effect　of　causing　a　momentary　confusion；　but　General　McMillan　quickly
  realizing　the　danger；　broke　the　Confederates　at　the　reentering　angle
  by　a　counter　charge　with　his　brigade；　doing　his　work　so　well　that　the
  enemy's　flanking　troops　were　cut　off　from　their　main　body　and　left　to
  shift　for　themselves。　　Custer；　who　was　just　then　moving　in　from　the
  west　side　of　Middle　Marsh　Brook；　followed　McMillan's　timely　blow　with
  a　charge　of　cavalry；　but　before　starting　out　on　it；　and　while　his　men
  were　forming；　riding　at　full　speed　himself；　to　throw　his　arms　around
  my　neck。　　By　the　time　he　had　disengaged　himself　from　this　embrace；
  the　troops　broken　by　McMillan　had　gained　some　little　distance　to
  their　rear；　but　Custer's　troopers　sweeping　across　the　Middletown
  meadows　and　down　toward　Cedar　Creek；　took　many　of　them　prisoners
  before　they　could　reach　the　streamso　I　forgave　his　delay。
  My　whole　line　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see　was　now　driving　everything
  before　it；　from　behind　trees；　stone　walls；　and　all　such　sheltering
  obstacles；　so　I　rode　toward　the　left　to　ascertain　how　matters　were
  getting　on　there。　　As　I　passed　along　behind　the　advancing　troops；
  first　General　Grover；　and　then　Colonel　Mackenzie；　rode　up　to　welcome
  me。　　Both　were　severely　wounded；　and　I　told　them　to　leave　the　field；
  but　they　implored　permission　to　remain　till　success　was　certain。
  When　I　reached　the　Valley　pike　Crook　had　reorganized　his　men；　and　as
  I　desired　that　they　should　take　part　in　the　fight；　for　they　were　the
  very　same　troops　that　had　turned　Early's　flank　at　Winchester　and　at
  Fisher's　Hill；　I　ordered　them　to　be　pushed　forward；　and　the　alacrity
  and　celerity　with　which　they　moved　on　Middletown　demonstrated　that
  their　ill…fortune　of　the　morning　had　not　sprung　from　lack　of　valor。
  Meanwhile　Lowell's　brigade　of　cavalry；　which；　it　will　be　remembered；
  had　been　holding　on；　dismounted；　just　north　of　Middletown　ever　since
  the　time　I　arrived　from　Winchester；　fell　to　the　rear　for　the　purpose
  of　getting　their　led　horses。　　A　momentary　panic　was　created　in　the
  nearest　brigade　of　infantry　by　this　withdrawal　of　Lowell；　but　as　soon
  as　his　men　were　mounted　they　charged　the　enemy　clear　up　to　the　stone
  walls　in　the　edge　of　Niiddletown；　at　sight　of　this　the　infantry
  brigade　renewed　its　attack；　and　the　enemy's　right　gave　way。　　The
  accomplished　Lowell　received　his　death…wound　in　this　courageous
  charge。
  All　our　troops　were　now　moving　on　the　retreating　Confederates；　and　as
  I　rode　to　the　front　Colonel　Gibbs；　who　succeeded　Lowell；　made　ready
  for　another　mounted　charge；　but　I　checked　him　from　pressing　the
  enemy's　right；　in　the　hope　that　the　swinging　attack　from　my　right
  would　throw　most　of　the　Confederates　to　the　east　of　the　Valley　pike；
  and　hence　off　their　line　of　retreat　through　Strasburg　to　Fisher's
  Hill。　　The　eagerness　of　the　men　soon　frustrated　this　anticipation；
  however；　the　left　insisting　on　keeping　pace　with　the　centre　and
  right；　and　all　pushing　ahead　till　we　regained　our　old　camps　at　Cedar
  Creek。　　Beyond　Cedar　Creek；　at　Strasburg；　the　pike　makes　a　sharp　turn
  to　the　west　toward　Fisher's　Hill；　and　here　Merritt　uniting　with
  Custer；　they　together　fell　on　the　flank　of　the　retreating　columns；
  taking　many　prisoners；　wagons；　and　guns；　among　the　prisoners　being
  Major…General　Ramseur；　who；　mortally　wounded；　died　the　next　day。
  When　the　news　of　the　victory　was　received；　General　Grant　directed　a
  salute　of　one　hundred　shotted　guns　to　be　fired　into　Petersburg；　and
  the　President　at　once　thanked　the　army　in　an　autograph　letter。　　A　few
  weeks　after；　he　promoted　me；　and　I　received　notice　of　this　in　a
  special　letter　from　the　Secretary　of　War；　saying：
  〃that　for　the　personal　gallantry；　military　skill；　and　just　confidence
  in　the　courage　and　patriotism　of　your　troops；　displayed　by　you　on　the
  19th　day　of　October　at　Cedar　Run；　whereby；　under　the　blessing　of
  Providence；　your　routed　army　was　reorganized；　a　great　National
  disaster　averted；　and　a　brilliant　victory　achieved　over　the　rebels
  for　the　third　time　in　pitched　battle　within　thirty　days；　Philip　H。
  Sheridan　is　appointed　a　major…general　in　the　United　States　Army。〃
  The　direct　result　of　the　battle　was　the　recapture　of　all　the
  artillery；　transportation；　and　camp　equipage　we　had　lost；　and　in
  addition　twenty…four　pieces　of　the　enemy's　artillery；　twelve　hundred
  prisoners；　and　a　number　of　battle…flags。　　But　more　still　flowed　from
  this　victory；　succeeding　as　it　did　the　disaster　of　the　morning；　for
