Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
SURVIVOR TELLS WHY
| EARLY WAS DEFEATED
10 Cpliolds View of General Cor.
don That Men We're Not Permit
ted to Go Forward.
us DELAY PROVES FATAn
,utnumbered by Yankees at Cedar
Creek, Confederate Forces Are
Compelled to Beat Hasty Retreat.
How Early Explained Ii.

III The following account of the closint;
Genes OF EarIys defeat at Cedar Creek
taay be OF interest. especially TO those
personally connected with Major Gen
!iral John Pcgrani. After the fight in
he morning was over, our army form
a line across the Valley pike. Ram
E,ieurs Division, composed of IIokc's
md Johnson's North Carolina, and Pc
rams Virginia brigadcs. WAS on tho
light. do not know what position
phe other divisions occupied. Sheri-
hat he used n; Winchester OH Oc-
ober 49, and 1T Fishers IIill on the
I'D. that Is. by moving around his left
Ilank and getting in his rear. We
ih"ard heavy firing on the left, and
TE'rctty soon We auw tho sixth Corps
Ntvith Its blue flag. with the Greek cross
lpn II, coming down behind us. Wo
Immediately turned round and opened
iltrc on them, but seeing that they would
4 oon cut off our retreat we com
fnenced 10 fall back. ! do not think
hat they were more than zoo yards
3n when we ran by them
y Our division kept In good order until
'E%o reached the old dam over the creek
'crc was such u jam that the troors
lot all mixed up, but after crossing
ihe creek We got in tolcrnbly good
''rIer again. Soon after we passed the
lhill General pegram rode up to our
,tes!Fnent and asked who was hi COM
ifnand. Lieutenant NJ. :. StrinxfelIow
III Company y. Thirteenth Virginia In
h artry. told him that Captain HcislSel
1vas tho ranking officer present, and
,svas in command OF tho regiment. The
General then asked Captain HclskcI To
make the regiment fan out By the side
Ipf the road and act as ii rear guard.
we got out the pike and waited until
'lhost or the stiasglers passed. when
NC moved on up the pike. Sheridan
!'ad -FOUR divisions OF cavalry, which
,Srere not IL the fight, and we could
NOW See three long blue lines galloping
DOWN to the creek. The column above
me dam crossed first. and. seeing that
lhey wore forming to charge. General
NDesrnm halted uH TO receive them, say
ing that he would halt the brigade 10
support u. We formed a line across
h he pike. i suppose about 100 men. and
no general galloped UP tho pike 10
me brigade. The Yankee officer
wa not Wait until one squadron got
Tnto linc before he charged us. w.
I"aiteu unit! they got In good range
I,tnd then blazed away. They broke
ttht ran. Before they charged again
ienerai Pegram came back. but by
w pilS'tus sIslu QlSI DD.a cd
/ seeing that we stood no chanc,
against the great crowd that was form
ing 10 Charge, il" ordered us TO double
quick up the pike. The most or our
men took 10 the woods. ] followed the
general had not gone far when
5.hc IDEA occurred to me that was
gong to be captured, and / commenced
20 pull off everything that kent me
from making good time threw away
q new blanhc, that ] had picked up
nat morning that had four bullet holes
through II. and tried TO ubucllIc n
new knapsack, but could not get Il
ioosen. BY this time had gotten to
IN the pike. seeing that one OF the
naiings WAS of, tried to crawl
through, but that knapssck proved my
u!n II caught on each side OF the
lole and just then the Yankees gal
ioped by. shouting Halt. Haiti one
~ them poked "a pistol in my face and
yelled surrender got up with my.
gun In my hands and he yelled. Throw
Town your gum. This / made haste
70 do, and he carried me to the rear.
General Gordon, in his book, states
That he was present at this attempt
70 check the enemy, and that he came
very near being captured, but did not
iT.c him. This was the last time ever
saw our beloved general. Tho next |
h card OF him was that he had fallen
~ lIatchers Run and gone to be in
paradise!
Generals Early and Gordon. in their
tyooks, give two directly contrary rca-
SONS for this defeat. General Early
says that his mon refused To 20 further,
'ind General Gordon says that General
Early would not let them. think
That every one who was present will
lay that Gordon Is right Early ought
either to have gone on or fallen back.
Ills stopping was his destruction, as
;tny private in his command could have
Gold him.
GEORGE O. PEYTON.
Private, Company \, Thirteenth Nir-
| ginIa Infantry