The Battle of Cedar Creek
October 19, 1864

By October 19, Sheridan's army was "resting easy after a reconnaissance party sent out by General Crook reported that . . . no Confederates could be found in the neighborhood."²⁰⁴ That morning, however, Early launched a surprise attack on Crook's left. A few men were up and moving about but were unarmed. Most were still sleeping. "Colonel Thoburn's First Division was overwhelmed." The army prepared to defend their position. As part of the Nineteenth Corps entered the woods and Hayes' division was preparing to "close up on [the] Nineteenth," Thoburn's men and those of the Nineteenth were routed. (See Figures 14 and 15, below.)

Figure 14 - Battle of Cedar Creek, Morning Phase, October 19, 1864

Figure 15 - Battle of Cedar Creek, Afternoon Phase, October 19, 1864

Early's men pushed, and Hayes wrote: "We fell back—the whole army—in a good deal of confusion but without panic."²⁰⁵ They were about four or five miles down the pike when they met Sheridan, who had been in Winchester. The general managed to regroup them, "by threats, persuasion, and shame" and turned them back to the fight. Later in the day Sheridan launched a counter-attack "ending in an afternoon rout for the morning victors."²⁰⁶ When the tide turned, the Confederates panicked. General Early wrote: "I found it impossible to rally the troops. They would not listen to entreaties, threats, or appeals of any kind. . . . They left the field in the greatest confusion. . . . The men scattered on the sides, and the rout was as thorough and disgraceful as ever happened to our army."²⁰⁷

McCown reported the following of the participation of the Thirteenth in the events of October 19:

At 4 o'clock A.M., the enemy . . . made a furious charge down on our left, at the same time pressing our 1st Div. sorely in front, . . . compelling the Army of West Va. to fall back for some distance. This Regiment, however, bravely stood its ground until every other Regiment in the Brigade has [sic] fallen back, and until the enemy's flankers began to enfilade our line with a most galling fire . . . . At 11 o'clock A.M., having succeeded in rallying our men and reforming our lines, the enemy was effectually checked. At this time, or a little later, Gen'l Sheridan arrived on the ground from Winchester and his presence animated our weary men to such a degree that the fortunes of the day were soon restored and by 4 o'clock P.M. victory perched upon our banners, the enemy being completely routed.²⁰⁸

Sheridan's army remained camped near Cedar Creek until November 9, when they moved to a new camp south of Kernstown. About that same time, the 1st Brigade was sent to Martinsburg, but returned to Hayes on November 14.²⁰⁹ He commented that his brigade "now has three fine veteran regiments and the Thirteenth."²¹⁰ McCown reported that the Thirteenth was sent to Martinsburg on November 7 to guard a supply train. They arrived on November 8 and remained there until November 14, when they followed the train back to the front at Kernstown. On November 15, they spent the night in a camp "on the right of the Strasburg road, about two miles from Kernstown, called `Camp Russell.'" McCown's report states that on December 1 they "moved about two miles farther to the right of the line in order to take the place of Gen'l Getty's Divsion on the 6th Corps, which was ordered to Petersburg."²¹¹ On December 19, they marched to Stevenson's Depot, "5 miles below Winchester," and remained until December 30. On that date they returned to Martinsburg, and on December 31, boarded a train to Cumberland, Maryland, where they went into winter quarters, "this being the Head Quarters of the Department."²¹²

Next: Cumberland, Maryland, January 1865-End of War and Discharge
Back: The Battle of Winchester/Opequan Creek, September 19, 1864
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Copyright © Kimberly Ball Hieronimus Brownlee, 1998-2003. All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in any manner for any media without the express written agreement of the author.