this was accomplished we hurried to the river and waded through, without considering the disagreeable wetting to he endured. The cavalry had crossed and captured the pickets. Gordon's men followed and soon struck the extreme left and rear of Sheridan's line. It was a complete surprise. Men were captured in bed. not knowing we were nearer than Fisher's Hill. Gordon's and Ramseur's divisions were in front, and ours in reserve. These two divisions drove every tiling before them, and while this was being done Gen. Early had worked his way close up to the enemy in front, and at daylight he struck a terrible blow, driving them back upon us only to be pressed out of shape, a broken, routed army. On they rushed to Belle Grove, three miles, where they were in readiness with a fresh division to meet us. Upon these fresh troops many stragglers had rallied. Our division was ordered forward, and in a few minutes were hotly engaged. Driving the skirmish line in, we struek the line of battle, and as we got closer found a heavy battery on our left doing much damage. Our brigade, commanded by Col. Hoffman, bore to the left and charged, driving the artillerymen from their guns and the support back. Here, to my surprise, we were halted and ordered to reform. Col. Hoffman could not see well, or he would not have stopped at this point: so I called him as he was passing, on horse-back, and pointed out our dan- ger, but he still insisted upon reforming before making a second charge. Seeing the enemy advancing upon their battery, which would be turned on us again, I urged Col. H. to allow me to move with a few men and hold the battery. To this he consented, and with about fifty men we charged across the river, captured the five guns, turned them on the enemy, and held them until Col. H. came to our assistance. Gen. I'e- gram came up at this time and Col. H. told him of our charge, and the General said he would have those guns christened to my honor; but Sheridan objected, and in the afternoon the battery was recaptured.
I was a member of the 13th Virginia Infantry, or- ganized by Gen. A. 1'. Hill, molded by the bravest of the brave, 'Jen. .lame- a Walker, and made invincible by the courage and example of Col. .lames 1!. Terrell. No command could boast of three such officers, hence the reputation it gained. For an opinion of this gal- lant bodv of men I refer my reader to an oration by Gen. Walker at the unveiling of the A. P. Hill monu- ment at Richmond. From this charge we gathered solidity and moved on, driving the enemy into and through Middleton. Here we were halted over night upon Valley Pike, north of the town and at the toll gate. We remained at this point all day waiting for orders to move forward. A great victory had been won only to be thrown away — not lost, as many sup- pose, and as history claims, by the return of Sheridan — not one bit of it. The fault lies at our own door. Our men, feeling victory was complete, gave way to the disposition to clothe themselves from the enemy's cam)), deserted their comrades. Fully one third of our army could have been found away from their com- mands, and by so doing sacrificing their country. Comrade, was you of this number? If so, you caused the disaster, not Sheridan. Shame, shame! Had every man been at his post we would not have lost this battle, and none of the poetry of Sheridan's ride would ever have been written. We held our position until ordered back, and we (Pegram's brigade, commanded by Pegram in person, also Johnson's North Carolina brigade) marched in line of battle from Middleton to CedarCreek. where we had to break to cross the bridge. At Stickler's, south of the bridge, Gen. Pegram ral- lied about 100 men, and we again checked the enemy's cavalry; hut soon a brigade charged us, and we made the best retreat we could. Knowing the country thor- oughly. 1 went to the mountain and got into cam]' at Fisher's Hill hy 10 o'clock that night, taking a pretty good regiment of men with me who were lost in the stampede. .Most of our artillery was lost near Stras- burg. occasioned by the breaking of a small bridge, and could have been saved had any one in authority known of it. In my retreat that night 1 met with an officer whom I piloted to the river, where we both jumped in. ami where the Colonel disappeared, either killed, drowned or taken prisoner. If he is alive and sees this article I would like to hear from him. We retreated up the Valley next morning. My mother and sisters went over the battle field next day expect- ing to find my dead body, but I was very much alive, in a foot-race for safety further South. Gen. Cordon did some beautiful fighting at Cedar Creek, but when he is accredited with planning the battle I feel it is an error. It was Cen. Karly's plan, and it bore his car marks-daring in the extreme — fully in keeping with the man and all of his movements in front of Sheri- dan. Suppose Early had had as many men as Sheri- dan, does any sane man for one moment believe the Valley of Virginia would have fallen into the bands of the enemy? Never! Many good soldiers criticise Gen. Early, but one moment's reflection should change their harsh judgment to praise and admiration. For weeks he confronted Sheridan's hosts with a mere handful of men. knowing all the time bow he was out- numbered. His duty was to keep Sheridan from send- ing troops to Grant, and he did this, but not until 40,000 marched upon 10,000 could Early he shaken off. Cen. Lee's letter to him removing him is a deserved compliment. Early was the only man in the army .who would have dared to have "taken such chances. He sacrificed himself for his country, and in future years will be regarded as one of our ablest Generals.
Sheridan's loss, according to Maj. Pound's History of the Valley Campaign, in this battle, was 569 killed. 3,425 wounded, and 1,770 missing; total, 5,764. Our loss was 3,100 killed, wounded and missing.
J. T. Lyon, of Forty-third Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, writes again : Farmwell, Va., Feb. 2. — In my article published in the January Veteran there is a mistake. It should have been Ramseur's division, not Ransom's. He too was killed at Cedar Creek, when General Cordon made that Jacksonian move, surprising Sheridan's army, routing and driving them in great confusion toward Winchester. Early's troops, instead of following up their victory, fell out of ranks to plunder the yankee camp. Sheridan promptly reformed his troops and returned the same day and deflated Early, and caused him to lose all be had gained and more too. But if ever soldiers were excusable for such conduct Early's poor half famished men surelv were. They had been marching and fighting from the first of May, at the Wilderness, at Cold Harbor, at Lynchburg, at Salem, West Va., and then to Washington and return. It is estimated that from June to September Early had marched his little army over four hundred miles.
