Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/548

508 brave body of Federal soldiery having had time to rally and deploy before the Confederates had reached its position. The infantry attack on the Sixth corps, especially that by Wharton's division on the right, was but partially successful, as the swampy character of the ground along Meadow run prevented it from getting across, and the furious fire of the enemy drove it back; but the Confederate artillery, formidable in the number and character of its guns and in the magnificent handling of these by its officers and men, soon forced the Sixth corps from its position, so that before noon the entire infantry command of the Federal army had been routed and driven nearly two miles beyond Middletown, and Early had halted in the pursuit, apprehensive that the 10,000 Federal cavalry, which Rosser had merely routed from their camps on Sheridan's right, might cross over and fall upon his little army which he had drawn up in line of battle on a road having stone fences along it, leading northwestward from the Valley turnpike, from near the northeastern end of Middletown; with Gordon on the left extending into a body of woods along the Middle road, followed on the right by Kershaw, Ramseur and Pegram up to the turnpike, and with Wharton on the right of that great highway, in the very position that Stonewall Jackson had taken, but for a brief interval only, when preparing to advance against Banks' retreating army on the 24th of May, 1862.

As soon as the Federal cavalry was apprised of the disaster that had fallen upon Sheridan's infantry, it broke camp, started its trains for the rear, sent a portion of its force to meet Rosser's attack, and at once moved its main body to the eastward into deployment covering the retreating and demoralized infantry and artillery, bringing its numerous batteries into position, especially occupying the commanding ridge, or high rising ground to the north of Middletown, in front of the position that Early had taken, thus giving opportunity to the Federal officers to rally and reorganize their discomfited forces, which they speedily did; the panic that had taken possession of them having subsided when they found they were not being pursued, and that their well-mounted and well-trained cavalry force was on hand to protect them from further molestation.

Unfortunately for the Confederate cause, General