General George Custer at the Battle of Cedar Creek with Generals Grant and Sheridan with Staff.
The Generals are about to tour the civil ar hospitals after the battle.
Custer in Camp with Libbie Custer.
General Grant stops in from City Point,Va. to discuss the end of the war policy with General Sheridan.
All are happy in camp as the rebs are about ready to break and retreat... the end of the war is near.
After George Custer's cavalry and other union support sent the rebs reeling back into Virginia, licking their war wounds on the way, Custer again met up with the Main Union army that was now called the Army of the Shenandoah, under General Phil Sheridan. Custer encamped and sent out reconnaissance near Cedar Creek for the enemy and ascertained from the main force that the enemy had been whipped at the battle of 3rd Winchester,Va. and the reb threat in the Valley of the Shenandoah was all but exhausted.
What a relief it was to finally know that we could sit back on our heals and enjoy a camp again without worrying about the reb beggars death call to arms. Soon the whole army was headed our way to encamp also as we were now ordered south to help with the stalemate at Petersburg,Va. Many of fine boy had already lost their lives there in the past 6 months and many more were ready to defend the country to the last.
There is something heroic to our men it seems, as the lure of battle is now so natural that it is expected. Thousands of bullets of every destruction whizzed by our heads so regularly that without it, was to be seen as strange. Custer knew the valley like the back of their hands as we rode some 5 thousand miles over the past 3 years and how many more we may yet tell.
We now have a 100 percent turnover ratio of men in the ranks, on average, from the carnage of war. So many brave cavalry men fought to the death to defend the valley and still today defend it with dying honor. Our brave heroes who have fallen looks down on us from the heavens at every battle, i surely know they must, and at the same time are procuring our almost dead men to fight another day making them stronger as they go on.
The rest of the cavalry arrived on the field and camped beside us and their presence felt as if they were sent by God himself as a cushion of comfort for the men. Custer had pushed the rebs way down the valley and dispersed Early's army into a tangled mess and captured hundreds of men and many stand of reb battle flag was seen in camp. If the rebs condition resembled the flags we saw, they surely had enough for good as the flags made better rags than staff material. The army was so relaxed that we called back many scouts and Sheridan was heard to be in D.C. dining and chatting to Lincoln over end of war details. It is said that Sheridan had to use a stool to stand on, to look Lincoln face to face in conversation so they usually remained seated.
Custer went around camps with his red bandana attached to a reb flag staff and told of a gallant victory soon and he could not wait to get to Richmond to be a part of the historic event. He said he would cut off the rear of the army and chase then from their very own front no matter what direction they retreated to.
All camp was quiet and the men got a good nite's rest after the long journey south. Suddenly before daylight, shots could be heard, and then that dreaded rebel yell began the ball again! It was not even daylight and and that dam Gen. Early was at deaths work again! He caught us before daylight sleeping, and men were running in their sleep and all men were soon seen retreating and losing more men and equipment as the morning light approached. This army was destroyed soon, and with no reenforcements near it, seemed a hopeless situation. Our guns were left on the field for the enemy to use as needed, our very own guns! turned upon us quickly and firing away. A taste of our own medicine was soon seen as men began to fall.
Suddenly the cavalry began to reform and refused the line, Custer and Devin were heard screaming, you will retreat when the order is given... that order will not be given... foreward.... CHARGE!
The cavalry was then seen overrunning the unions old camp as the rebs were seen stopping to eat our camp food. The tide of the battle had now turned because a hugry reb cannot fight with the sweet smell of camp food in the air. The coffee was the champion of this battle as the rebs were seen standing and waiting their turn for the first cup of hot java in months.
Sheridan was seen riding toward us as his horse was foaming, yelling to dress the line and press foreward as we had more men than they and we now had our leader at hand to finish this ball. We now swept them fromm all that was gained and it was seen that the Union Batterys' recovered all of the guns they lost earlier in the day. Custer rode on saying that this time he would pursue Early's army unitil its total and unconditional annialation was witnessed in person. The bugle of battle was echoed down the valley all that nite, and it became fainter and fainter until it was gone, hopefully for good. Now we know first hand why Early was know to all as "Lee's mean old man" The Valley is saved!
Official report from the field;
Cedar Creek,Va. October 18, 1864
Before dawn it was observed generally and fully by all commanders that the rebel advance was complete with the element of suprise upon our army. We were back in the shadow of death once more only this time we were 100 percent unprepaired. The rebs took us with the element of suprise for sure. Many a young boy died this sad day defending old glory to the last. As they scattered us we retreated up the Winchester pike about half way to that place.
At that time the Cavalry was massing and it was seen that hope was in the air for a recovery of the most dreaded situation ever whitnessed by yours truly, General Custer. I was in camp at first attack and can tell you it was like being in an out of control tornado of death and complete destruction. Several men and i cut our way out with the bayonet and then grabbed up what horses and guns we could to make a hasty retreat. The infantry retreat snowbaled into a frenzy unseen up to this point in the war. It was 1st and 2nd Manassas all over again and luckily men could only retreat as far as their physical limits would allow them to. The infantry commanders put it all back together again and suddenly we had an army again. We began in masse to march stright towards the enemy at mid afternoon and were reenforced by the Cavalry that saved our troops time and time again.
All that was lost was recovered later in the day and Early's Army of rebs were chased down the Valley until it was gone for good and destroyed.
