Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman with Custer's Michigan... by James Harvey Kidd

Hearing the firing, both Merritt and Custer roused their cavalrymen, but the Confederates halted and did not press the attack, content to hold the ford.Īt 5:00 a.m., the Union infantry was rudely awakened as thousands of Confederates opened fire from the heavy fog that hung over the ground in the predawn darkness. Tom Rosser sought to cross Cedar Creek and drive in the pickets of the 7th Michigan, some of Custer’s old Wolverines but now part of Gen. Around 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., firing erupted a couple miles to the west of the army as two brigades of Confederate cavalry under Gen. Sheridan, returning from a meeting in Washington, was in Winchester, about twelve miles away. On the morning of October 19, 1864, Sheridan’s army lay peacefully sleeping on the banks of Cedar Creek, south of Middletown, VA, in the Shenandoah Valley.

Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman with Custer

Even so, his men had already adopted the red neckties that his old Wolverines had adopted after Gettysburg, and called themselves “The Red Tie Boys.” Phil Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah for less than three weeks.

We’ve Mewsed on his actions as a new brigade commander at Gettysburg, and today is a good opportunity to check in on him as a division commander a year and a half later.Ĭuster had been in command of the 3rd Cavalry Division of Gen. Today, on the anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek, we’re taking a look at Gen.

Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman with Custer's Michigan... by James Harvey Kidd