Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/241

 Battle of Cedar Creek. 229

make a permanent stand in consequence of the steady flanking by the enemy's right. I therefore ordered my command to establish a new line of resistance. About i o'clock I received information that the enemy were advancing on me in force. Within an hour they charged my line * * but were promptly driven back, this being, as I believe, the first permanent repulse they received during the day. General McMillan, commanding the ist Division of this corps, says of the attack on it in the morning: 'The 2d Brigade was soon driven by overwhelming force, but not until completely flanked and nearly a third were killed, wounded or captured. The ist Brigade held their position as long as it was necessary, when they fell back in good order, * * fighting all the way to a line in continuation of the line of the 6th Corps. * * While I was constantly driven back, I do not believe my command was at any time whipped, in its own opinion, or unwilling to turn and attack the enemy.' General Birge, commanding the other division of the igth Corps, after the wounding of General Grover, says of the morning attack: 'Pressed by an overwhelming force, and having already lost very heavily, our line was forced back, retiring in good order. * * From the positions taken by the brigades as described above, they gradually retired, making stands at three different points until an advance was ordered. Every brigade kept its or- ganization during the day, and with few exceptions the behavior of officers and men was all that could be asked for.' '

THE SIXTH CORPS REMOTE FROM THE EARLY MORNING ATTACK.

The Sixth corps, the largest, formed Sheridan's right, and was remote from the force on which Early' s daylight blow so crushingly fell. General Wright, until Sheridan came, the commander-in-chief, says in his report: " The proceedings to this point were bad enough for us, as it gave the enemy, almost without a struggle, the centre left of our line with considerable artillery, not a gun of which had fired a shot. But the reserve of this line * * * was in no way involved in the disaster of the first line, which was, after all, but a small part of our whole force, being only one weak division, and its loss was in no wise to be taken as deciding the fate of the day." General Getty, commanding the Second division of the Sixth corps, thus tells how it was moved on the line of resistance:

" Obliquing to the right to gain the pike, the division retired in perfect order, marching slowly and making several halts to a posi- tion about a mile north of Middletown. ' ' Says Geifer, commanding