Copyright, 1897, by Harper & Brothers. All Rights Reserved.
| published weekly. | NEW YORK, TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1897. | five cents a copy. |
| vol. xviii.—no. 905. | two dollars a year. |
THE BATTLE OF OPEQUAN CREEK.
BY RICHARD BARRY.
General Sheridan, despite the reputation he had gained for dashing,reckless bravery, was withal a cautious commander. He did not believe inmaking long forced marches and hurling tired troops at an intrenchedenemy. The success of a charge, in his mind, was due entirely to thefreshness of the men, the fierceness of the onslaught, and the surpriseoccasioned to the enemy by sudden and unexpected movement.
Early in the month of September, 1864, Sheridan's army was encamped inthe hills looking down into the little valley of the Opequan, a small,crooked stream about four miles from the town of Winchester. On theopposite side of the creek the Confederate army under General Early wasintrenched in a strong position. The banks of the stream were steep andthe crossings deep, requiring much care in fording.
For more than ten days the two armies fronted each other without sign ofan advance on either part. But Early was on the defensive, and Sheridanwas preparing a plan of attack that it was hoped would rout himcompletely; and if everything had worked to his entire satisfaction, itmight have resulted in the capture of the whole Confederate army