eated and in retreat.( 9)
He formed, while riding through these people, erroneous impressions
of what had taken place in the morning battle which were never
removed from his mind. The steady roar of guns and rattle of
musketry should have told him that some organized forces were, at
least, baring their breasts bravely to the enemy and standing as
food for shot and shell. Sheridan mistook the disorganized horde
he passed through for substantial portions of a wholly routed army,
and this mistake prevented him, even later, from clearly understanding
the real situation.

He first met Torbert, his Chief of Cavalry, and from him only
learned what had taken place to the left of and around Middletown.
Torbert, who had not been to the right, where the battle with
infantry had raged for hours, assumed that demoralization extended
over that part of the field. Next Sheridan came to Getty's division
(10.30 A.M.),(10) and finding it and its brave commander in unbroken
line, facing the foe, assumed without further investigation that
no other infantry troops were doing likewise. He justly gives
Getty's division and the cavalry credit for being "in the presence
of and resisting the enemy."(11) Getty, though theretofore in
command of the Sixth Corps, did not pretend to know the position
or the previous movements of the army. He had remained constantly
with his division, and wisely held the turnpike, covering our left
flank and trains. This, too, was according to Wright's order.
When Sheridan arrived Getty was not actually engaged, but the enemy
were, at long range, firing artillery. A shot passed close to
Sheridan as he approached Getty. After the first salutation,
Sheridan said to Getty: "Emory's corps is four miles to your rear,
and Wheaton's division of your corps is two miles in your rear.
I will form them on your division." Sheridan then said nothing of
Crook's corps, or of the Third Division of the Sixth, which I
commanded.(12)

Up to this time Sheridan had not met Wright, who was on the right
of the army, nor could Sheridan see from the pike the troops of my
division nor of Wheaton's, still to my right. My division was at
no time as far to the rear as the left of Getty's line. Wright
confirms my recollection of the position of my division at the time
of Sheridan's arrival, but his recollection is that Wheaton had
not completed a connection with my right.(13)

Colonel Ball, in his report dated the day after the ba