The Washington herald., 1914-08-16


Fifty years ago today Gen Philip
H Sheridan. who had been in command
OF the Federal forces in the Shenandoah
Valley since August s. began retreat
from a position on Cedar Creek. in which
he had confronted a Confederate force
under Gen. Jubal A Early.
This was the first retrograde move
meut of the Federals in the campaign
that was to produce many moves and
countermoves Of armies on the great
chessboard of the valley. II caused IN
sasiness in the North. when news Of
It transpired. for IL created the impress
sion that Gen. Sheridan was beginning
his campaign with no more success than
had attended his predecessors Early.
on the other hand. enjoyed increased
prestige as a result OF the movement
In fact. Il was neither Early nor
81 sriian who was responsible for the
movements in the valley at this juno
ture, but on either side a greater gen
eral for the game was being played by
Grant and Lee. from their respective
headouarters at City Point and at Peters
burg.
II had been begun by Lee. with the
sending Of Early to the valley. his OBJ
ject being to divert Grants attention
from the siege OF Petersburg. Grant
had accepted the challenge by sending
a strong force OF troops, and. on August
!, Gen. Sherman 10 command them He
was willing to abide by the issue Of this
important diversion, for he foresaw its
great effect on the outcome Of the situa-
ton before Richmond
MORAL ADVANTAGE EARLY'S
Thus far the moral advantage of the
movements In the valley had been with
the Confedsratss, though for time
after Sheridan's arrival this did NOT ap-
pear to be the case.
When Sheridan arrived in the valley
and assembled in front of Harpers Ferry
a force aggregating 1900 men-destined
in the near future to be known as the
Army of the Shenandoah-Early, with
about 5000 infantry and 2,O0O cavalry. was
at Martinsburg. near the Potomac.
Finding that Sheridan threatened TO
cut him or from his communications
with the upper valley, which were nee
essary to the subsistence of his army.
Gen. Early had reluctantly fallen back
on Winchester. He wished to remain at
rupting trafic on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, main arteries Of communication
westward from Washington.
Sheridan had met Early's move by an
advance to the line Of Opekuon Greek,
which bisects the valley between Win
chester and the Shenandoah. and by
pushing his cavalry out on the roads
south OF Winchester.
This had forced Early back upon Cedar
Creek, StrasburE and Fishers Hill in
turn. At the latter place, twenty miles
below Winchester, he had made a stand.
while Sheridan had pushed forward his
army to the line Of Cedar Creek. con-
fronting the Confederate line across =
hfly valley some three miles wide.
Cavalry Finds the Enemy.
The situation stood thus on the morn
ing Of August 16 It was not destined
long to continue 50, In the course Of the
day Gen. Sheridan received news from
Washington that heavy re-enforcements
had been dispatched by Lee to Early
and that they were then not far from
the valley. This important news con-
firmed rumors that had reached Sheri-
dan. It was accompanied by a message
from Grant which ordered Sheridan to
fall back and assume the defensive un-
til the situation developed
On the same day the report OF the
nearness OF re-enforcements for Early
was verified by Sheridan's cavalry, who
discovered the enemy In force at .
crossing OF the Shenandoah river near
Front Royal