The National tribune., 1911-01-26
WITH SHERIDAN IN THE VALLEY
Short Sketches From Many Comrades
Concerning the Battle at Cedar
Creek and Vicinity.

short Sketches From Many Comrades
Concerning the Battle at Cedar
| Creek and Vicinity.
Here follows another installment of
sketches leading up to and including
the fierce battle at Cedar Creek:
! Fight for tho Flag.
s. Bean, Sth Vt, West Norwich, VT,
writes: sf
AT Cedar Creek occurred one of the
most desperate hand-to-hand conflicts
over flags that has ever been recorded.
Men seemed more like demons than
human beings as they struck fiereely
at each other with dubbed muskets.
A rebel of powerful build attempted
to bayonet Corp1 Worden, our (Sth
Vt) color bearer. Serg't Brown shot
the rebel dead. A rebel soldier then
shot Corp1 Petre. Corp1 Perham
picked UP the flag, and it was again
demanded by rebel, who was shot
by Serg't Shoes. Corp1 Perham was
killed, and the flag fell to earth, Once
| more, amid terrible yells. the colors
went up. and this time held by Corpl
Blanchard.
THE fight for the colors continued.
A rebel discharged his rife within a.
foot of Corpr Bemis, of the color
guard, and was shot dead. little
later Serg't Shoes and Lemuel Simp-
son were standing together by the flags,
.
them to surrender. AS they (the enc
my discharged their pieces Simpson
Immediately fired, and shot one and
Morgan another. over one-half of the
regiment was wounded or killed when
the third color bearer, Corp'l Blanch-
ard, was killed and the silken colors.
pierced with bullets. was borne to the
ground with him. amidst triumphant
yells of the enemy
To their chagrin, in a few seconds
it was again floating in their faces.
Col. Thomas. with his brave bril-
gade, blocked the advance of the rebel
division, and actually held the Confed-
crate army at bay until the Union COM
mander could form the lines on ground
of his own choice. In this terrible
charge the Sth VI, the 18th Conn. and
160th n. Y. were nearly annihilated.
Our own regiment lost over 100 men
out of 159 engaged and IS out of 16
or wounded in the fearful struggle.
When nearly encircled and driven
from the pike the command under
Col. Thomas made another stand
northeast of Shcridan's headquarters to
support the only piece of Union artil-
lery that had not been Withdrawn from
the field. 1T was at this critical mo-
ment Gen. Sheridan rode past our lines
The despair of the mornings awful
struggle was now soon to give way to
the ecstacy of victory.
I'm the after part of the day the
Sth Vt. reinforced by deoachments
from the picket line, bore an honorable
part with the Second Brigade in de-
Gliding the Union victory. During Sher-
idans absence in the morning the
army, as has been described, expert
enced all that is known under defeat.
The enemy had halted in its hot pur-
suit to reorga niZe preparatory to final
move forward, which they We're in
hopes would completely annihilate the
Federal army. Sheridan hastily formed
line across the valley for the purpose
of checking the advancing foe, and to
that end temporary breastworks were
thrown up by means of cutting down
small trees that were thrown In front.
With bayonets small stones were loos-
ened and earth with coffee cups was
thrown up in a hurry that made a
slight protection. Imagine, then, the
surprise and famazement when Sheri-
dan dashed over the field and gave the !,
order to advance and meet the enemy
in open fight5 ---e-7
1T was then life or death, and every
man knew ito Nevertheless it was in
stantly obeyed. and what there was
left of the Second Brigade sprang over
the breastworks and moved rapidly to
the front until they approached the
timber 1t isrnselcss to attempt to de- !
scribe the excitement OF the next few
moments, as the regiment flung itself, |
so to speak, Upon the enemy. AS a |
fact, there was a continuous line along /
our entire fropt and as far as we could |
see to the leftNand SOME distance along
our right. We had driven this line
back. but as yet were unable to pierce
it.
Every inch of ground was contend
ed for. The opportune time had come.
Owing to the clearing and favorable
condition of the ground our regiment
gained a decided advance, pierced the
enemy and had the fortune to witness
the first break in their lines. In the
meantime Gen. Thomas's horse was
shot and fell to the ground. / stood
near our regimental flag, which had
halted probably on account of the acct
dent to the Generals horse. When old
Pete. the horse ridden by Col Thomas
and which he valued highly, was shot,
the Colonel said as he sprang from
him.: ut is better to be you than me,
poor fellow" And the wounded beast
was left at the time TO die. But he
recovered sufficiently to follow the
troops to camp and was cared for, and
when he was recovered sufficiently was
sent to Vermont, where old Pete lived
to good old age, and was treated with
marked consideration as one of the
heroes Of the war;"