brought
about by Early's diversions, coming on top of the losses since
crossing the Rapidan, had brought affairs on the James to a dead-lock.
While Grant in this situation was willing to spare the Sixth corps
and the Nineteenth and even to strengthen them by two divisions
of cavalry from the Army of the Potomac, Lee on his part not only
gave up all present thought of recalling Early, as had been the
custom in former years, but even sent Anderson with Kershaw's
division of infantry, Fitzhugh Lee's division of cavalry, and
Cutshaw's battalion of artillery, to strengthen Early, so as to
enable him to hold his ground, and thus to cover the gathering of
the crops in the valley, and perhaps to encourage still further
detachments from the investing forces before Richmond and Petersburg.
The first week of August found Anderson on the march and he was
now moving down the valley. Therefore Early very properly drew
back through Strasburg to wait for Anderson, and on the night of
the 12th of August took up a strong position at Fisher's Hill.
Its natural advantages he proceeded to increase by entrenchments.

Sheridan, following, encamped in the same order as before on the
left bank of Cedar Creek. On the 13th Wright crossed Cedar Creek
and occupied Hupp's Hill, and sending his skirmishers into Strasburg,
discovered Early in position as described; but at nightfall Sheridan,
who now had information that caused him to suspect Anderson's
movement, drew back and set the cavalry to guard the Front Royal
road. Then Early advanced his outposts to Hupp's Hill, and so for
the next three days both armies rested.

On the 14th of August, Sheridan received from Grant authentic,
rather than exact, information of Anderson's movement, for this
was supposed to include two infantry divisions, instead of one.
Coupled with this was Grant's renewed order to be cautious.

With his quick eye for country, Sheridan soon saw that he had but
one even tolerable position for defence, and that this was at
Halltown. The Confederate defence, on the other hand, rested on
Fisher's Hill, and between these two positions the wide plain lay
like a chess-board between the players. And now began a series of
moves, during which each side watched and waited for the adversary
to weaken himself, or to make a mistake, or for some chance encounter
to bring about an unlooked-for advantage. Finding his position at
Cedar Creek, to use his own words, "a very bad one," She