Letter dated 22 October 1864, from Silas Doolittle, 75^th New York State Volunteer Infantry

 

                                                            Cedar Creek, Va.

                                                                        Oct 22d, 1864

 

Dear Mother,

This being the first opportunity since the battle of Tuesday, I hasten to improve it & inform you of my health & safety.

 

On the morning of the 19^th (just one month after the battle of Winchester) the enemy massed their forces on our left and attacted the 8^th Corps before they were out of bed & succeeded in flanking them & drove them from their works, & the first we knew they were in our rear pouring volley after volley of minnie balls into our camp. I hurried up & took down my tent & managed to save all my things. our Corps being flanked, of course were obliged to fall back, & the enemy, half drunk & encouraged by their partial success, pushed on more rapidly than before, & by noon they had full possession of our works & had drove us some 4 miles. Gen. Sheridan was absent all this time & Gen. Wright was in command. About noon Gen. Sheridan arrived on the field & the men cheered him as he rode along the lines. He immediately ordered an advance on the enemy, at the same time saying we would whip them before night. Our columns moved on with a will & succeeded in beating them in every part of the field & drove them in disorder through our old camps & clear beyond where they were before they started, completely demoralized & defeated. In the morning they captured 19 pieces of artillery from us but in the afternoon we captured 55 pieces from (them), giving us a “Majority” of 36.

 

Our Regt lost about 50 in killed, wounded & prisoners. Dan Knapp, Mac Huntly, Jacob Arnett & Harlen Perkins are among the latter, but I just heard they were all captured back.

 

We are now in our old Camp where we were when I wrote last & the Rebs are no where to be found. they must be clear beyond Woodstock, which (is) about 20 miles from here.

 

I talked with several wounded Rebels & they said they come down on us to retrieve Winchester, and perhaps they would have done it, only for Gen. Sheridans opportune arrival. they men would all fight with Sheridan till the last.

 

My health is very good & have reason to be thankful to a kind & merciful Providence for sparing my life & shielding me from all harm through the terrible battle.

 

I received a letter from Alice last night dated Oct 13. She was well. I received one from Coleman the night before the Battle & one from You & 2 from Sarah & one from Phebe Ann, which I will answer as soon as possible. I must close this now but will write as often as possible.

 

                                                                                                Your Loving Son

                                                                                                            Silas Doolittle

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