consequences of a defeat, opening the North to a fresh invasion, and perhaps compelling what Lee most desired and Grant most dreaded-a with drawal of our army from the James were so grave, that Grant hesitated to authorize a determined advance until he had made him a second visit," and become convinced that he had a lieutenant on the Potomac who thoroughly comprehended his position, his work, his strength, and that of his antagonist, and needed but liberty of action and a trust which his achievements would abundantly justify. "Isaw," says Grant, in his report, "that but two words of instruction were necessary- Go in !" So he gave them, and Sheridan went in. Early held the west bank of OPEQUAN Creek, covering Winchester, Sheridan was in his front and to his right, holding Berryville. In a skillful and spirited reconnoissance, Gen. Wilson had struck" the flank of Kershaw's division, capturing without loss Col. Hennegan and 171 of the 8th S. C. The principal value of such a stroke inheres in its effect on the spirits of an army; and Sheridan, believing his in the mood for battle, drew out, at 2 A. M.," his entire force, resolved to carry the enemy's position by assault. aced and kept strong and idle, if possible; he striving in turn to thrust that wing through our left and seize the mouth of the ravine, so as at once to sever our army and deprive its right of any line of retreat. It was 10 A. M. when the 6th corps emerged from the ravine, and took ground on our left; Ricketts's division pushing forward, through thick woods and over steep hills, where musketry only could be used, right against the enemy's front; for here ground must be gained and held to enable the 8th corps to debouch behind our front from the pass, turn the enemy's left, and charge him in flank and rear. When our impetuous advance had cleared the woods and heights, a broad, open valley was before them, with the Rebel army sheltered by the woods and rocks beyond; whence a terrific shelling already told upon our ranks. Yet so vehement and resolute was the charge of Grover's division of the 19th corps that Early's first line was carried-Gen. Rhodes being killed and three Rebel colonels sent to our rear as prisoners. Early, seeing that no moment was to be lost, promptly hurled two fresh divisions upon Grover and Ricketts, pushing them back in disorder and with fearful loss; a heavy fire opening on their flank as they surged toward the pass-many regiments utterly broken, their officers fallen, and the battle seemingly lost beyond hope. The 156th N. York had barely 40 men grouped around its colors; Capt. Rigby, 24th Iowa, was seen retreating firmly, deliberately, followed by a sergeant and 12 men who, That position was naturally strong, and had been thoroughly fortified. To assail it, our army had to advance through a narrow ravine, shut in by steep, thickly wooded hills, form in an irregular, undulating valley in the enemy's front, advance through a wood, and attack desperately his center, while flanking and crushing in his left. His right, too strongly posted to be turned, was to be men- reaching the assigned rallying-point, SHERIDAN'S BATTLE OF THE OPEQUAN. 609 their front sent them pell-mell back across the fields to their original cover. And now our shattered front, closing in from right and left, was rëformed and advanced over most of the ground it had lost; the 1st division of the 19th corps-still glorying in its achievements at Port Hudson and Pleasant Hill-instead of following the 8th corps in the flank movement, as had been intended, was brought back and used to piece out and brace up the center; where desperate fighting, with little advantage to either side, and heavy loss at least to ours, was maintained till 3 P. M. halted, faced to the front, and gave three hearty cheers. Five minutes later, that platoon had been swelled by other such to a battalion; while Capt. Bradbury, 1st Maine battery, had, by Grover's order, posted two guns in a gap and opened on the exultant Rebels; who, charging to seize them, received a volley in the rear from the 131st N. York, which Gen. Emory had rallied and posted in a projection of wood, with orders not to fire till the enemy should have passed them. As they staggered under this unexpected salute, a volley from the newly formed line in VOL. II.-39 And now a shout from the far right, shut out from view by woods and hills, announced that the turning movement was effected-that our cavalry under Torbert, and Crook with his 8th corps (the Army of West Virginia' that was), have struck the enemy's left in flank, and are charging it under a terrible fire. Instantly, a redoubled fire breaks out along our central front, in spite of the general scarcity of cartridges; and, these being soon exhausted, Col. Thomas, 8th Vermont, ordered his men to charge at double quick with the bayonet. In vain general officers shouted 'Halt!' 'Lie down!' 'Wait for supports !' &c.; for, while some were still confused and vacillating, a staff officer from the right galloped in front, and pointed with his saber to the woods which sheltered the enemy. At once, all dissent was silenced, all hesitation at an end; the whole center, as one man, swept forward, cheering, and plunged into the woods, meeting there Crook's corps, charging from the flank. All the Rebels who could still travel were by this time going or gone. A height in the rear of Early's po- | there was still time enough to take sition, crowned by a fort, still held out; but Crook's column quickly stormed and carried both. And now our cavalry-which had been fighting and routing the enemy's-came up on our right, and charged superbly on the rear of the flying foe, taking 700 prisoners and 2 guns at the first onset; following till dark close on the heels of the fugitives, and gathering up prisoners, &c., as they hurried through Winchester in utter rout and disintegration. Our loss in this battle was fully 3,000, including Gen. David A. Russell, killed, with Gens. McIntosh, Chapman, and Upton wounded. The heroic 19th corps-on which fell the brunt of the fight-alone lost 1,940 killed and wounded. Among the Rebels killed were Gens. Rhodes and A. C. Godwin. Pollard admits a loss of 3,000 on their side; but, as we took 3,000 prisoners, with 5 guns, it was probably much greater. Early fell back to FISHER'S HILL, 8 miles south of Winchester, between the North and Massanutten mountains-regarded as the very strongest position in the Valley. Sheridan followed sharply, allowing but two days to intervene between his first and his second victory. Advancing