r of enthusiasm or his own ability to rouse it
to fighting pitch. He pressed steadily on to the front, until at last he
came up to Getty's division of the 6th Corps, which, with the cavalry,
were the only troops who held their line and were resisting the enemy.
Getty's division was about a mile north of Middletown on some slightly
rising ground, and were skirmishing with the enemy's pickets. Jumping a
rail fence, Sheridan rode to the crest of the hill, and, as he took
off his hat, the men rose up from behind the barricades with cheers of
recognition.

It is impossible to follow in detail Sheridan's actions from that
moment, but he first brought up the 19th Corps and the two divisions of
Wright to the front. He then communicated with Colonel Lowell, who was
fighting near Middletown with his men dismounted, and asked him if he
could hold on where he was, to which Lowell replied in the affirmative.
All this and many similar quickly-given orders consumed a great deal of
time, but still the men were getting into line, and at last, seeing that
the enemy were about to renew the attack, Sheridan rode along the line
so that the men could all see him. He was received with the wildest
enthusiasm as he rode by, and the spirit of the army was restored. The
rebel attack was made shortly after noon, and was repulsed by General
Emory.

This done, Sheridan again set to work to getting his line completely
restored, while General Merritt charged and drove off an exposed battery
of the Confederates. By halfpast three Sheridan was ready to attack.
The fugitives of the morning, whom he had rallied as he rode from
Winchester, were again in their places, and the different divisions were
all disposed in their proper positions. With the order to advance,
the whole line pressed forward. The Confederates at first resisted
stubbornly, and then began to retreat. On they went past Cedar Creek,
and there, where the pike made a sharp turn to the west toward Fisher's
Hill, Merritt and Custer fell on the flank of the retreating columns,
and the rebel army fell back, routed and broken, up the Valley. The day
had begun in route and defeat; it ended in a great victory for the Union
army.

How near we had been to a terrible disaster can be realized by recalling
what had happened before the general galloped down from Winchester.

In Sheridan's absence, Early, soon after dawn, had made an unexpected
attack on our army at Cedar Creek. Surprised by the assau