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theless.

General Wickham afterwards served in the United States

Senate from Virginia as a Republican.

Sheridan pursued Early, as Grant desired and his own wishes dictated. He overtook them at Port Republic, charging their broken. lines with his cavalry, backed by infantry supports, and drove them again, destroying their supply train of seventy-five wagons. Our cavalry continued the pursuit until Early's army found shelter in the passes of the Blue Ridge. A large quantity of army stores were destroyed at Staunton. From that point, our cavalry passing on to Waynesboro', laid waste the Virginia Central railroad, destroying it utterly for several miles. A large Confederate tannery was also burned. Then came the execution of Grant's order to leave nothing in the valley to invite the return of the enemy. All our cavalry was recalled to Sheridan's headquarters, and down the valley went the Union army, destroying all supplies as they moved.

When this serious but necessary work was completed, our entire force was placed behind Cedar Creek," twenty miles away" from Winchester, between Middletown and Strasburg. Field headquarters were established at the residence of Benjamin B. Cooley.

Sheridan's dispatches at this period tell the man as much as his acts proclaim the soldier. In a report on the raid following the victory of Fisher's Hill, Sheridan wrote:

"In moving back to this point the whole country from the Blue Ridge to the North Mountain has been made untenable for a rebel army. I have destroyed over two thousand barns filled with wheat, hay, and farming implements, and over seventy mills filled with flour and wheat, have driven in front of this army over four thousand head of stock, and have killed and issued to the troops over three thousand sheep. Since I entered the valley from Harper's Ferry, every train, every small party, and every straggler has been bushwhacked by the people, many of whom have protection papers. Lieutenant Meigs and his engineer officer were murdered near Dayton; . . . for this atrocious act," continued Sheridan, "all the houses within an area of five miles were burned." Badeau, in the Military Life of Grant, says:

"Sheridan's telegrams during this campaign were handed to Grant usually as we sat around the camp-fire at City Point. No success had cheered him at the East for months, and the first gleams of light came from Sheridan's victories in the valley. As Grant read out these ringing dispatches: We sent them whirling through Winchester';

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They were followed on a jump twenty-six miles'; I thought I best delay here one day and settle this new cavalry general,' (referring to Rosser), his voice betrayed how welcome was the news. Keep on,'

he replied, and your good work will cause the fall of Richmond.'" Sheridan wrote from Strasburg: "The people here [in the valley] are getting sick of the war." He wrote also: "I'm coming back to this point." As he moved down the valley after the raid, Sheridan reported: "I was not followed until late yesterday, when a large force of cavalry appeared in my rear. I then halted my command to give battle. I found it was only the rebel cavalry commanded by Rosser, and directed Torbett to attack them and finish this new saviour of the valley.'" And he did it so effectually that Rosser has ever since been explaining why he was so thoroughly thrashed. Honors and recognition were showered upon Sheridan after Winchester and Fisher's Hill. Congress passed a resolution of thanks at its next session for the Valley Campaign. The victorious general was made a brigadier-general in the regular army.

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Torbett's fight with Rosser occurred on the 9th of October. At the first charge the Confederates broke and fled, leaving over three hundred prisoners, a dozen guns, and nearly fifty wagons in our hands. They were chased twenty-six miles.

Three days later Early attempted to surprise Sheridan, who had halted near Fisher's Hill. This time the Confederates were so severely chastised that it was supposed they would remain quiet for some time. With that impression, Sheridan went to Washington on official business, leaving General Wright in temporary command of the army.

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CHAPTER XVII.

SNATCHING VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT.

-MEDDLING AT

LINCOLN'S LITTLE STORY ABOUT GENERAL CASS CHANGE OF THE TROOPS WASHINGTON WITH GRANT'S ORDERS -WRIGHT SURPRISED AT CEDAR CREEK-ROUT OF THE NINETEENTH CORPS SHERIDAN'S RIDE "TO SAVE THE DAY"-DEFEATS EARLY AND GORDON-WHAT HE SAID OF HIS VICTORY-THANKS OF PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS- PROMOTION IN THE REGULAR ARMY- THE HORSE he rode.

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CONSIDERABLE anxiety had prevailed in Washington during the latter of Sheridan's operations. He had got beyond telegraphic communication. The War Department feared for the capital. Halleck feared that the little soldier might seriously propose to end the war otherwise than according to Jomini, as translated by "Old Brains," while the President grew anxious for Sheridan's safety. None of them knew the he was a fighting soldier, who did his "job" with the same persistent determination that he would have bossed a railroad contract. Mr. Lincoln, of course, had a story to tell. He was afraid that Sheridan's hot pursuit had been a little like that of General Cass, in one of our Indian wars. Cass was pursuing the Indians so closely, that the first thing he knew he found himself in their front and the Indians were pursuing him. Sheridan might have got on the other side of Early. Mr. Lincoln feared that Early was behind him. Reinforcements might be sent out from Richmond to enable Early to meet and beat him. Grant says: "I replied to the President that I had taken steps to prevent Lee from sending reinforcements to Early by attacking the former where he was."

