Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/204

 196 Southern Historical Society Papers.

force and an idea of what we had to oppose to the Sheridan host, which consisted of three corps of infantry (Sixth, Eighth and Nineteenth) and one of cavalry, with a numerous and well-equipped artillery.

ENEMY DECEIVED BY STRATEGY.

Now, as to the battle. I have always thought and contended that the manoeuvres made by Early on October i8th (the day before) should be considered a part of the battle of Cedar Creek that our movement out of our camp around against their extreme right flank, on the Back of Little Mountain going there by the more open roads, when their outpost could see us now and then making the demonstration of force, and then withdrawing by the more curved roads, and through the woods back to our camp, was purely a feint, or maneuvre, made solely to deceive them into the belief that we were going to turn or attack their right flank, whilst in reality Early's actual purpose was to make a surprise attack against their left and rear, as was actually made that night, and that it did actually deceive them, as intended results show. And I think that when all this, and their overvrhelming numbers, etc., is considered, in conjunction with our subsequent movements and attack that night and next morning, it constituted one of the most brilliant strategical movements of the whole war probably only surpassed by some of Stonewall Jackson's as at Chancellorsville [see ante, the first article in this volume] and, in fact, this battle, taken as <\ whole, I have never been able to find a counterpart anywhere in history.

PREPARING FOR THE ASSAULT.

Soon after getting back to camp (from our feint) orders came to feed up and be prepared to move then a little after dark, orders to get into light marching order to leave canteens and everything calculated to make any noise in marching ammunition up or fill cartridge boxes fall in move.

Then we knew we were in for some heavy fighting, and our boys were eager to get it too for they wanted a chance to get back at them for Berryville Pike (September iQth), where they pushed us hard to hold the Pike.

There near Winchester they had killed our much beloved General Archie Godwin, and it came near being worse for us than at Cedar Creek. It would, too, but for Godwin's Brigade, which held them