The National tribune., 1910-11-24

COULD IA
was to stop the army in the suburbs
= of Winchester as it came back, form a
new line and fight there, but as the
situation was more maturely considered
a better conception prevailed. i was
sure the troops had confidence in me,
for heretofore we had been successful,
and as at other times they had seen
me present at the slightest sign of
trouble or distress, l felt that l ought
TO try now to restore their broken
ranks, or, failing in that, to share their
fate because of what they had done
hitherto.
About this time Col. Wood, my
Chief Commissary arrived from the
front and gave me fuller intelligence,
reporting that everything was gone, my
headquarters captured and the troops
dispersed. When / heard this / took
two of my Aids-de-Camp, Maj. George
A. Forsyth and Capt Joseph O'Keefe,
and with 90 men from the escort start
ed for the front, at the same time di-
recting Col. James W. Forsyth and
Coils. Alexander and Thorn to remain
behind and do what they could to stop
the runaways.
Turning the Fugitives Back.
For a short distance 1 travelled on
the road, but soon found ii so blocked
with wagons and wounded men that
4 forced to take TO the adjoining fields
TO make haste. When most of the wag-
nns and wounded were past / returned
to the road, which was thickly lined
with unhurt men, who, having got far
enough to the rear to be out OF dan
ger had halted, without any organiZa-
ton, and begun cooking coffee; but
when they saw me they abandoned
their coffee, threw up their hats, shoul-
dered their muskets, and as | passed
and cheers. To acknowledge this eX-
hibition of feeling I took off my hat,
and, with Forsyth and O'Keefe, rode
some distance in advance of my escort,
while every mounted officer who saw
me galloped out on either side OF the
pike to tell the men at a distance that
j had come back. In this way the
news was spread to the stragglers off
the road, when they, too, turned their
faces 20 the front and marched toward
the enemy, changing in a moment from
the depths of depression to the extreme
Of enthusiasm. / already knew that
even In the ordinary condition of mind
enthusiasm is a potent element with
soldiers but what ! saw that day con-
WINGED me that if II can be excited
from state of dependency It's power
Is almost irresistible. ] said nothing
except to remark as I rode among thos,
on the road: If 1 had been with you
this morning this disaster would not
have happened. We must face the
other way; we will go back and re.
cover our camp
MY first halt was made just north
Of Newtown, where ] met a Chaplain
digging his heels into the sides of his
1aded horse and making for the rear
with all possible speed. l drew up for
an instant, and inquired of him how
matters were going at the front. He
replied. Everything is lost, but all will
h. rf,rI. ~lx,, II,
withstanding this expression of con-
fdenca in me, the parson at once re-
sumed his breathless pace to the rear.
f. AT Newtown ] was obliged to make a
circuit to the left to get around the
village. / could not pass thru II, the
streets were so crowded; but. meeting
on this detour Maj. Mckinley, of
Crooks staff. he spread the news of my
return thru the motley throng there.
Arrival ut the Front.
when nearing the Valley pike Just
south of Eewtown / saw about three
fourths of q mile west Of the pike a
body of troops, which proved to be
Ricketts's and Wheaton's Divisions of
the Sixth Corps, and then learned that
the Nineteenth Corps had halted a lit
tie to the right and rear of these; but
] did not stop, desiring to get TO the
extreme front Continuing on parallel
with the pike. about midway between
Newtown and Middletown, ] crossed TO
the west of it, and a little later came
up in rear OF Getty's Division of the
Sixth Corps. When ! arrived this divi-
s.Jn and the cavalry were the only
troops in the presence of and resisting
the enemy; they were apparently act
ing as rear guard about three miles
north of the line we held at Cedar
Creek when the battle begun Gen
Torbert was the first officer to meet
me. saying as he rode up: My God, /
am glad you've come Getty's Divi-
sion, when / found it, was about a mile
north of Middletown, posted on the re-
verse slope of some slightly rising
ground, holding q barricade made with
fence rails and skirmishing slightly
with the enemy's pickets. Jumping my
horse over the line of rails, ! rode TO
the crest of the elevation, and there,
taking of my hat, the men rose up
from behind their barricade with cheers
of recognition. An officer of the Ver-
mont Brigade, Col. A. S. Tracy, rode
out to the front, and, joining me, in
formed me that Gen. Lewis A. Grant
was in command there, the regular di-
vision commander, Gen. Getty having
taken charge of the Sixth Corps in
place of Ricketts, wounded early in
the action, while temporarily COM
manding the corps / then turned back
TO the rear of Getty's Division, and as
came behind 1t a line of regimental
flags rose up out of the ground, as II
seemed, to welcome me. They were
mostly the colors of Crooks troops