Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-03-28
n Stirring Story of Military Adventure and !
Sk Of a Strange Wartime woone Founded VI
n the Great Play of the Same Name I
BY BRONSON HOWARD AND HENRY TYRRELL
Illustrations From Actual Wartime Photographs by Brady
COPYRIGHT. 1912. BY 6. 2. purNAMs SONS

Sending courier back with bur-
ried order that the troops at Winches-
ter should be deployed across the val
ley and that all fugitiveS should be
halted and sent back to the front again.
he now gave Rienzi his head. The gall
liant Morgan colt needed no spur. But
the pike was so cluttered up with wag-
ons and conveys Of wounded soldiers
and groups squatting around fence rail
fires cooking coffee rs substitute for
the breakfast Of which Early's surprise
had deprived them that long detoulS
through the fields at one side OF the
other had to be made.
Nearing Newtowu. about halfway
between Winchester and Cedar creek.
General Sheridan found numerous con'-
panies Of uninjurcd and unsecured men.
with their officers. who needed only
word or the mere sight of Little Phil"
their magical commander, to turn about
with cheers and march back toward
the enemy. Among the first he recog-
nized was an officer from his own
state-Ohio-Major William Mckinley
of General Crooks staff.
Where is the Nineteenth corps"
asked Sheridan.
ION the right, general-in the woods
yonGsT." was the reply as the young
officer Sprang upon his horse, and, with
q loud cheer. dashed away to spread
the inspiring news Of the chieftain's
arrival on the field.
A couple of miles further on, in the
rear of General Getty's division near
Middletown, a whole bunch Of regi-
mental flags seemed 10 rise up out or
the ground These proved to be the
colors of the main body Of Crooks
troops. which had not retreated at all
but reformed after the surprise OF ear
" morning and were now holding the
line to the west of the turnpike. In
one of the brigade commanders here
Sheridan recognized another stanch
Ohioan. whom he knew. This was
Colonel Rutherford b. Hayes.
The meeting. in quick succession, OF
Mckinley and Hayes under such mo-
mentous circumstances naturally i'm
pressed the general as Of encouraging
portent. Yet how little could he. or
they. guess that within the span OF
single generation both Of these prom
Using young Ohio soldiers, fighting
shoulder to shoulder with countless
others of equal or more promise, were
10 become presidents of the United
States Of America.
Far other and more Immediately
pressing concerns occupied them on
this day of the battle Of Cedar Creek.
Colonel-or was it already general
Hayes was able to answer more def
nitely the oft repeated inquiry for the
Sixth and the Nineteenth corps.
Here are two divisions Of the Sixth
CORDS intact. General-and on their
right are Haverill's and Enjoys d.
visions of the Nineteenth. General
Crook Is on the extreme left with Mer-
ritt's cavalry. All that they want Is
to know that you're here"
"And all want. By -" cried Sher-
idan, us to get those men up that went
to the rear. Well whip those rebel
rascals back and sleep in our old camps
tonight"
He now came full upon the newly
forming Federal line of battle. 1t was
as if an electrical thrill had been shot
through the entire army from the mo-
ment Of Sheridan's arrival on the field.
Cheer after cheer rang out, to be taken
I'D front and rear and far around be-
fore the real cause was known. Had
re-enforcements come? Yes. Little
Phil was scorching down the pike, and
he was q host in himself. Sure enough,
there was his energetic small figure on
the big horse, his eyes flashing and his
face glowing as he galloped along, hat
in hand. just to show himself to the
troops.
"It's all right" he shouted. We're |
holding them, and we'll lick them yet"
The general rode on with his staff
and escort, and in a minute more they
were n distant. confused mass OF dust
and flying hoofs. Suddenly from the
westward came another rolling cloud
with a thunderbolt in its midst-the
yellow haired. boyish Custer, the
youngest general in the whole Union
army. a dashing cavalry leader whom
the enemy hesitated to shoot at, de-
claring that If he was not southern
cavalier he rode and fought like one.
Custer, now ut tearing gallop, flew
up to Sheridan. threw both arms |
around him and kissed him on the |
cheek in an irrepressible burst Of boy
ish enthusiasm, then was off again like |
the wind.
1t was not yet noon-Sheridan had |
come up at 10:3O-and now the whole |