October 19th. Early this morning, at daylight, we heard the guns at a distance. We knew by the sound that a hot battle was on, up the valley. We waited for a report but none came. We knew by the sound that our boys were falling back. It was an anxious time for us. Our regiment under arms, ready for duty as soon as called upon. There came a time when the firing seemed to cease, all was quiet. Later on the battle was on again. The sound became less. We could hardly hear it. Then we began to feel that our boys were driving the enemy. Quite late, reports came that a battle at Cedar Creek and Fisher’s Hill was on. At first our boys were surprised and driven back, but became victorious.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Etowah Bridge, Wednesday, Oct. 19. Day passed very quietly. Our quarters are all done except chimneys. Principal work done was playing chess and eating walnuts, which is the only game I indulge in at present. We have wild rumors that Hood has split his army, two corps retreating. One going north, Sherman following both, but nothing definite. Kilpatrick’s wagon-train and convalescents reached here to-day. His headquarters are at Stilesboro, fifteen miles west. Took a pleasant walk to town with Griff after retreat. Enjoyed myself well. But there is an aching void in my heart, which cannot be filled without news from home.
Wednesday, 19th—We entered Summerville at 10 o’clock and remained there till noon, when we started for Galesville, Alabama. After marching fifteen miles, we went into bivouac on the banks of the Ogeechee river. All is quiet in front. The valleys through which we are marching are quite rich and there are some fine plantations which afford good forage. It is fortunate for us, as we have to get most of our living that way while on this expedition. Sweet potatoes are plentiful and then we also get some fresh pork.
Colonel Lyon’s Letters.
Huntsville, Ala., Oct. 19, 1864.—I took command of this post on Monday morning and I do not have any more leisure. I write this while I am waiting for dinner. Hood has, or has had, a large force up towards Chattanooga. We hear that he is backing out, but know nothing about it. There are plenty of troops up that way to take care of him. We know nothing of Forrest’s movements since he crossed the river. I do not think he will try another raid till we get the railroad which he destroyed repaired. If he comes here we usually have troops enough to make a pretty good fight.
19th. Wednesday. Firing again on picket. Turned out. At daylight heavy firing commenced on left with infantry. At 8 A. M. learned the infantry had fallen back in confusion, losing 24 pieces of artillery. 8th and 19th corps broken. 6th corps firm and in line. Cavalry went into position immediately and gave infantry time to form. Crossed the pike and formed again—under heavy fire all the time. Kept the position until Sheridan came up, then sent over to the right again. Charged rebel cavalry. Little before dusk whole line advanced—routing the rebs. Two regts. of 3rd Div. charged to the right, driving reb cavalry over Cedar Creek and the rest charging on right of 19th corps, 5th N. Y. in advance. Overtook the artillery and wagon trains, capturing it and many prisoners.[1]
[1] Note—The modest entry under date of Oct. 19, 1864, refers to the historic battle of Cedar Creek, Va., when Sheridan made his famous ride on his black horse from Winchester, “twenty miles away,” and saved the day. During Sheridan’s temporary absence from his army, Gen. H. G. Wright, the next in command, permitted himself and the army to be totally surprised at three o’clock in the morning, by the recently defeated army of Gen. Jubal A. Early. The Union troops were nearly all sleeping in their tents when the enemy’s cannon and musketry opened on them in a terrific onslaught at close range. The Union artillery was mainly captured, nearly 5,000 Union soldiers killed and captured, and our army, except the Cavalry and one Division of Infantry, started in panic and confused retreat towards Winchester in the rear—where Sheridan had spent the previous night. Up to that point the event had been one of the greatest Union disasters of the war. But about 10 o’clock in the morning Sheridan arrived on the field in the dramatic manner described in the poem, “Sheridan’s Ride,” and instantly all was reversed. Meanwhile the Cavalry, which had not been involved in the surprise and panic and slaughter, being encamped on the right and left flanks of the army out of the line of the attack of Early, had promptly been ordered to the center and front, where they held the Confederates back from further pursuit until Sheridan’s arrival. Sheridan’s presence promptly restored confidence. The retreating and disorganized troops quickly rallied, and by 3 P. M. a general charge was ordered all along the line occupying some four miles front. The Cavalry charge on this occasion was the finest performance and spectacle at any time witnessed by the writer during the war. The astonished and recently victorious Confederates broke in confusion, their retreat was a worse panic than that of the Union army in the early morning. All our artillery was retaken from the enemy and some thirty cannon captured in addition, besides great numbers of prisoners and the entire wagon train of Early. Early’s army never made another serious rally.—A. B. N.
Wednesday, October 19. — Before daylight under cover of a heavy fog Rebels attacked the left. Colonel Thoburn’s First Division was overwhelmed. His adjutant, Lieutenant —— brought me the word. We hurried up, loaded our baggage, and got into line. [The] Nineteenth Corps went into the woods on right (one brigade). General Sheridan was absent. General Wright, in command, directed my division to close up on [the] Nineteenth. Too late; the fugitives of the First Division and the Nineteenth’s brigade came back on us. The Rebels broke on us in the fog and the whole line broke back. The Rebels did not push with energy. We held squads of men up to the fight all along. My horse was killed instantly. I took Lieutenant Henry’s, of my staff. We fell back — the whole army — in a good deal of confusion but without panic. Artillery (twenty-five pieces) fell into Rebel hands and much camp equipage. About two and one-half miles back, we formed a line. [The] Rebels failed to push on fast enough.
