Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 16.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

[Richmond dispatch, December 27th, 1888.]

The battle of Cedar Creek, fought on the 19th of October, 1864, was a very remarkable one, and differed from any other of equal magnitude fought during the war, in the fact that on that day each army was completely routed and driven from the field by the other, first the army of General Sheridan by that of General Early, and afterwards the army of General Early by that of General Sheridan. [444]

There was also a singular coincidence between the battle of Cedar Creek and the battle of Winchester, fought exactly one month previously. When General Sheridan advanced on Winchester only Ramseur's division was ready to meet him. General Early and the rest of his troops were some distance off and reached the field of battle by a forced march and in detail. The result was that, after a hard day's fight, our men were compelled to retreat with a heavy loss in men and officers, including Generals Rodes and Godwin, who were killed on the field of battle.

So, when General Early attacked Sheridan at Cedar Creek, the latter was at Winchester, and woke to find his army routed and in full retreat. This gave occasion to his famous ‘ride’ made to meet and rally his fleeing soldiers.

The evening before the battle, the ominous order to ‘prepare rations’ was received. A short time before daylight the ordnance and medical officers were ordered to move out on the Valley pike and to take their wagons to the foot of Fisher's Hill; the one containing the implements of death and destruction, and the other bandages, medicines and surgical appliances to repair the mischief the first might do.

The troops had left some time previously, but so well had the secret of the plan of attack been kept that we had no idea of the direction they had taken.

It was a beautiful October night, clear and frosty. Around were the mountains, their grandeur but half revealed in the darkness. Above, the starry and resplendent heavens. So calm, so tranquil, so peaceful the scene that it seemed a sacrilege to break its stillness by war's rude alarms, or to mar its loveliness by strife and bloodshed.

Just as day was breaking and faint streaks of light appeared in the east, the sound of musketry and the cheers of the troops down the creek disclosed the attack and the plan of battle. Our army had been moved quietly down the creek and around the end of Massanutton mountain by a very difficult route, under the cover of night, and had made a complete surprise of the enemy's camp.

The line of fire moved rapidly up the creek, showing that the attack met with little resistance. The boom of cannon captured from the enemy and turned upon their fleeing owners, mingled with the sound of musketry. Soon the bridge was reached and cleared, and our artillery and ordnance wagons passed over to assist in the attack.

On the extreme right of the enemy time had been given for the troops to form, and the resistance was stubborn. But early in the [445] day the lull and final cessation of firing in the distance showed that the battle was over and the field in possession of our troops.

The surgeons, with due regard for the safety of the wounded, did not cross over the bridge, but established their hospitals on the western side. Very soon after a battle commences the wounded begin to come in—first those who can walk, holding a wounded hand or arm with the uninjured one, and then those more seriously wounded in ambulances. One of the first to reach the hospital that day was a young lieutenant, bright and handsome, whom I had met while on a visit to a family in Winchester a short time previously, whose left eye had been completely destroyed by a bullet.

Late in the evening there came a rumor that our troops were falling back. It was discredited at first, but soon a surging mass of men crossing the bridge and filling the plain at this end of the bridge confirmed the report. The wounded were hastily placed in the ambulances, which, with the medical wagons, were sent to the rear.

The line of Cedar Creek offered an excellent position for rallying the troops and checking the advance of the enemy, none of whom were then in sight. The officers went among the men and begged them to form in line of battle. But the commands were all mixed up, discipline was utterly lost, and as fast as a line was formed it would break and melt away like a rope of sand. The men were all the time drifting to the rear like a herd of cattle. There can be no question that a bold and resolute stand at this point would have checked the advance of the enemy.

The men were not cowards. Most of them were veterans who had seen honorable service in nearly all of the great battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. But they had become separated from their commands. Men who will fight bravely and give prompt obedience to orders when side by side with their comrades and under the control of officers whom they have been accustomed to obey, will lose their enthusiasm when separated from their companions, and pay no attention to the commands of an officer whom they have never seen before.

While futile efforts were being made to rally our troops, the sharp crack of rifles was heard on our left. Looking in that direction, I saw some ten or twelve men—Sheridan's dismounted cavalrymen—lying flat upon the brow of a hill about two hundred yards off, and firing deliberately down upon our men below.

Although there were at least one thousand men in the disorganized throng below, nearly all of whom had their muskets, only one man [446] returned their fire. They scattered and quickly got out of range, retreating in the direction of Strasburg. The pike was filled with artillery, wagons, and ambulances. One of the wagons, in passing over a bridge covered with loose plank, ran too near the end and overturned, throwing off the plank. This blocked the way and caused the capture of a large number of wagons and pieces of artillery by a few of Sheridan's cavalry who had pressed on in pursuit.

General Ramseur, who was wounded, was in one of the ambulances. A cavalryman rode up and asked the driver who was in the ambulance. General Ramseur ordered him not to tell, whereupon the driver replied, ‘The General says I must not tell.’ The trooper called to his companions that there was a General in the ambulance, and it was quickly surrounded and the General captured.

By this time it was dark and the pursuit was stopped; but the retreat of our army continued until late in the night, and the road was lined for miles by fires, around which the wearied soldiers slept.