to Strasburg, being infested" by Rebel | two columns, in order to strike ours horse under Rosser, he ordered Torbert, commanding his cavalry, to turn upon and chastise the presumption. The Rebels broke and fled at the first charge, and were chased back 26 miles; losing 11 guns, 47 wagons, and 330 prisoners. Sheridan's retreat was no further molested; but, having halted near Fisher's hill, Early attempted to steal upon him unaware, but found him ready, and, after a short struggle, the Rebel chief' drew off, badly worsted.

36

Sheridan now left" on a flying visit to Washington, supposing his adversary had had fighting enough for the season. He miscalculated. Early, aware of our commander's absence, stung by his repeated defeats, and considerably rëenforced, resolved on retrieving his ragged fortunes by a daring enterprise-nothing less than the surprise and rout of a veteran army. Having strengthened himself to the utmost, and thoroughly organized his forces in his forest-screened camp near Fisher's hill, he silently moved out at nightfall," resolved to flank our position across CEDAR CREEK, 6 miles distant, and fall on our sleeping camps at daybreak next morning. Our forces were encamped on three crests or ridges: the Army of West Virginia (Crook's) in front; the 19th corps (Emory's) half a mile behind it; the 6th corps (Wright's) to the right and rear of the 19th. Kitching's provisional division lay behind Crook's left; the cavalry, under Torbert, on the right of the 6th. It is a fact, though no excuse, that they had no more apprehension of an attack from Early than from Canada.

at once on both flanks. He had of course to leave the turnpike and move over rugged paths along the mountain-side, climbing up and down steep hills, holding on by bushes, where horses could hardly keep their feet, and twice fording the North fork of the Shenandoah-the second time in the very face of our pickets. For miles, his right column skirted the left of Crook's position, where an alarm would have exposed him to utter destruction. So imperative was the requirement of silence that his men had been made to leave their canteens in camp, lest they should clatter against their muskets. The divisions of Gordon, Ramseur, and Pegram thus stole by our left; those of Kershaw and Wharton simultaneously flanking our right.

At 2 A. M., the pickets of the 5th N. Y. heavy artillery (Kitching's division) heard a rustling of underbrush and a sound as of stealthy, multitudinous trampling; and two posts were relieved and sent into camp with the report. Gen. Crook thereupon ordered that a good lookout be kept, but sent out no reconnoitering party; even the gaps in his front line caused by detailing regiments for picket duty were not filled; and, when the crash came, the muskets of many of our men were not loaded. There was some suspicion and uneasiness in Crook's command, but no serious preparation.

An hour before dawn, the Rebels had all reached, without obstruction or mishap, the positions severally assigned them, and stood shivering in the chill mist, awaiting the order to Early had arranged his army in attack. No sound of alarm, no hum

EARLY SURPRISES CROOK AT CEDAR CREEK.

613

of preparation, disquieted them. At umn pressing fiercely on our right length, as the gray light of dawn and front. The resistance of the disclosed the eastern hill-tops, a tre- 19th corps was brief and bloody; mendous volley of musketry, on either and, when it had melted away, the flank and away to the rear, startled 6th, assailed in turn, gave ground— the sleepers into bewildered con- slowly, in good order, but as if consciousness; and the next moment, sciously unable to resist the deterwith their well known battle-yell, mined charge of the flushed and eager the charging lines came on. foe. And when at length it had gained a position where it seemed able and willing to stand, Wright saw that it had been crowded clear off the turnpike, while our forces had no other line of concentration or retreat; so that to hold here was to enable Gordon to interpose between it and the rest of our army: hence he ordered a general retreat; which was made in good order: our columns inclining toward the turnpike so as to recover their communications. The enemy, intent on plundering our captured camps, and doubtless hungry, thirsty, and exhausted with sixteen hours' arduous marching and fight

"Tell the brigade commanders to move their men into the trenches," said Gen. Grover, calmly; and the order was given; but it was already too late. The Rebels, disdaining to notice the picket-fire, were themselves in the trenches on both flanks before our astonished soldiers could occupy them in effective force. On our side, all was amazement and confusion; on theirs, thorough wakefulness and perfect comprehension. In fifteen minutes, the Army of West Virginia was a flying mob; one battalion of its picket-line had lost 100 killed and wounded, and seven hundred prisoners. The enemy, knowing every footing, had halted, or were advancing of the ground as familiarly as their own door-yards, never stopped to reconnoiter or consider, but rushed on with incredible celerity.

slowly and cautiously, their muskets silent, with but occasional shots at long range from their artillery. We had lost, beside our killed and wounded, the battle, our camps, defenses, equipage, 24 guns, and 1,200 prisoners.

