The Eighth Corps
A West Virginia Soldier Talks of Cedar Creek
I have read with interest in your issue of December 29, a sketches from Serg’t George W. Toms, 5th N. Y. Cav, in regard to the battle of Cedar Creek. I have also read in your valuable paper communications from many different pens in regard to that battle, and think that Serg’t Toms gives a very correct account of the affair.
My regiment, the 15th W. Va. Belonged to the Eighth Corps as did all of the West Virginia infantry, except the 7th and 5th, and there may have been one other. We were attacked about 3 o’clock a.m., Oct. 19, 1864, long before daylight. The morning was aas dark as it could well be. There was a New York regiment [5th, Heavy Artillery] in our front on picket, and in some way the enemy got the countersign and relieved all the pickets on our front. As we were on the extreme left, the enemy got into our camp while we were all in our shelter-tents asleep. When the alarm was given and our boys began to show fight, the rebels that were inside our fortifications shouted out not to shoot-that they were our own men; but there was several volleys fired, although the only light we had to show us they were rebels was by the flash of our guns, which disclosed the fact that our camp was full of them.
They would have easily captured nearly all of the Eighth Corps, if it had not been that they went to pilfering our camp. We retreated back down the valley until we formed when Gen. Sheridan came up…
Thomas Roseberry, 15th West Virginia
Dallas, WV
National Tribune: January 12, 1888
Scott,
I’ve found the National Tribune to be a great source of first person Siege of Petersburg accounts, so it’s good to see you using one here. How extensively have you looked trough the Tribune? I ask because I’m slowly moving through issue by issue finding Siege of Petersburg stuff, and I’d be happy to send along anything having to do with the Valley in 1864.
Hi Brett,
Thanks for the offer. It is indeed a marvelous source. I have gone through a good bit of it over the years reel by reel and now have used the online search function as well. At this point, I have probably more on the Valley, especially Cedar Creek, than I will ever use.
Scott,
I figured you would probably say that, considering your decades of research, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Keep up the good work!
Thanks. If you see anything on Lynchburg pass it my way. I am working on a project on that write now.
Will do!
HI Scott….Sgt. Toms really hit the nail on the head didn’t he. I finally made it to Cedar Creek for the 148th anniversary after many years of trying and not making it. Being there for the weekend really gave me a better picture of what it was like for men who lived and died there.