the 6th corps against the front and the 19th on the left of the Rebel stronghold, he again sent the 8th by a long circuit around on the right, striking heavily in flank and rear, while a vigorous attack in front broke the enemy's center. The victory here was even more decisive, as well as far more cheaply purchased, than that won at the Opequan. Though our attack could not be made till 4 P. M., Sept. 25 33 1,100 prisoners, 16 guns, &c., &c. The pursuit hence was so sharp that Early had to abandon the Valley and take to the mountains, where cavalry could with difficulty operate. Sheridan followed with infantry and artillery to Port Republic," where he captured and destroyed 75 wagons; sending his cavalry, under Torbert, to Staunton, where they destroyed large quantities of army supplies, and thence to Waynesborough, where the Virginia Central railroad was broken up, the bridge burned, and a large Confederate tannery destroyed. Gen. Grant, in his letter of instructions to Gen. Hunter," had directed that "In pushing up the Shenandoah valley, where it is expected you will have to go first left to invite the enemy to return. provisions, forage, and stock, wanted for the use of your command; such as can not be consumed, destroy. It is not desirable that the buildings should be destroyed--they should rather be protected-but the people should be informed that, so long as an army or last, it is desirable that nothing should be Take all can subsist among them, recurrences of these raids must be expected; and we are determined to stop them at all hazards.” This order, Sheridan, in returning down the Valley, executed to the letter. Whatever of grain and forage had escaped appropriation or destruction by one or another of the armies which had so frequently chased each other up and down this narrow but fertile and productive vale, was now given to the torch. Some of it was the property of men who not only adhered to the Union, but were fighting to uphold it; more belonged to Quakers, Tunkers, &c., who abhorred bloodshed, and had taken no part in the strife, unless under abThe excuse, of solute constraint. "Aug. 5. SHERIDAN DEVASTATES THE VALLEY. 611 "I have not been followed by the enemy to this point, with the exception of a small force of Rebel cavalry that showed themselves some distance behind my rear-guard to-day." course, was the certainty that whatever was left would be used to feed the Rebel armies and to facilitate raids and incursions on our posts below. The recent foolish as well as The Richmond Whig thereupon culpable burning of Chambersburg- gravely proposed to retaliate by to say nothing of the unauthorized sending incendiaries to fire the cities but openly justified arson and butch- of the loyal States, saying:. ery at Lawrence-furnished ample precedents; but it is not obvious that the National cause was advanced or the National prestige exalted by this resort to one of the very harshest and most questionable expedients not absolutely forbidden by the laws of civilized warfare. Sheridan reports this devastation, in a dispatch to Grant, as follows: "WOODSTOCK, VA., Oct. 7, 1864–9 P. M. "Lt.-Gen. U. S. GRANT: "I have the honor to report my command at this point to-night. I commenced moving back from Port Republic, Mount Crawford, Bridgewater, and Harrisonburg, yesterday morning. "The grain and forage in advance of these points had previously been destroyed. "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 2,000 barns filled with wheat and hay and farming implements, over 70 mills filled with flour and wheat; have driven in front of the army over 4,000 head of stock, and have killed and issued to the troops not less than 3,000 sheep. This destruction embraces the Luray valley and Little Fort valley as well as the main valley. 66 A large number of horses have been obtained, a proper estimate of which I can not now make. "Lt. John R. Meigs, my engineer officer, was murdered beyond Harrisonburg near Dayton. For this atrocious act, all the houses within an area of five miles were burned. "Since I came into 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 from commanders who have been hitherto in that valley. "The people here are getting sick of the war. Heretofore, they have had no reason to complain, because they have been living in great abundance. "There is one effectual way, and only one we know of, to arrest and prevent this and every other sort of atrocity-and that is, to burn one of the chief cities of the enemy, say Boston, Philadelphia, or Cincinnati, and let its fate hang over the others as a warning of what may be done, and what will be done to them if the present system of war on the part of the enemy is continued. If we are asked how such a thing easier. A million of dollars would lay the can be done, we answer, nothing would be proudest city of the enemy in ashes. The men to execute the work are already there. There would be no difficulty in finding there, here, or in Canada, suitable persons to take charge of the enterprise and arrange its details. Twenty men, with plans all preconcerted and means provided, selecting some dry, windy night, might fire Boston in a hundred places and wrap it in flames from center to suburb. They might retaliate on Richmond, Charleston, &c. Let them do so if they dare! It is a game at which we can beat them. New York is worth twenty Richmonds. They have a dozen towns to our one; and in their towns is centered nearly all their wealth. It would not be immoral and barbarous. It is not immoral nor barbarous to defend yourself by any means or with any weapon the enemy may employ for your destruction. They choose to substitute the torch for the sword. We may so use their own weapon as to make them repent, literally in sackcloth and ashes, that they ever adopted it. If the Executive is not ready for this, we commend the matter to the secret deliberation of the Congress about to meet." The atrocity here recommended was actually attempted in New York, a few weeks afterward-several of the great hotels being simultaneously fired by emissaries who had taken lodgings therein for that purpose. Each was quickly extinguished, when little damage had been done. Sheridan's rear, as he moved down 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. 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 regi 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 Westments for picket duty were not filled; 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. 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 attack. No sound of alarm, no hum |