chafed for opportunities of further distinguishing himself and
justifying his appointment; but the enemy, under General Early, had
been reinforced, and for six weeks Sheridan was kept on the defensive
near Harper's Ferry. At length, when Early's forces had been
diminished, Sheridan expressed such confidence of success if he were
allowed to attack, that Grant gave him permission in only two words of
instruction, "Go in!" Sheridan went in, attacking Early with great
vigor, on September 19th, at the crossing of the Opequan. After a
severe battle the enemy was routed; Sheridan captured three thousand
prisoners and five guns, and sent Early, as he expressed it, "whirling
through Winchester." Next day President Lincoln, on Grant's
recommendation, appointed the victorious soldier a brigadier-general
in the regular army. Taking up the pursuit of Early in the Shenandoah
Valley, Sheridan found him on the 20th strongly posted on Fisher's
Hill, just beyond Strasburg. Quietly moving Crook's command through
the wood, he turned the enemy's left on the 22d, and drove him from
his stronghold, capturing sixteen guns.

The losses of Sheridan and those of Early in these two battles were
almost precisely equal, being about fifty-four hundred men each; but
the Northern general had captured many guns and small arms. Sheridan
continued the pursuit up the valley, but finding it impracticable to
proceed either to Lynchburg or Charlottesville, he returned through
the valley, devastating it on his way and rendering it untenable for
an enemy's army. By Sheridan's successes Grant obtained the
unobstructed use of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake &
Ohio Canal, whereas his defeat would have exposed Maryland and
Pennsylvania to invasion.

Sheridan's next operations, however, were the most important, as they
have become the most renowned, in his career. Passing through
Strasburg, he posted his troops on the further bank of Cedar Creek,
while he himself, on October 16th, went to Washington, in response to
a request from Secretary Stanton, for consultation. Before the sun
rose on the morning of the 19th, Early, who had been reinforced,
surprised, during a fog, the left of the Union army and uncovered the
position also of the Nineteenth Corps, capturing twenty-four guns and
about fourteen hundred prisoners. General Wright succeeded in
retaining his grasp on the turnpike by moving the Sixth Corps to its
western side and the cavalry to its e