Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 37.djvu/242

234 I never saw such a sight in my life as that of the tremendous force, the flying banners, sparkling bayonets and flashing sabres, moving from the north and east upon the left flank and rear of our army. It is wonderful to relate that notwithstanding this tremendous force, which overnumbered Early fully four to one, and notwithstanding the fall of the gallant and efficient Rodes, Early extricated his army, and the battle closed, with the losses of Early (plus the loss in his cavalry, which for all of September was sixty killed and 288 wounded, supposing that all to have been incurred at Winchester), Sheridan's force would still largely exceed Early's.

From my observation of that command and from my knowledge of the numbers which Early encountered, my opinion has long been fixed that Lee had no lieutenant whose talents for war were more brilliant than those of Early. The records prove his achievements so clearly that they cannot either be rubbed out or diminished by the pretensions of rivals or the carpings of critics.