Emory tried, of course, to stop them, but with no chance of success. Assailed in overwhelming force in front, on both flanks, and well to the rear, he pushed forward McMillen's brigade to breast the Rebel torrent, and give time for the 6th corps to come up. One-third of it was killed and wounded in the effort; but to no purpose, though two other brigades were sent up to its support. But Early's three divisions on our left, led by Gordon, continued their flanking advance, turning us out of every position whereon a stand had been made; while Kershaw led the còl-front at 10 A. M.; just as Wright had

Sheridan had slept unapprehensively at Winchester, on his return from Washington, while the enemy were executing his bold movement; but the morning breeze wafted ominous sounds to his ears; and he was soon riding rapidly southward, and not long in meeting the kind of drift that may be seen in the rear of every fighting army, more especially if that army is being worsted. Putting spurs to his horse, he reached the

halted and the enemy had ceased to indicative of more such to come. And press him.

The current notion that our army instantly faced to the front, charged, and routed the exultant foe, does justice neither to Sheridan nor to facts. The defeated are not thus easily converted into conquerors. Sheridan met his crest-fallen, shattered battalions without a word of reproach, but joyously, inspiringly, swinging his cap and shouting to the stragglers as he rode rapidly past them-"Face the other way, boys! We are going back to our camps! We are going to lick them out of their boots!" Most of them obeyed, as the weaker will submits to the stronger. Then, having ordered each command to face to the front, form line, and advance, he rode for two hours along that line, gathering in- | formation, and studying the ground, while he rapidly and cheeringly talked to his soldiers. "Boys, if I had been here, this would not have happened!" he assured them, and they believed it. And so their spirits gradually rose, and they became convinced that their defeat was an awkward accident-unpleasant, of course, but such as might happen to any army so self-confident as to be easily caught napping. Finally, they began to doubt that they had actually been beaten at all.

Emory's 19th corps was strongly posted in a dense wood on the left, and had thrown up a rude breastwork of rocks and rails along its front. Here he was attacked at 1 P. M., but not in great force nor desperately; and, after a spirited fusillade, he sent word that the enemy had been repulsed. Sheridan accepted and reported the tidings as very natural and

now, at 3 P. M., all being ready, the order was given, "The entire line will advance. The 19th corps will move in connection with the 6th. The right of the 19th will swing toward the left, so as to drive the enemy upon the pike." Steadily, not eagerly, our infantry rose to their feet, and went forward through the woods to the open ground beyond. The scream of shells, the rattle of musketry, the charging shout, rolled at once from right to left; and soon the Rebels' front line was carried and their left decidedly turned. Gordon's division, which led the charge on our left that morning, had now been flanked and driven, if not broken.

There was a pause in the advance, but not in the fight. The Rebel guns (they had a good part of ours) opened on our new position, and were replied to mainly by musketry. Again Sheridan moved along our front, correcting its formation, giving particular orders to subordinates, and words of cheer and confidence to all. Emory's 1st division was formed nearly at right angles with the Rebels' front, so as to face the turnpike and crowd them, when it charged, toward the way they should go. And now came the second charge, more determined, more confident, more comprehensive than the first; our cavalry advancing on both wings and, as the Rebel front gave way, charging fiercely upon their disordered ranks, and running them through Strasburg. Our weary, famished infantry-whose rations and cooks had long since paid tribute to the enemy, or found shelter in Winchester-sank down in their recovered quarters to shiver through the night as they could.

CAVALRY RAIDS TO GRENADA, MISS.

Our loss in this double battle was nearly 3,000, including Gen. D. D. Bidwell, of N. Y., and Col. Jo. Thoburn, killed, with Gens. Wright (slightly), Grover, Ricketts, and acting Brigadiers J. II. Kitching and R. G. McKinzie, wounded. Many of our men taken prisoners in the morning were rescued toward evening. The Rebel loss was heavier, including Gen. Ramseur (mortally wounded, and died a prisoner next day), 1,500 prisoners, 23 guns (not counting the 24 lost by us in the morning and recovered at night), at least 1,500 small | man.

XXVII.

BETWEEN VIRGINIA AND THE MISSISSIPPI.

FROM VICKSBURG TO ABINGDON.

ing back Wirt Adams's cavalry and Cosby's, Logan's, and Whitman's brigades of infantry, until, finally, McPherson found himself confronted by a superior force, comprising Loring's division and other forces hurried down from Grenada and up from points so distant as Mobile; when he retreated without a battle, via Clinton, to Vicksburg.'

5 Dec. 24.