Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/397

 Notes on the Battle of Cedar Creek. 391

Notes on the Battle of Cedar Creek. By Major G. B. GERALD, Eighteenth Mississippi Regiment.

In regard to the battle of Cedar Creek, General Early was certainly incorrect as far as my brigade is concerned. After the line commenced on our left to retreat, we remained in position until Gordon's division had all fallen back and in great disorder, and the brigades of our own division following suit up to ours, which was the extreme right of Kershaw; and then, with no troops for a considerable distance on our right and the field to the left a mass of fugitives. Colonel Sims, of the Twenty-first regiment, at this time in command of the brigade, consulted me and we both deemed it prudent to withdraw the brigade, which was done under fire and in reasonable order, for a half mile, or about that distance, when the brigade was halted on the brow of a hill and formed by him on a stone fence fronting to the enemy, and all the regiments in their places.

Colonel Sims was killed in a few seconds after we halted, and the command devolved on me. On our left were a few hundred men of our division in irregular order, on our right General Ramseur's division (or part of it, rather) formed. I passed up and down the whole length of my brigade, seeking to inspire among my men a confidence of holding them in check and of repairing the disaster. About an hour after we had halted, General Ramseur rode up to me and asked if I thought I could hold my men in their position until night. I answered I could, I thought, if my ammunition did not fail, and that I had sent several couriers to the rear for the same and none had returned. He proposed to send some of his, and turned to ride to his command, and, as I afterwards learned, was mortally wounded before he rode fifty yards from the right of my line. His men soon gave way, and the enemy pressing upon the disordered line on our left, they retreated in the utmost confusion. I gave the order for my brigade to retreat, and designated a piece of woods as a point for the regiments to rally, but before the retreat was advanced fifty yards the men began to break into squads and hurried away. All efforts to pursue order now became useless, and in a few moments the organization of the brigade was gone ; myself and staff were on foot, and I had been wounded twice (slightly) in the arm and once in the foot, and from the latter I was suffering a great deal. I attempted to form a skirmish line of a few scattering men that still remained with me, and partially succeeded in presenting some show of resistance until I