The Washington herald., 1914-10-19
written expressly for The washIngton Herald,

Fifty years ago today Sheridan's army,
surprised and ianked at Cedar Creek
and driven from its camps. made stand
near MIddletown, and Sheridan, arriv-
ing from the rear. delivered counter
attack that resulted in victory.
| A single incident OF the day. Sheridan's
/ ride from Winchester, stands with most
people for the battle Of Cedar Creek
I The poets dramatic sense led him TO
1 seize upon this as a theme for an epic
which appealed to popular Imagination as
no other poem did Of the thousands
written during the war period. The verses
| Of Thomas Buchanan Read did more 10
| make Philip II. Sheridan hero than
all the military acts of Little Phil.
meritorious though most of them were
! In presenting a dramatic incident that
will appeal to the minds and hearts OF
! Americans so long as martial spirit
lives in the nation, the poet did not con-
! Germ himself with accuracy, aside from
! the main point presented, thus proving
anew that poets are licensed to disre-
| Gard historical detail.
That Sheridan made a headlong ride
to the field. and that his presence aided
his army to turn the tide of battle. is
! without question: but the inference that
I disaster would have overwhelmed the
| Federal forces had Sheridan not reached
the field is not justified by the facts. 1t
was a stand made by Gen. George w
| Getty's division of the Sixth Army Corps,
and not Sheridans ride. that saved the
| army. II was Sheridan's ride that
that brought subsequent victory.
| The rout that followed the morning
surprise of the army had spent itself
before Sheridan arrived on the field, and
a force greater than Gen. Early's whole
! army was deliberately taking new
position to repulse further attacks An
! able though not brilliant officer was in
command in Sheridan's absence. Gen.
| Horatio G. Wright, commander of the
| Sixth Corps. and his own corps, to which
the panic of the rout had not extended,
was ready. IntactthOugh ont wholly in
position to continue the battle This
corps alone outnumbered the entire Con-
federate force on the field. With il on
the field were two divisions of the Nine
! teenth Corps, Gen. w. II. Emory. The
Eighth Corps, Gen. George Crook. which
had been driven from its camps in the
morning. was being reformed when Sheri-
dan came up.
Gordon Views Federal Camps.
! The position occupied by Sheridan's
army on the night Of October 1913 was
along the northeast side Of Cedar Creek,
in open, rolling country. The camp
/ farthest north was that of the Sixth
Corps, it being about twelve miles from
/ Winchester. Next came the camps OF the
! Nineteenth Corps, and next the camps
| Of the Eighth Corps, the latter about
fifteen miles from Winchester.
Gen. Crooks command held the ex-
treme left of the line, which was forti-
| fled along Cedar Creek, but not on
| Crooks left, as the Shenandoah River
into which the creek falls, was consid-
cred ample protection on the left flank.
Federal cavalry videttes rode the bank OF
! the Shenandoah.
Beyond the Shenandoah rose the pre-
! ciptious end of the Massanutton Range,
which separates the Shenandoah from
the Luray Valley. and along its base the
Shenandoah River ran close TO the bluffs.
Four miles south, on the west side Of
the river, at Fishers Hill, lay Earlys
army. On the highest peak of the Mas
sanuttons was a signal station, from