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20 3 Ke
fore we could form in line of battle a horde
of Kershaw’s rebels leaped over our low
breastworks, capturing seven guns and
sweeping our position in an instant, before
we had time to fire a shot.
Many of our men were captured while
those who escaped fled to the rear in pre-
cipitate haste.
After the first panic, however, our troops
soon turned about and faced the enemy and
assisted by several batteries of artillery, we
fought them vigorously until about eight
o’clock amid great slaughter on both sides.
The corps to which I was attached as ma-
jor met the enemy upon a wooded knoll not
far from the pike, and bore the brunt of the
fierce assaults of the rebels during the en-
gagemeut.
As soon as the cavalry batteries opened
upon them the enemy fell back to the cover
of the woods from whence they rained a
a constant fire of musketry and shot and
shell upon our devoted columns.
Meanwhile, the rebels charged Wright’s
division, turned his captured guns upon the
Onion troops, and enfiladed the whole line.
General Wright formed a new line of bat-
tle and endeavored to arrest the panic-
stricken rush of his demoralized troops.
The rebels now brought up more artillery,
while many of their infantry engaged in
plundering the deserted camp.
Wright, after repulsing a daring charge
of the enemy, fearing that communication
with Winchester would be cut off, fell back
toward Middletown.
This movement afforded him an opportu-
nity tocover the retreat of the fugitives,
who swarmed around hotly pursued by the
yelling foe amid the crash of musketry and
the booming of artillery.
The rebels kept up a murderous fire on
our left flank and brave Custerand Merritt
engaged them in a severe conflict in a wood-
ed field near Middletown.
The artillery captured from us gave the
enemy so much strength that our left wing
being hardly pressed could make buta brief
stand, and the army passing through Bfid-
dletown, was obliged to fall back five miles
toward Newton, the rebels maintaining a
terrific fire from the heights which swept
ourarmy initsinglorious retreat. The his-
torian says:
“Sheridan, who was on his return, had
slept the night beforeat Winchester, twent
miles distant, little apprehending that his
troops were in such imminent peril. His
fine army had struggled for four hours in an
unequal contest when he rode from the city
slowly with his escort.
‘** As he preased on he found that the army
was falling back, and he wasstiil more sur-
prised when he heard the detonating crash
of artillery.
** He had great confidence, however, in his
strong position at Cedar Creek, and enter-
tained no fears of a repulse. .
“The increasing volume of battle sounds
borne to his earonthe balmy autumn air,
soon convinced him that there was a severe
action in progress which became more and
more evident as the near approach of the
conflict made him aware of the fact that his
troops were falling back.
* “Startled as this conviction flashed upon
him, he immediately spurred his charger to
‘full speed and dashed down the road where
meeting some of the stragglers he was in-
formed that all was lost.
“This intelligence aroused the spirit with-
in him,” says Moore, ‘‘and hedetermined to
wring victory from the enemy’s grasp.
‘“‘Swinging his cap over his head, he cried
to the fugitives who now swarmed around
im: ‘
*** Face the other way, boys, face the other
way; we are going back to our camps; we
are going to lick them out of their boots,’
“The stampede was arrested, and shouts
and cheers from even the wounded rent the
air, someoftbemen placing their caps on
the point of their bayonets and waving them
joyfully.
“Sheridan dashed forward on his foaming
horse, hauled up before his surprised troops
and instantly stopped the retreat, his clar-
ion voice ringing high above the din of bat-
e.
“The pursuit by the enemy had now ceased,
and the Federal troops being out of range
- of the rebel guns were soon again formed in
line of battle and inspired with the greatest
confidence by the presence of their head-
strong leader, once more presented a bold
front to the foe.
“For fully two hours gallant Sheridan rode
toand fro along the line, displaying to the
admiring troops the most sublime courage.
h * Boys, if Ihad been here thisnever would
9
’
THH WAR LIBRARY.
have happened,’ he said. ‘I tell you it
never could have happened. And now we
are going back to our camps. Weare going
to geta twist on them. We are going to
lick them out of their boots.”
Our troops had now: been fighting for five
hours aud were nearly worn out, not having
tasted food since the previous night; still
they were cheered with enthusiasm and
greatly invigorated by the brave words of
heroic Sheridan.
The rebels now advanced upon the Nine-
teenth Corps, and in the severe conflict
which ensued General Bidwell was killed
and General Grover severely wounded, but
Emory, with great gallantry, pushed the
enemy back to the shelter of ouf deserted
breastworks.
Sheridan resolved to wipe out the disgrace
of the stampede of his troops, and at half-
past three o’clock his army, which had a
few hours previous fled in wild disorder be-
fore the advance of theenemy, now moved
forward in magnificent style against his
works,
The rebel artillery and heavy, rattling
volleys of musketry tore great gaps in that
steadfast line of blue and flaming steel as it
advanced and forced it to slip back; but
Sheridan dashed up regardless of the tem-
pest of shot and shell, and, restoring the
shattered line by his presence, urged them
forward once more.
Nothing could resist the heroic charge
which ensued.
The rebels poured ina heavy volley, but
the overwhelming rush of this wild charge
was irresistible, and, with a triumphant
cheer, the works were carried despite the
avalanche of shot and shell hurled into our
columns by the desperate Confederates,
The enemy broke and fled in wild disorder,
followed by the cavalry squadrons of Mer-
ritt and Custer, who, at the sound ‘of the
bugle, charged impetuously upon the fleeing
foe and chased him pell-mell among the
deserted Union camps, following him with
great tenacity through Strasburg as far as
Fisher’s Hill and Woodstock,
Allour lost guns were recaptured, together
with many of thoseof the enemy who, in
their stampede, abandoned everything like-
ly toimpede their flight.
