ken from the American cyclopedia (vol. xvi) which says:

"He (Sheridan) met the fugitives a mile and a half from town,
(Winchester), and with a brigade which had been left in Winchester,
moved upon the enemy, who had begun to intrench themselves."

The absurdity of such "history" ought to be self evident. Imagine, if
you can, a brigade of infantry following Sheridan on his wild ride of
"twenty miles" and then rushing to attack an army which, according to
the tradition of which I have spoken, had just whipped four army corps.
Of course, the statement is an absurd one. No brigade came from
Winchester. No brigade could have come from Winchester; and had such a
thing been possible, it would have constituted but a slight factor in
the contest.

There were in the federal army on that eventful morning, seven brigades
of infantry (the Sixth corps) seven brigades of cavalry, not to mention
one division (Grover's) of the Nineteenth corps, (four brigades), making
eighteen brigades in all, that were neither surprised in their camps,
nor in the slightest degree demoralized at any time during the progress
of the battle; and which had forced Early to stop short in his headlong
career of victory long before the famous black charger brought his fiery
rider to the field. The Eighth corps which was surprised was a small
corps of only five brigades, and although after Kershaw's onset,
conducted by General Early in person, it was practically eliminated,
there was a fine army left which, crippled as it was, was fully equal to
the task of retrieving the disaster, and which, as the event proved,
needed only the guiding hand of Sheridan to put it in motion and lead it
to victory.

It is not, however, the purpose of this paper to give all the details of
that great battle, but to narrate what a single actor in it saw; to make
a note in passing of some things that do not appear in the official
records, that are not a part of the written history of the war; some
incidents that are important only as they throw light on that which is
bathed in shadow, though having for one of Custer's troopers an interest
in themselves; to do justice to the splendid courage displayed by the
cavalry, especially the Michigan cavalry, on that occasion; to pay a
tribute of admiration to the gallantry and steadfastness of the old
Sixth corps; and to the courage and capacity of the gallant Colonel
Lowell, who was killed.

Cedar Creek is a small stream that ri