a little before ours, which gave us time
TO seize our guns and cartridge boxes |
We instinctively ran for our parade
ground, which was on n crest imme-
diately in rear of our camp, which hap
pened to be the proper place to receive
the onslaught of the rebels. They came
thru the semi-darkncss five lines deem
We could see the blaze from their guns,
and returned their fire as fast as we
could load. No doubt they could see
US against the sky, as we were on high
er ground. The punishment WIS too