Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/115

 Battle of Cedar Creek 107

and touched his hat, and then, turning to Colonel Huffman, said, in the presence of the regiment and many of the brigade: " If I live to get through this battle, that shall be called ' Buck's Battery ' ! " Very complimentary, so far as it went, but " Phil. Sheridan " recap- tured that battery the same evening.

Our brigade now being in trim, we moved forward, driving every- thing before us and halting for nothing, until we passed through on the left of Middletown, where we formed with our right on the turn- pike at the toll-gate, and where we stayed all day, waiting for orders to move, or to be attacked. Our great victory was soon to be thrown away. While we rested, waiting for orders. Sheridan was moving up from Winchester with a fresh corps that had not fired a gun, and with as many men in it as we had in our army. Notwith- standing this, we would have whipped him, but, half of our army was unfortunately back, pillaging the captured wagons, hunting for clothing and shoes, as many were almost naked and barefooted. It was a burning shame, for had every man been at his post, Sheridan would have been driven back across the Potomac! How could such gallant soldiers forsake their colors at such a time ? We had pre- viously completely routed Sheridan, yet all was lost afterward, by straggling. The writer saw the attack when it was made on our left and felt that Gordon would hold on to his position, but it was impossible, with such odds against him. On our left all was con- fusion. General Early ordered our division to retire, and our brigade fell back through Middletown "in good order." Just at the edge of the town a cannon was stopped and ordered to open on the enemy, but it only fired a few shots and then started off, at full speed, with- out limbering up. But a rope was attached to the piece and to the caisson, and in this way the drivers started up the pike, while the gun would run from one side of the road to the other, knocking everything off the pike. General Pegram, seeing it, rode up in front of the horses and forced the drivers to stop and limber up, which was a great relief, as no one could march on the pike with a gun being dragged in this way. General Pegram gallant, noble gentleman and soldier kept in front, encouraging the men and keeping them in line, until we reached Cedar creek, which we crossed, every fellow making a rush for the bridge. This was terribly de- moralizing, but at Stickley'sshop General Pegram rallied about one hundred or more men and tried to check the enemy's cavalry, but they came upon us in such force that we had to break.

As they dashed upon us, I ran across the pike to a yard on the