  the　reoccupation　of　our　old　camps　at　once　re…established　a　morale
  which　for　some　hours　had　been　greatly　endangered　by　ill…fortune。
  It　was　not　till　after　the　battle　that　I　learned　fully　what　had　taken
  place　before　my　arrival；　and　then　found　that　the　enemy；　having
  gathered　all　the　strength　he　could　through　the　return　of
  convalescents　and　other　absentees；　had　moved　quietly　from　Fisher's
  Hill；　in　the　night　of　the　18th　and　early　on　the　morning　of　the　19th；
  to　surprise　my　army；　which；　it　should　be　remembered；　was　posted　on
  the　north　bank　of　Cedar　Creek；　Crook　holding　on　the　left　of　the
  Valley　pike；　with　Thoburn's　division　advanced　toward　the　creek　on
  Duval's　（under　Colonel　Rutherford　B。　Hayes）　and　Kitching's
  provisional　divisions　to　the　north　and　rear　of　Thoburn。　　The
  Nineteenth　Corps　was　on　the　right　of　Crook；　extending　in　a　semi…
  circular　line　from　the　pike　nearly　to　Meadow　Brook；　while　the　Sixth
  Corps　lay　to　the　west　of　the　brook　in　readiness　to　be　used　as　a
  movable　column。　　Merritt's　division　was　to　the　right　and　rear　of　the
  Sixth　Corps；　and　about　a　mile　and　a　half　west　of　Merrit　was　Custer
  covering　the　fords　of　Cedar　Creek　as　far　west　as　the　Middle　road。
  General　Early's　plan　was　for　one　column　under　General　Gordon；
  consisting　of　three　divisions　of　infantry　（Gordon's；　Ramseur's；　and
  Pegram's）；　and　Payne's　brigade　of　cavalry　to　cross　the　Shenandoah
  River　directly　east　of　the　Confederate　works　at　Fisher's　Hill；　march
  around　the　northerly　face　of　the　Massanutten　Mountain；　and　again
  cross　the　Shenandoah　at　Bowman's　and　McInturff's　fords。　　Payne's　task
  was　to　capture　me　at　the　Belle　Grove　House。　　General　Early　himself；
  with　Kershaw's　and　Wharton's　divisions；　was　to　move　through
  Strasburg；　Kershaw；　accompanied　by　Early；　to　cross　Cedar　Creek　at
  Roberts's　ford　and　connect　with　Gordon；　while　Wharton　was　to　continue
  on　the　Valley　pike　to　Hupp's　Hill　and　join　the　left　of　Kershaw；　when
  the　crossing　of　the　Valley　pike　over　Cedar　Creek　became　free。
  Lomax's　cavalry；　then　in　the　Luray　Valley；　was　ordered　to　join　the
  right　of　Gordon　on　the　field　of　battle；　while　Rosser　was　to　carry　the
  crossing　of　Cedar　Creek　on　the　Back　road　and　attack　Custer。　　Early's
  conceptions　were　carried　through　in　the　darkness　with　little　accident
  or　delay；　Kershaw　opening　the　fight　by　a　furious　attack　on　Thoburn's
  division；　while　at　dawn　and　in　a　dense　fog　Gordon　struck　Crook's
  extreme　left；　surprising　his　pickets；　and　bursting　into　his　camp　with
  such　suddenness　as　to　stampede　Crook's　men。　　Gordon　directing　his
  march　on　my　headquarters　（the　Belle　Grove　House）；　successfully　turned
  our　position　as　he　gained　the　Valley　pike；　and　General　Wright　was
  thus　forced　to　order　the　withdrawal　of　the　Nineteenth　Corps　from　its
  post　at　the　Cedar　Creek　crossing；　and　this　enabled　Wharton　to　get
  over　the　stream　there　unmolested　and　join　Kershaw　early　in　the
  action。
  After　Crook's　troops　had　been　driven　from　their　camps；　General　Wright
  endeavored　to　form　a　line　with　the　Sixth　Corps　to　hold　the　Valley
  pike　to　the　left　of　the　Nineteenth；　but　failing　in　this　he　ordered
  the　withdrawal　of　the　latter　corps；　Ricketts；　temporarily　commanding
  the　Sixth　Corps；　checking　Gordon　till　Emory　had　retired。　　As　already
  stated；　Wharton　was　thus　permitted　to　cross　Cedar　Creek　on　the　pike；
  and　now　that　Early　had　a　continuous　line；　he　pressed　his　advantage　so
  vigorously　that　the　whole　Union　army　was　soon　driven　from　its　camps
  in　more　or　less　disorder；　and　though　much　disjointed　resistance　was
  displayed；　it　may　be　said　that　no　systematic　stand　was　made　until
  Getty's　division；　aided　by　Torbert's　cavalry；　which　Wright　had
  ordered　to　the　left　early　in　the　action；　took　up　the　ground　where；　on
  arriving　from　Winchester；　I　found　them。
  When　I　left　my　command　on　the　16th；　little　did　I　anticipate　that
  anything　like　this　would　happen。　　Indeed；　I　felt　satisfied　that　Early
  was；　of　himself；　too　weak　to　take　the　offensive；　and　although　I
  doubted　the　Longstreet　despatch；　yet　I　was　confident　that；　even
  should　it　prove　true；　I　could　get　back　before　the　junction　could　be
  made；　and　at　the　worst　I　felt　certain　that　my　army　was　equal　to
  confronting　the　forces　of　Longstreet　and　Early　combined。　　Still；　the
  surprise　of　the　morning　might　have　befallen　me　as　well　as　the　general
  on　whom　it　did　descend；　and　though　it　is　possible　that　this　could
  have　been　precluded　had　Powell's　cavalry　been　closed　in；　as　suggested
  in　my　despatch　from　Front　Royal；　yet　the　enemy's　desperation