told me
that they had discovered the key to the signals formerly used, but
that a change had been made. I then wrote the message purporting
to be from Longstreet and had it signalled in full view of the
Federal signal men whom we saw on the hill in front of my position,
so that it might be read by them. My object was to induce Sheridan
to move back his troops from the position they then occupied, and
I am inclined to think that if he had then been present with his
command he would have done so. However, the movement was not made,
and I then determined to make the attack which was made on the 19th
of October. The object of that attack was to prevent any troops
from being returned to Grant's army."

(4) Observe that Ramseur was now commanding the division that had
been Rodes's; Pegram having succeeded to Ramseur's old division.

CHAPTER XXXIV.
CEDAR CREEK.

The ground whereon the Army of the Shenandoah now found itself was
the same on which Sheridan had left it, the troops were the same,
and the formations were in all important particulars the same as
when he had been present in command, strengthened, however, by
additional entrenchments. Twice before the army had occupied the
same line, and on both occasions Sheridan had emphatically condemned
it as a very bad one. Briefly, the position was formed by the last
great outward bend of Cedar Creek before its waters mingle with
those of the Shenandoah, the left flank resting lightly on the
river, the centre strongly across the valley road, and the extreme
right on the creek near the end of the bow.

Crook held a high and partly wooded height or range of heights on
the left or east (1) of the valley road, and nearly parallel with
it. Thoburn occupied the most advanced spur overlooking the mouth
of the creek, while on his left and rear Hayes and Kitching faced
toward the Shenandoah with their backs to the road. As the road
descended to cross Cedar Creek by the bridge (2) and ford, it
followed the course of a rivulet on its left, and three quarters
of a mile from Crook, on the opposite side of this ravine and of
the road, Emory was posted on a hill whose crest rose steeply a
hundred and fifty feet above the bed of the creek. Here Emory
planted nearly the whole of his artillery to command the bridge
and the neighboring ford and the approaches on the opposite bank,
but the slope and crest of this hill were completely and easily
commanded from the higher ground hel