Cedar Creek Part II: Early Attacks Sheridan

The Confederates had roughly 21,000 troops versus the Union 31,000. But the odds didn't concern Early or Gordon. Thus, at nightfall on October 18, Gordon's men were on the move. "Stripped of anything that might rattle or clink," the 7,000 Rebels crept quietly through the woods in a single file toward the Union left flank (Lewis, 1987, p. 144). They ended up less than a mile from the exposed Union position well before dawn. It was about 4:30 a.m. when Gordon ordered his men forward toward the line. They advanced under the cover of fog and the sound of the creeping water from the stream. Meanwhile, Joseph Kershaw and his men were waiting in the woods along Cedar Creek opposite the center of the Union position. They too advanced at roughly 4:30, and hearing the attack by Gordon, Kershaw's men rushed forward.

The men on both parts of the Union line were caught by complete surprise. Kershaw's men attacked so quickly that they were in Col. Joseph Thoburn's camp before the men could get out of their tents. Once the advanced camps were overrun, Gordon's men marched across the open fields of the Cooley farm, and charged the Union left flank with the distinct Rebel yell. Soon after, Kershaw's men attacked the Union center in full. A private from the 61st Georgia recalled that the Federals "jumped up running and did not take time to put on their clothing, but fled in their night clothes, without their guns, hats or shoes" (Lewis, 1987, p. 146). Some units began retreating even before contact was made. It was the beginning of a Union rout.

Waiting in the rear was the XIX Corps under William Emory. Though his troops had more time to prepare for the onslaught, they were thrown into confusion by the retreating VIII Corps. A Vermont regiment was sent out to stall the attack on Emory's right flank, and though it succeeded in its mission, it could not stop the Confederate advance. The regiment lost 110 of it 164 men in the vicious fire and hand-to-hand combat. The Union XI Corps was the last to be attacked, but after some hard fighting, it suffered the same fate as the XIX Corps.

Luckily for the Federals, the battered troops of the VI Corps put up an excellent fight in holding off the Rebel wave long enough for the other troops to realign themselves to the VI Corps' rear. This stubbornness of the VI Corps, as well as Confederate soldiers leaving ranks to loot the empty, supply-rich Federal camps, caused the attack to lose its momentum. But the Union troops were still in disarray and were on their heels in a defensive position. While Gordon saw this as an opportunity to finish off the enemy, Early felt the need to reorganize and give his men a breather. He was also rather worried about the 7,000 Union cavalry massed on his right flank (McPherson, 1988). Early halted until all of his men could be brought up.

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