_Cedar Creek was won, and the news of this
splendid victory echoed and re-echoed
throughout the North, where the confidence
of all loyal people in gallant Phil Sheridan
was unbounded.
Our loss was nearly six thousand, most of
whom were slaughtered in the surprise at-
tack of the morning, while that of the Con-
federates was estimated at two thousand.
This was the last decisive battle of the
valley.
CHAPTER XXIV.
A WONDERFUL CAVERN.
A day or two subsequent to the battle of
Cedar Creek, Mayton came to me and ex-
tended an invitation to go with him to visit
the cave of Toby, the colored man, with
whom he lived.
- As I readily secured leave of absence, I ac-
cepted his proposal and soon, accompanied
by Newton, who had just signified his will-
ingness to go, we mounted our horses and
started off at a trot.
Ve did not apprehend trouble, as the
rebels and guerrillas had fallen back after
the crushing defeat which Sheridan had
just administered to them,
The same afternoon, while journeying
through a wildly picturesque county in the
vicinity of Luray, Newton, who had dis-
mounted for the purpose of exploring the
rocky wallsand caverns of the defile, sud-
denly returned to us, cheering like a school
boy out for a half holiday.
“What isit?” weasked anxiously.
“Hurrah! Ihave discovered a mammoth
cave,”
Dismounting, we secured our horses and
quickly followed him,
“See, there it is,’ he observed pointing to
a dark fissure in the side of the mountain.
Following the direction indicated, a small
opening that seemed hardly wide enough to
admit the passage of a man’s body, revealed
itaelf to our eyes. .
Hastening toward it we found that it led
into theinterior of the mountain. Several
pieces of brush were lighted and thrust into
the cavity by Mayton.
Newton, who was the most slender of the
party, volunteered to enter and explore the
cavern,
Accordingly, furnished with a pine knot
to serve as a torch, he entered, fearlessly,
and started down the tunnel under the
mountain. |
The passage was exceedingly rough and
irregular, not being over four feet in height,
so he was obliged to stoop over in order to
pursue his way; but after he had proceeded
about thirty feetitsuddenly grew more spa-
cious, and turned abruptly to the left.
By this time Mayton and myself could re-
strain our impatience no longer, and pro-
viding ourselves with torches, managed
after some delay to effect an entrance, when
re hastened down the declivity after New-
on.
As we joined him, we discovered by the
aid of torchesa little further on, a large
hall—a hall of pillars—so completely was it
filled with long, delicate columns reaching
from the floor upward and out of sight.
There were stalactites hanging from the
roof in endless profusion, while from the
floor rose crystal stalagmites meeting them,
and forming grotesque figures of every con-
ceivable shape.
Water dripped from above, confirming
the fact that the work of columns, which
bad progressed for ages, was still going on,
while a death-like chill pervaded the damp
air, which did not add to the comfort of the
weird and ghostly surroundings. ~
‘We were about to venture into the lab-
yrinth, when Newton, who was slightly in
advance, suddenly slipped, and without a
sound disappeared from our sight; at the
same moment our torches were extinguish-
ed by a gust of wind, and we were in total
darkness.
Sosudden was this appalling disaster that
for fully a minute we could not realize the
terrible event.
Then we shouted with all the force and
vehemence we could command, and groped
around in the darknessin the hope of dis-
covering him, but, alas! without success,
At length, after we had spent fully an
hour in this fruitless manner, with no bet-
ter results, realizing that nothing whatever
could be accomplished without light, we
began to grope our way back to the en-
trance of the unlucky cavern.
As our eyes became accustomed to the
gloom, a curious phenomenon presented it-
self.
In various parts of the cave luminous
spots of light appeared.
Some near us gave out fitful flashes of
flame, while others seemed like moons glow-
ing with a peculiar yellow light; others
again were of irregular shape, and rendered
the darkness still more apparent. Every
move revealed new wonders.
Oval balls of light flashed from behind
the columns, confronting us at every step,
while as faras we could see, gleaming and
sparkling, the mysterious lights appeared,
making the cavern a veritable realization of
the old tales of enchantment.
We were not in the mood, however, to
feast our eyes upon the wonderful sights,
for, the fact that our comrade’s life might
be in peril,even if hé were not already
dead, urged us to hasten outside and return
as quickly as possible with fresh lights and
ropes.
CHAPTER XXV.
A SWIM FOR LIFE. :
When Newton disappeared so suddenly
and unceremoniously from our presence, he
was conscious of falling down, down, down
avast distance until when he expected he
must soon be dashed to pieces upon the jag-
ged rocks, he suddenly struck water.
He was conscious that he must have fallen
froma height of fully ahundred feet, for
as he struck the water, he sunk toa great
epth,
Fortunately he was plunged in feet first,
and recovering quickly from the shock, he
struck out with his hands, soon reaching
the surface again :
Being an_ excellent. swimmer, and quite
uninjured by his rapid descent, a8 soon as
he recovered his wits, he looked about him
for a spot to effect a landing; but, owing to
the impenetrable gloom of the dismal place,
was upable to see where to head for, in
terra firma.
In a few minutes he was in the midst of.a
treacherous eddy and was instantly whirl-
ing about with exceeding violence and :
wonderful rapidity.
_ Hishead grew dizzy; his stomach faint, and
itseemed as if his eyes would burst from
their sockets, °
Fortunately, however, this awful sensa-
tion was not of long duration, for the vio-
Jence of the turbulent stream forced him be-
yond the eddy, and he was soon being borne