;

260 NortH Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

Meanwhile the tide of battle, so strong in our favor in the
morning, finally turned. The Confederate commands had
been greatly weakened by men who left the ranks to loot the
captured camps, so tempting to ill-fed, ill-equipped soldiers.
The routed Federals were halted and reformed. Sheridan,
absent in the morning, came up, made new disposition and
assailed Early in flank. Then came disaster quick on the
heels of disaster.

Our command was in position where we could see the line
as it broke, first at the point held by Gordon and then at that
held by Ramseur. These divisions retired from the field in
great disorder. Johnston’s brigade was the only organized
body that retreated from the face of the enemy with its line
unbroken, halting and firing repeatedly as they were pressed
upon. In fact they were then the only organized force in
Early’s whole army. After falling back near Cedar Creek,
General Pegram sent an order to General Johnston “to cross
the bridge” and follow the road towards Strasburg. General
Johnston sent a message saying that it would be impossible to
cross the bridge, as the breastworks built by the enemy com-
manded the bridge completely, and the enemy would occupy
them before he (Johnston) could cross; but that he could
cross below and preserve his brigade intact.. A second staff
officer from General Pegram ordered Johnston to bring his

- brigade across the bridge just under the command of these
works which in the meantime, had been occupied by the en-
emy. While the brigade was attempting to obey the order
and cross the bridge, a hot fire was poured into it from these
works. Being totally unprotected and at the mercy of the
enemy and their formation broken by the rush of fugitives,
the brigade fell into confusion and retreated under cover of
the saving darkness.

General Early says that could 500 men have been rallied
after the creek was passed the pursuit which was feeble, could
have been checked sufficiently to have saved not only his own
artillery and trains, but also to have brought off the captured
guns, all of which got safely over Cedar Creek, but were cap-
tured afterwards. Now in Johnston’s brigade he would have
had a large part of the necessary 500. In view of this Gen-

Twenty-THIRD REGIMENT. 261

eral Pegram’s peremptory order to Johnston to cross at the
bridge was exceedingly unfortunate. For Early lost, not
only all the captured guns, but likewise every piece of his
own artillery. A bridge broke on a very narrow part of the
road between Fisher’s Hill and Strasburg, the artillery and
trains could not cross and being undefended, were taken by a
small force of Federal cavalry.

Halting at Fisher’s Hill till 3 o’clock the next morning
the retreat was continued without halt to New Market, nearly
thirty miles distant. On this retreat and while near Mt.
Jackson, General Johnston was ordered to face about and
hold the enemy in check. He formed line of battle, threw
out skirmishers, and had one of the hottest fights in which the
brigade was engaged on the skirmish line during the war.
The enemy was defeated and driven back.

At New Market we rested undisturbed during the remain-
der of October Recruits and stragglers came in. Dejected
spirits revived. The Confederate soldier was himself again,
dogged, indomitable. The order to advance once more down
the valley was received with joy. Starting 10 November
on the 11th we approached Cedar Creek, our last un-
fortunate battle ground. Sheridan’s main force fell back to
Winchester. Driving the cavalry before us we reached New-
ton, within a few miles of Winchester. Making as great a
show of force so as to hold as many of the enemy here and
away from Lee as possible, we remained here the 11th and
12th, constant skirmishing going on between the opposing
cavalry forces. Being too weak to attack Sheridan and he
refusing to leave his intrenchments to attack us, we retreated
on the night of the 12th, returning to New Market.

Our brigade formed part of the forces returned to Lee’s
army about the last of November. Camping near Waynes-
boro, on the following night, we took cars for Richmond. We
arrived in the Confederate Capital amid a hard snow storm.
The haste in which we were detrained, double quicked
through the streets and entrained for Petersburg told us that
Grant was still hammering at the defences and that we were
sorely needed. This time he was making another effort to get
possession of the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad. We