518

SHERIDAN IN THE SHENANDOAH HALLEY.

attempt to form line facing along the main road, but the wave of Gordon’sadvance on his left, and the thunders of the attack along the road fromStrasburg, rendered the position untenable, and he was soon obliged to with-draw to save his lines from capture. %

At this time there were hundreds of stragglers moving off by the right tothe rear, and all efforts to stop them proved of no avail. A line of cavalrywas stretched across the fields on the right, which halted and formed arespectable force of men, so far as numbers were concerned, but these fledand disappeared to the rear as soon as the force which held them was with-drawn. By degrees the strength of the battle died away. The infantry ofthe Sixth Corps made itself felt on the advance of the enemy, and a sort ofconfidence among the troops which had not fled from the field was beingrestored. A brigade of cavalry was ordered to the left to intercept theenemy’s advance to Winchester. Taylor’s battery of artillery, belonging tothe cavalry, moved to the south, and, taking position with the infantry whichwas retiring, opened on the enemy. The artillery with the cavalry was theonly artillery left to the army. The other guns had either been captured orsent to the rear. This battery remained on the infantry lines and did muchtoward impeding the enemy’s advance until the cavalry changed position tothe Wincliester-Strasburg road. This change took place by direction ofGeneral Torbert about 10 o’clock. In making it the cavalry marchedthrough the broken masses of infantry direct to a point on the main roadnorth-east of Middletown. The enemy’s artillery fire was terrific. Not aman of the cavalry left the ranks unless he was wounded, and everythingwas done with the precision and quietness of troops on parade. GeneralMerritt informed Colonel Warner of Getty’s division, near which the cavalrypassed, and which was at that time following the general retreat of thearmy, of the point where the cavalry would take position and fight, andWarner promised to notify General Getty, and no doubt did so, for thatdivision of the Sixth Corps advanced to the position on the cavalry’s right.Then Devin and Lowell charged and drove back the advancing Confederates.Lowell dismounted his brigade and held some stone walls whoso positionwas suited to defense. Devin held on to his advance ground. Hero theenemy’s advance was checked for the first time, and beyond this it did not go.

The enemy’s infantry sheltered themselves from our cavalry attacks in thewoods to the left, and in the inclosures of the town of Middletown. Butthey opened a devastating fire of artillery. This was the state of affairswhen Sheridan arrived.

Stopping at Winchester over night on the 18th, on his way from Washing-ton, General Sheridan heard the noise of the battle the following morning,

General Emory states in his “Narrative” thatthe Nineteenth Corps promptly repulsed the firstattack on them hut, the enemy having gained theirrear through the capture of Crook’s camps, thenfell back about a mile and a half to a new line that“under the circumstances would have done honorto the best regular troops in the world.” Theywere not again attacked, but by order of General

Wright foil back in perfect order, about a mil 0 ,when “the Nineteenth Corps was again halted,

and the men immediately facing about commencedthrowing off their kits and stripping to renew thefight.” About noon General Emory says ho wasagain ordered by General Wright to retire to theposition in which General. horidan found the armyon his arrival.— Editors.