Sheridan had driven the enemy out of the valley and destroyed everything, so that if Early came back he would have to bring his provisions with him. It was in announcing this that he used the apt illustration already quoted, of the crow being compelled to carry its rations.

He felt, therefore, he did not need so large a force, and sent to

Grant, asking him to take some and put them where they were needed more. This Grant did. The Sixth Corps was ordered to the James River. Sheridan then repaired the railroad up the valley toward the advanced position which he believed could be held with a small force. Troops were sent to Washington, by way of Culpepper, in order to watch the east side of the Blue Ridge, and prevent the enemy from getting into the rear of Sheridan, while he was still doing his work of destruction.

On the 10th of October, the march down the valley was again resumed; Early, at a very respectful distance, slowly following. Sheridan was ordered, however, to halt by Grant, and to improve the opportunity, if afforded by the enemy's having been sufficiently weakened, to move back again if possible and cut the James River canal and the Virginia Central railroad. This order had to go through Washington, where it was intercepted, and when Sheridan received what seemed to be a statement of what Grant wished him to do, it was something entirely different. Halleck informed Sheridan that it was Grant's wish for him to hold a forward position, as a base from which to act against Charlottesville and Gordonsville, and that he should fortify and provision this position. Sheridan objected most decidedly. Grant then telegraphed him on the 14th of October, as follows:

MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN :

What I want, is for you to threaten the Virginia Central railroad and the James River canal, in the manner your judgment tells you is best, holding yourself ready to advance, if the enemy draw off their forces. If you make the enemy hold a force equal to your own for the protection of those roads, it will accomplish nearly as much as their destruction. If you cannot do this, then the next best thing to do is to send here all the force you can. I deem a good cavalry force necessary for your offensive, as well as your defensive operations. You need not, therefore, send more than one division of cavalry.

U. S. GRANT.

Sheridan was at Winchester, having returned the night before from Washington. Upon the forenoon of the 19th of October, on his way to his headquarters, he learned from the stream of stragglers, the news of the attack by Early on his lines at Cedar Creek, and the partial rout of his army that was then in progress. The story has been told by many pens, but the most compact account is that printed in Whitelaw Reid's volume, Ohio in the War. It is so clear and direct, yet comprehensive, that it is given here in full :

"On the night of the 18th of October, while Sheridan was approaching Winchester, on his return, Early and Longstreet were stealthily moving out from Fisher's Hill. So careful and minute were their arrangements for silence on the march, that they even took away the canteens from their men, lest their rattle against the bayonet-sheaths or cartridge-boxes should be heard. Wright, as we have seen, was apprehensive about his right flank. His disposition of the entire cavalry there showed it, and the enemy at once profited by the disclosure. They moved rapidly to the opposite flank. Here the front was scarcely protected at all. The exultant army that had followed the rebels whirling up the valley' was utterly incredulous as to the possibility of attack. They slept, officers and men, the deep slumber of absolute confidence. Pickets were advanced but a short distance from the camp― so short a distance that the rebel column crept around them within six hundred yards of the main line. Some pickets did report the sound of marching in the darkness on their front, and General Crook ordered men into the trenches; but this report failed to arouse much apprehension, and they neglected to send out a reconnais

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The front line was broken here and there by regiments sent out for picket duty — even these gaps were unfilled.

"The dawn was obscured by fog. Through this suddenly came bursting the wild charging yells of the rebel infantry-not Early's often beaten troops alone, but the flower of the Army of Northern Virginia. The extremity of Crook's line, taken thus by surprise in flank and rear, was doubled up in confusion, precisely as, a few weeks before, Crook had himself doubled up Early's flank at Fisher's Hill. The enemy was into the trenches before all the muskets of the defenders were loaded; the movement was quick, orderly, forceful on the part of the assailants - hesitating and bewildered on the part of the confused troops thus rudely awaked from their dreams of security. In fifteen minutes the struggle was practically over. The rebels, knowing perfectly their ground, and knowing, moreover, precisely what they wanted to do, drove forward their charging columns with a rapidity that to the surprised army seemed amazing. The Nineteenth Corps next gave way; next, only a little more slowly, the Sixth. Long before this the tide of runaways had swept down the pike as far as Winchester, twenty miles away. The camps were abandoned, twenty-four pieces of artillery were lost, and the whole army was in full retreat on Winchester. Nearly five miles down the valley it began to come together, and General Wright essayed the formation of a defensive line.

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