personal memoirs-2-第12章
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extreme left。
In consequence of the despatch already mentioned; 〃Be ready when I
join you; and we will crush Sheridan;〃 since learned to have been
fictitious; I had been supposing all day that Longstreet's troops
were present; but as no definite intelligence on this point had been
gathered; I concluded; in the lull that now occurred; to ascertain
something positive regarding Longstreet; and Merritt having been
transferred to our left in the morning; I directed him to attack an
exposed battery then at the edge of Middletown; and capture some
prisoners。 Merritt soon did this work effectually; concealing his
intention till his troops got close in to the enemy; and then by a
quick dash gobbling up a number of Confederates。 When the prisoners
were brought in; I learned from them that the only troops of
Longstreet's in the fight were of Kershaw's division; which had
rejoined Early at Brown's Gap in the latter part of September; and
that the rest of Longstreet's corps was not on the field。 The
receipt of this information entirely cleared the way for me to take
the offensive; but on the heels of it came information that
Longstreet was marching by the Front Royal pike to strike my rear at
Winchester; driving Powell's cavalry in as he advanced。 This renewed
my uneasiness; and caused me to delay the general attack till after
assurances came from Powell denying utterly the reports as to
Longstreet; and confirming the statements of the prisoners。
Between half…past and 4 o'clock; I was ready to assail; and decided
to do so by advancing my infantry line in a swinging movement; so as
to gain the Valley pike with my right between Middletown and the
Belle Grove House; and when the order was passed along; the men
pushed steadily forward with enthusiasm and confidence。 General
Early's troops extended some little distance beyond our right; and
when my flank neared the overlapping enemy; he turned on it; with the
effect of causing a momentary confusion; but General McMillan quickly
realizing the danger; broke the Confederates at the reentering angle
by a counter charge with his brigade; doing his work so well that the
enemy's flanking troops were cut off from their main body and left to
shift for themselves。 Custer; who was just then moving in from the
west side of Middle Marsh Brook; followed McMillan's timely blow with
a charge of cavalry; but before starting out on it; and while his men
were forming; riding at full speed himself; to throw his arms around
my neck。 By the time he had disengaged himself from this embrace;
the troops broken by McMillan had gained some little distance to
their rear; but Custer's troopers sweeping across the Middletown
meadows and down toward Cedar Creek; took many of them prisoners
before they could reach the streamso I forgave his delay。
My whole line as far as the eye could see was now driving everything
before it; from behind trees; stone walls; and all such sheltering
obstacles; so I rode toward the left to ascertain how matters were
getting on there。 As I passed along behind the advancing troops;
first General Grover; and then Colonel Mackenzie; rode up to welcome
me。 Both were severely wounded; and I told them to leave the field;
but they implored permission to remain till success was certain。
When I reached the Valley pike Crook had reorganized his men; and as
I desired that they should take part in the fight; for they were the
very same troops that had turned Early's flank at Winchester and at
Fisher's Hill; I ordered them to be pushed forward; and the alacrity
and celerity with which they moved on Middletown demonstrated that
their ill…fortune of the morning had not sprung from lack of valor。
Meanwhile Lowell's brigade of cavalry; which; it will be remembered;
had been holding on; dismounted; just north of Middletown ever since
the time I arrived from Winchester; fell to the rear for the purpose
of getting their led horses。 A momentary panic was created in the
nearest brigade of infantry by this withdrawal of Lowell; but as soon
as his men were mounted they charged the enemy clear up to the stone
walls in the edge of Niiddletown; at sight of this the infantry
brigade renewed its attack; and the enemy's right gave way。 The
accomplished Lowell received his death…wound in this courageous
charge。
All our troops were now moving on the retreating Confederates; and as
I rode to the front Colonel Gibbs; who succeeded Lowell; made ready
for another mounted charge; but I checked him from pressing the
enemy's right; in the hope that the swinging attack from my right
would throw most of the Confederates to the east of the Valley pike;
and hence off their line of retreat through Strasburg to Fisher's
Hill。 The eagerness of the men soon frustrated this anticipation;
however; the left insisting on keeping pace with the centre and
right; and all pushing ahead till we regained our old camps at Cedar
Creek。 Beyond Cedar Creek; at Strasburg; the pike makes a sharp turn
to the west toward Fisher's Hill; and here Merritt uniting with
Custer; they together fell on the flank of the retreating columns;
taking many prisoners; wagons; and guns; among the prisoners being
Major…General Ramseur; who; mortally wounded; died the next day。
When the news of the victory was received; General Grant directed a
salute of one hundred shotted guns to be fired into Petersburg; and
the President at once thanked the army in an autograph letter。 A few
weeks after; he promoted me; and I received notice of this in a
special letter from the Secretary of War; saying:
〃that for the personal gallantry; military skill; and just confidence
in the courage and patriotism of your troops; displayed by you on the
19th day of October at Cedar Run; whereby; under the blessing of
Providence; your routed army was reorganized; a great National
disaster averted; and a brilliant victory achieved over the rebels
for the third time in pitched battle within thirty days; Philip H。
Sheridan is appointed a major…general in the United States Army。〃
The direct result of the battle was the recapture of all the
artillery; transportation; and camp equipage we had lost; and in
addition twenty…four pieces of the enemy's artillery; twelve hundred
prisoners; and a number of battle…flags。 But more still flowed from
this victory; succeeding as it did the disaster of the morning; for
the reoccupation of our old camps at once re…established a morale
which for some hours had been greatly endangered by ill…fortune。
It was not till after the battle that I learned fully what had taken
place before my arrival; and then found that the enemy; having
gathered all the strength he could through the return of
convalescents and other absentees; had moved quietly from Fisher's
Hill; in the night of the 18th and early on the morning of the 19th;
to surprise my army; which; it should be remembered; was posted on
the north bank of Cedar Creek; Crook holding on the left of the
Valley pike; with Thoburn's division advanced toward the creek on
Duval's (under Colonel Rutherford B。 Hayes) and Kitching's
provisional divisions to the north and rear of Thoburn。 The
Nineteenth Corps was on the right of Crook; extending in a semi…
circular line from the pike nearly to Meadow Brook; while the Sixth
Corps lay to the west of the brook in readiness to be used as a
movable column。 Merritt's division was to the right and rear of the
Sixth Corps; and about a mile and a half west of Merrit was Custer
covering the fords of Cedar Creek as far west as the Middle road。
General Early's plan was for one column under General Gordon;
consisting of three divisions of infantry (Gordon's; Ramseur's; and
Pegram's); and Payne's brigade of cavalry to cross the Shenandoah
River directly east of the Confederate works at Fisher's Hill; march
around the northerly face of the Massanutten Mountain; and again
cross the Shenandoah at Bowman