Personal Memoirs-2 [8]
Valley.
In consequence of the enemy's being so well protected from a direct
assault, I resolved on the night of the 20th to use again a turning-
column against his left, as had been done on the 19th at the Opequon.
To this end I resolved to move Crook, unperceived if possible, over
to the eastern face of Little North Mountain, whence he could strike
the left and rear of the Confederate line, and as he broke it up, I
could support him by a left half-wheel of my whole line of battle.
The execution of this plan would require perfect secrecy, however,
for the enemy from his signal-station on Three Top could plainly see
every movement of our troops in daylight. Hence, to escape such
observation, I marched Crook during the night of the 20th into some
heavy timber north of Cedar Creek, where he lay concealed all day the
21st. This same day Wright and Emory were moved up closer to the
Confederate works, and the Sixth Corps, after a severe fight, in
which Ricketts's and Getty were engaged, took up some high ground on
the right of the Manassas Gap railroad in plain view of the
Confederate works, and confronting a commanding point where much of
Early's artillery was massed. Soon after General Wright had
established this line I rode with him along it to the westward, and
finding that the enemy was still holding an elevated position further
to our right, on the north side of Tumbling Run, I directed this also
to be occupied. Wright soon carried the point, which gave us an
unobstructed view of the enemy's works and offered good ground for
our artillery. It also enabled me to move the whole of the Sixth
Corps to the front till its line was within about seven hundred yards
of the enemy's works; the Nineteenth Corps, on the morning of the
22d, covering the ground vacated by the Sixth by moving to the front
and extending to the right, but still keeping its reserves on the
railroad.
In the darkness of the night of the gist, Crook was brought across
Cedar Creek and hidden in a clump of timber behind Hupp's Hill till
daylight of the 22d, when, under cover of the intervening woods and
ravines, he was marched beyond the right of the Sixth Corps and again
concealed not far from the Back road. After Crook had got into this
last position, Ricketts's division was pushed out until it confronted
the left of the enemy's infantry, the rest of the Sixth Corps
extending from Ricketts's left to the Manassas Gap railroad, while
the Nineteenth Corps filled in the space between the left of the
Sixth and the North Fork of the Shenandoah.
When Ricketts moved out on this new line, in conjunction with
Averell's cavalry on his right, the enemy surmising, from information
secured from his signal-station, no doubt, that my attack was to be
made from Ricketts's front, prepared for it there, but no such
intention ever existed. Ricketts was pushed forward only that he
might readily join Crook's turning-column as it swung into the
enemy's rear. To ensure success, all that I needed now was enough
daylight to complete my arrangements, the secrecy of movement imposed
by the situation consuming many valuable hours.
While Ricketts was occupying the enemy's attention, Crook, again
moving unobserved into the dense timber on the eastern face of Little
North Mountain, conducted his command south in two parallel columns
until he gained the rear of the enemy's works, when, marching his
divisions by the left flank, he led them in an easterly direction
down the mountain-side. As he emerged from the timber near the base
of the mountain, the Confederates discovered him, of course, and
opened with their batteries, but it was too late--they having few
troops at hand to confront the turning-column. Loudly cheering,
Crook's men quickly crossed the broken stretch in rear of the enemy's
left, producing confusion and consternation at every step.
About a mile from the mountain's base
In consequence of the enemy's being so well protected from a direct
assault, I resolved on the night of the 20th to use again a turning-
column against his left, as had been done on the 19th at the Opequon.
To this end I resolved to move Crook, unperceived if possible, over
to the eastern face of Little North Mountain, whence he could strike
the left and rear of the Confederate line, and as he broke it up, I
could support him by a left half-wheel of my whole line of battle.
The execution of this plan would require perfect secrecy, however,
for the enemy from his signal-station on Three Top could plainly see
every movement of our troops in daylight. Hence, to escape such
observation, I marched Crook during the night of the 20th into some
heavy timber north of Cedar Creek, where he lay concealed all day the
21st. This same day Wright and Emory were moved up closer to the
Confederate works, and the Sixth Corps, after a severe fight, in
which Ricketts's and Getty were engaged, took up some high ground on
the right of the Manassas Gap railroad in plain view of the
Confederate works, and confronting a commanding point where much of
Early's artillery was massed. Soon after General Wright had
established this line I rode with him along it to the westward, and
finding that the enemy was still holding an elevated position further
to our right, on the north side of Tumbling Run, I directed this also
to be occupied. Wright soon carried the point, which gave us an
unobstructed view of the enemy's works and offered good ground for
our artillery. It also enabled me to move the whole of the Sixth
Corps to the front till its line was within about seven hundred yards
of the enemy's works; the Nineteenth Corps, on the morning of the
22d, covering the ground vacated by the Sixth by moving to the front
and extending to the right, but still keeping its reserves on the
railroad.
In the darkness of the night of the gist, Crook was brought across
Cedar Creek and hidden in a clump of timber behind Hupp's Hill till
daylight of the 22d, when, under cover of the intervening woods and
ravines, he was marched beyond the right of the Sixth Corps and again
concealed not far from the Back road. After Crook had got into this
last position, Ricketts's division was pushed out until it confronted
the left of the enemy's infantry, the rest of the Sixth Corps
extending from Ricketts's left to the Manassas Gap railroad, while
the Nineteenth Corps filled in the space between the left of the
Sixth and the North Fork of the Shenandoah.
When Ricketts moved out on this new line, in conjunction with
Averell's cavalry on his right, the enemy surmising, from information
secured from his signal-station, no doubt, that my attack was to be
made from Ricketts's front, prepared for it there, but no such
intention ever existed. Ricketts was pushed forward only that he
might readily join Crook's turning-column as it swung into the
enemy's rear. To ensure success, all that I needed now was enough
daylight to complete my arrangements, the secrecy of movement imposed
by the situation consuming many valuable hours.
While Ricketts was occupying the enemy's attention, Crook, again
moving unobserved into the dense timber on the eastern face of Little
North Mountain, conducted his command south in two parallel columns
until he gained the rear of the enemy's works, when, marching his
divisions by the left flank, he led them in an easterly direction
down the mountain-side. As he emerged from the timber near the base
of the mountain, the Confederates discovered him, of course, and
opened with their batteries, but it was too late--they having few
troops at hand to confront the turning-column. Loudly cheering,
Crook's men quickly crossed the broken stretch in rear of the enemy's
left, producing confusion and consternation at every step.
About a mile from the mountain's base