P. M. General Sheridan appeared; greeted with cheering all along the line. His enthusiasm, magnetic and contagious. He brought up stragglers. “We’ll whip ’em yet like hell.” he says. General Crook’s men on left of pike. — Line goes ahead. A fine view of the battle. [The] rebels fight poorly. Awfully whipped. —Cannon and spoils now on our side. Glorious!
Wednesday, October 19. — Dr. Marks called to see me, and showed me the answer in regard to his application for my exchange. Day pleasant. Nothing new.
Near Summerville, October 19, 1864.
Reached this place yesterday. The cavalry advance had some sharp skirmishing, and brought back some two or three prisoners. We are drawing full rations, besides preying off the country, all kinds of meat, apples, potatoes, and I believe the men find a little of everything known to be eatable. Entering houses is prohibited under penalty of death, but some scoundrels manage to pillage many houses. Foraging is also half prohibited, but I am satisfied that our general officers do not object to our taking meat, etc., if houses are not entered. Ten p.m.—Have stopped here to draw rations. The 23d and 4th Corps have already moved forward on the old Alabama road. That looks as though we were intending to follow the Rebels. We “liners” have no idea where they are. One rumor is that they are moving northwest, intending to cross the Tennessee river, south or southwest of Huntsville. Another that they are moving to their new base at or near Blue Mountain, on the road from here to Talladega, Ala. If we are going to follow them, I look for a long campaign. But for one thing, we would rather go into a campaign immediately than into camp. That is, the men have not been paid off for ten months, and many families are undoubtedly suffering in consequence. Our money is waiting for us, and we will get it whenever the Johnnies will let us stop long enough for the paymasters to catch up. Don’t you people ever think of us as being without rations. We sometimes wish the Rebels would cut our communications entirely, so that we could live wholly off the country. The Rebels only take corn and meat, and we fatten on what they are not allowed to touch.
October 19 — To-day we were marched from our quarters into a little hillside cross street in Harper’s Ferry, to the Provost Marshal’s office, where we went through the ordeal of a thorough search from cellar to garret, including knapsacks, haversacks, pockets, boots and shoes, hats and caps. Just to show how scrutinizingly the search was conducted, one man had a ten-cent United States greenback hidden in the toe of his sock and Mr. Yank found it.
The searching bee was held in a small room, and when I went through the shuffling process I saw about forty pocket-knives lying in a small tub, all of which had been extracted from the pockets of my countrymen that preceded me; and such an assortment of bygone cutlery I never saw before in one tub. The knives were in all stages of destruction and decay, and looked like a lot of ancient specimens from some old hunter’s relic case. If the cutlery that was found in these fellows’ pockets to-day bespeaks the condition of the Southern Confederacy, then Jeff Davis might as well take down his shingle now and go out of business before the cold weather sets in. However, I saw a few Yankee aides or clerks step up to the tub and select some of the best knives and put them in their pockets, without money and without price. While we were packed in the little side street waiting for the searching operation, a lady stood on an upper porch near by and threw some apples down into the densely packed crowd. I never saw such pushing and scrambling before, and I came very near being squeezed into a speck, and then got no apple. What are a few apples in a bunch of a hundred famished men, anyhow; but blessed are they who feed the hungry. After we were all searched we were marched to Sandy Hook, the first station below Harper’s Ferry on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, on the Maryland side of the Potomac. This evening at dark we were put on a train for shipment to Baltimore.
October 19th.—Bright and beautiful.
Still all quiet below, the occasional bombarding near Petersburg being beyond our hearing.
Yesterday, Gen. Preston, a millionaire, who can stalk stiffly anywhere, had an interview with the President, who admitted that he had dictated the General Orders—” 76,” “77,” “78,”—rushing almost everybody into the army, but that it was not his meaning to take the whole business of conscription from “the Bureau.” Yet Gen. P., the superintendent, thinks the reading of the orders will admit of that construction, and he has written to the President asking another order, defining his position, etc., else his occupation is gone. The President cannot afford to lose Gen. P.
From Gen. Early’s army we learn that the detailed men and reserves are joining in great numbers, and the general asks 1000 muskets. Col. Gorgas, Chief of Ordnance, says he has but 300 available, his shops being closed, the workmen in the trenches, etc.
All the ordnance, quartermaster, and commissary stores of Hood’s army were ordered to Columbus, Ga. We expect stirring news from Georgia daily, and the opinion prevails that Sherman will “come to grief.”
The militia, furloughed by Gov. Brown so inopportunely, are returning to the front, the time having expired.
A Mr. B. is making Lincoln speeches in New York. It seems to me he had a passport from Mr. Benjamin, Secretary of State.
Gen. Lee writes today that negroes taken from the enemy, penitentiary convicts, and recaptured deserters ought not to be sent by the Secretary to work on the fortifications.
