The Washington herald., 1914-10-19

which Confederates looked down on the
Federal camps as on map.
To this signal station a Confederate
officer had climbed, Gen. John B. Gordon,
of Georgia. From the height he had seen
clearly each position held by the Fed
erals. their lines of works and their
cavalry camps, far on their right. He
had seen also that their left was unprO-
tected. except Ter the Shenandoah.
Gordon believed that a military force
could be passed around the wooded
shoulder Of the mountain above the river,
and that it could gain the rear of the
Eighth Corps camps. He laid his idea
before Gen. Early. It was adopted and
elaborated into a plan for an attack on
the Federals from three points at once.
Attack in Dark and Fog.
At nightfan. on October Is, three di-
visions of infantry under Gen. Gordon
crossed the Shenandoah near Fishers
Hill and in single file. in complete silence
the soldiers began TO climb the path
across the bold front of the mountain.
Two other divisions at the same time
moved silently through the town of
Strasburg. on roads leading to Cedar
Creek and the Federal front. That Of
Gen. ]. B. Kershaw was to attack
Crooks camp in front, that of Gen G.
c. Wharton the camps Of the Nineteenth
Corps.
Nature aided in the enterprise. for while
there was a bright late moon, the valley
of the creek and that of the river, as
we'll as the Federal camps, were wrapped
in fog.
The attack was begun by Gen. Ker-
shaw's command, which, advancing at
4:3O. began TO drive across Cedar Creek
the pickets on the front of the Eighth
Corps position.
History often represents the Federals
as caught asleep in their camps. Such
was not the fact. The firing of the
pickets alarmed the camps. and the SOL
diers of the division in front, that Of
Gen. Joseph Thoburn, sprang to arms
When the pickets came in and reported
the enemy in force at their heels, Tho
burns men were in the woods. started
but firm. They could not see the ap-
preaching enemy until they were but a
few feet away. Then they gave them a
gallant but unavailing volley. The Con-
federates. in solid ranks, swept over the
works like a wave. Thoburn persisted de-
Tending his camps.
Getty Saves the Day.
Meanwhile, at the appointed hour,
GordOn's force had dashed into the shall
low Shenandoah, crossed ii on the run
driving in or shooting down the Federal
pickets. They had then advanced a mile
by farm road to a point in the rear Of
Crooks camps that had been marked
from the mountain top by a white farm
house. From here. encouraged by the
sound OF Kershaws attack, they dashed
yelling and shooting into the camps Of
the FedPrals.
Thus assailed in the rear while desper-
ately engaged in front Crooks men
fled. Panic seized them, and losing all
organization they rushed through the
camps of the Nineteenth Corps That
force had already been aroused by the
firing on its left Part of the corps was
under arms when the surprise began,
having been ordered out for a recon-
noissance at dawn. There was an effort
made by its officers to form a line to
resist Kershaw, but Gordon attack, fol-
lowed by that Of Gen. wharton's men,
turned the tide. and the Nineteenth Corps
Joined the Eighth in retreat, though
without losing its organization.
In half an hour after the first blow
was struck the whole Federal left was
swept from the field. their camps were
in possession of the enemy and their
own guns were being turned upon them.
The course of the fugitives was down
the turnpike and through the fields on
either side of it. On the left Of the pike
docking north). in the rear Of the
camps Of the Nineteenth Corps, were the
camps of the Sixth Corps.
That corps, having time to collect
itself, did not yield to panic, but stood
to combat the enemy's advance, retiring
slowly. and though many Of its men
caught the fever OF panic and fled,
part Of it presented a front that saved
the army. Gen. George W. Getty's di-
vision was Ike a rock. Forming a line
along a small stream near the village
Of Middletown, It threw back two furi-
Gus assaults, holding the enemy until
CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN.