Road, and Lomax on my right between the Valley Pike and
the Front Royal road, with one brigade (McCausland's) at
Cedarville on the Jatter road. Rosser had some skirmishing
with the enemy's cavalry on the 11th, and on the 12th two
divisions advanced against him, and after a heavy fight the
enemy was repulsed and some prisoners captured. Colonel
Payne, who was operating immediately in my front, likewise
had a sharp engagement with a portion of the enemy's cavalry
and defeated it. When Rosser was heavily engaged, Lomax
was ordered to his assistance with a part of his command, and,
during his absence, late in the afternoon, Powell's division of
the enemy's cavalry attacked McCausland at Cedarville, and,
after a severe fight, drove him back across the river with the
loss of two pieces of artillery. At the time of this affair, a
blustering wind was blowing and the firing could not be heard;
and nothing was known of McCauslands misfortune until after
we commenced retiring that night. In these cavalry fights,
three valuable officers were killed, namely: Lt.-Col. Marshall
of Rosser's brigade. Col. Radford of McCausland's brigade,
and Capt. Harvie of McCausland's staff.
Discovering that the enemy continued to fortify his position, and showed no disposition to come out of his lines with his infantry, and not being willing to attack him in his entrench- ments, after the reverses I had met with, I determined to retire, as we were beyond the reach of supplies. After dark on the 12th, we moved to Fisher's Hill, and next day returned in the direction of New-Market, where we arrived on the 14th, no effort at pursuit being made. I discovered by this movement that no troops had been sent to Grant, and that the project of repairing the Manassas Gap rail-road had been abandoned.[1]
Shortly after our return to New-Market, Kershaw's division was returned to General Lee, and Cosby's cavalry to Breck-
- ↑ From Grant's account of the battle of Cedar Creek, it would be supposed that the 6th corps was returned to the army of the Potomac immediately after that battle, but the truth is that no troops were sent from Sheridan's army until in December, when the cold weather had put an end to all operations in the field by infantry.
