The Washington herald., 1914-09-19


Fifty years ago today Gen. Jubal A.
Early's Confederate Army was defeated
in battle near Winchester, Va. by the
Federal Army OF the Shenandoah under
Gen. Philip II. Sheridan.
This victory electrified the North, not
so much on Its merits, as from the
picturesque turn Gen. Sheridan gave MS
report Of it. by announcing that he had
sent Early "whirling through Winches-
ter in retreat
This properly described the rout OF
the Confederates: but the public did
not know the great disparity OF num-
bers in the contending forces.
II glory were measured in proportion
TO the strength OF the contestants, the
greater glory for this battle would have
gone to the Confederates. To them was
cue credit for waging a desperate and
telling fight. through a whole day.
against greatly superior numbers. Exact
figures of the men each side put into
battle are not Obtainable, but the pro-
portion must have been about three to
one in favor Of the Federals. Gen.
Sheridan had $500 men present for
duty on the day OF the battle, eighty
per cent of whom should have been
participants IN the fighting. Gen. Early
claimed not to have had above $500 in
fantry and 900 cavalry, a total Of
II, 90: and there is no evidence that his
strength was greater than this.
The very numbers and strength Of the
Federal army were an impeachment to a
more sweeping victory; for had II not
been all the forenoon in getting into po-
sition Gen. Early's. divisions might have
been attacked one at a time and de-
stroyed in detail When finally Sheri-
dams great force delivered its blow the
enemy was united and was able to with
stand the shock until he could send
away his wagons and clear the road up
the valley that he was to follow in re-
treat.
These facts in no way detracted from
the record of Gen. Sheridan, in this, his
first battle in the Shenandoah Valley.
He made no mistakes, and was pre-
vented only from using his full strength
to crush the enemy by the desperate
chara cter Of the Confederate resistance
TO his attacks and the greater mobility
Of Earlys smaller force.
PoaItiOn of Antagonist.
In all its aspects the battle OF Win
chester, or Of the Opequon. as Gen.
Sheridan preferred to designate 1t, was
a splendid example Of the picturesque
in war. It was fought in an open, rolling
country. on broad fields, broken with
little valleys and small groups OF forest
trees upon the whole Of which the
spectator could look down from the
heights behind Winchester, as upon a
great relief map.
On the west of the field was the fine
old town Of Winchester, with the white
valley pike, hard and straight. running
through it and disappearing on either
hand, north and south. Fa- across the
valley. eighteen miles to the east. rose
the purple bulk of the Blue Ridge, along
the near side OF which flowed the Shen-
andoah. In the middle distance. coursing
its way northward through a wooded
valley. ran Opequon Creek. or. in local
terms, the Opequon.
On September IS Sheridan's army lay
behind this creek. its lines extending
perhaps four miles north and south, its
base at Berryville, ten miles east OF
Winchester. Early's army was scattered
along the pike north of Winchester. its
farthest division being at Stephensons
Depot. six miles away, and its nearest
Gen. s. d. Ramseur's, acros the Berry
vile road, two miles east of Winchester
By the psychology of the war, each COM
mander saw on the 18th that battle
was al hand, and each strove to counter
vail the movements of the other. Sheri.
dan had learned that troops which Lee
had sent Early had started back fol
Petersburg, and that Early's divisions
were stretched r. out northward toward
the Potomac. Early had learned that
Gen. Grant had been Sheridan's guest
the day before. To each the fact spelled
battle.
Sheridan had planned to advance in a
way to cut Early of from retreat up the
valley by striking the turnpike south OF
Winchester. He now changed his march
ing orders for a straight advance west
ward along the Berryville pike and d.
rect attack in front OF Winchester.