of Cedar Creek. The commander himself had been to Washington on business and had not yet returned, although he was on the way.
An attack by Early was hardly expected, and many of the soldiers were out cutting forage when the alarm was sounded. On the previous night, in a dense fog, General Early's command had crossed the mountain and forded one of the forks of the creek. Still under cover of darkness, the main body of his army crept upon the left flank of the Unionists and bore down upon them with the stirring yell for which they were famous. Taken completely by surprise, the boys in blue opened fire, but before they could take a firm stand, the left flank was turned and the batteries captured.
It was not yet five o'clock in the morning when this occurred, and as it grew lighter, it was seen that the Confederates now had the best of the situation, for from their point of vantage they could enfilade nearly our entire army—that is, could send shot and shell through the ranks from the side, instead of from the front. It was a crucial moment, and it looked as if the day
