Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, Volume 2, Part 4

In Short

This military memoir recounts the late-Civil War campaigns led by Union Major General Philip Henry Sheridan. Focusing on operations in the Shenandoah Valley and the march toward Petersburg, the text covers major engagements, tactical decisions, intelligence gathering, and field logistics. Sheridan details his interactions with commanding officers, scout networks, and frontline troops as they dismantle Confederate opposition. The volume has lasted as a primary historical account, offering an unvarnished, first-person perspective on modern cavalry tactics, harsh campaign realities, and the command decisions that shaped the war’s final months.

The Story

The narrative begins in August 1864 with the organization of a dedicated Union scout battalion under Major H. K. Young. Unhappy with unreliable local informants and Confederate deserters, Sheridan forms a group of uniformed soldier-volunteers paid from secret service funds. These scouts set up a covert intelligence line using a local Black vegetable vendor and a loyal Quaker teacher in Winchester, Miss Rebecca Wright.

Armed with fresh intelligence and encouraged by a personal visit from General Ulysses S. Grant, Sheridan launches an offensive against General Jubal Early's scattered forces. At Winchester, Union infantry and cavalry execute coordinated strikes. General Wesley Merritt’s cavalry division, spearheaded by Custer, Lowell, and Devin, charges the Confederate infantry and cavalry, breaking their left flank and capturing 1,200 prisoners. Sheridan follows up at Fisher's Hill by hiding General Crook’s corps in the timber north of Cedar Creek before launching a surprise turning movement against Early’s left on Little North Mountain.

A swift pursuit southward follows. Sheridan orders the destruction of Confederate forage, breadstuffs, mills, and railroad bridges around Waynesboro and Staunton to deplete the valley's resources. When General Rosser’s newly arrived "Laurel Brigade" attempts to stall the Union advance, a massive, two-hour mounted sabre battle erupts at Tom's Brook. The battle ends in a complete rout dubbed the "Woodstock Races," with Union troopers chasing the enemy for twenty-six miles.

While Sheridan is away in Washington conferring with General Halleck, Early launches a surprise morning assault on the Union camp at Cedar Creek. Returning on his black horse Rienzi, Sheridan meets fleeing stragglers and rallies them back toward the front. He reorganizes his lines, counterattacks, and completely shatters Early's army.

Following the victory at Cedar Creek, Sheridan's operations shift to hunting down guerrilla networks. Major Young executes a covert night raid in Maryland, capturing the guerrilla leader Gilmore in his bed. Sheridan then marches his cavalry through relentless rains and deep mud to join General Grant near Petersburg. After a brief river conference with President Abraham Lincoln aboard the steamer Mary Martin, Sheridan moves his force west toward Dinwiddie Court House and Five Forks, positioning his troops to strike the right flank of Lee's army.

How It Unfolds

Organizing the scouts Recognizing the danger of using untrustworthy informants, Sheridan establishes a battalion of soldier-scouts disguised in Confederate uniforms. He connects with a loyal Quaker schoolteacher in Winchester to establish a reliable channel for insider military intelligence.

Striking at Winchester Taking advantage of Early’s scattered divisions, Union forces strike the Confederates near Winchester. Mounted cavalry charges under Custer break the opposing left flank, driving the routed enemy back through the town's breastworks.

Outflanking Fisher's Hill Confronted by strong bluffs along Tumbling Run, Sheridan avoids a costly direct assault. He conceals Crook’s corps in heavy timber before sending them around Little North Mountain to roll up Early's left flank.

Pursuing the enemy As the Confederates retreat southward, Sheridan pushes his command forward, issuing harsh orders to officers who hesitate to engage. He directs widespread destruction of crops, mills, and transportation infrastructure to clear the valley of supplies.

Clashing at Tom's Brook Union and Confederate cavalry engage in a prolonged, mounted sabre fight across open fields. The Union troopers break the enemy lines, initiating a twenty-six-mile chase known locally as the "Woodstock Races."

Rallying at Cedar Creek Returning from a trip to Washington, Sheridan finds his army retreating after a surprise early-morning attack. He rallies the stragglers along the road, reorganizes his lines, and launches a decisive countercharge that reclaims the camp.

Nabbing the guerrilla Major Young leads a small detachment disguised as recruits into Maryland during a midnight storm. They breach the quarters of the guerrilla chief Gilmore, capturing him at gunpoint without alerting his men.

Marching through the mud Sheridan pushes his cavalry through bottomless roads and torrential rains to link up with Grant. After conferring with President Lincoln on the James River, he occupies the vital crossroads at Dinwiddie Court House to begin the final campaign.

The People

• Philip Henry Sheridan: The narrator and Union commander. He seeks to destroy Confederate operational capacity in the Shenandoah Valley and secure the roads around Petersburg. Blocked by entrenched positions, bad weather, and sudden counterattacks, he adapts by using clandestine scout networks and rapid cavalry maneuvers.
• Jubal Early: The primary Confederate commander in the Valley. He seeks to hold Winchester, protect vital supply lines, and stall Union movements. Constantly outmaneuvered by Sheridan's flank attacks, his forces suffer repeated defeats and eventual disintegration.
• Major H. K. Young: Commander of Sheridan's organized scout battalion. He wants to gather accurate intelligence and eliminate irregular partisan threats. He succeeds by managing covert operatives and personally capturing key enemy leaders.
• General Averell: A Union cavalry officer. He is tasked with pursuing the retreating enemy after Fisher's Hill. His cautious approach and willingness to pull back draw sharp reprimands from Sheridan, who demands aggressive engagement.
• General Custer: A prominent Union cavalry commander under Sheridan. He seeks rapid tactical victories and leads direct mounted charges. His energetic assaults break enemy lines at Winchester and Tom's Brook.
• Abraham Lincoln: The President of the United States. He visits City Point seeking timely updates from his generals. Though visibly dejected and anxious about potential Confederate breakthroughs, he reviews campaign plans alongside Grant and Sheridan.

In Its Own Voice

"These men were disguised in Confederate uniforms whenever necessary, were paid from the Secret-Service Fund in proportion to the value of the intelligence they furnished, which often stood us in good stead in checking the forays of Gilmore, Mosby, and other irregulars."

Sheridan details the covert organization of his scout battalion.

"There must now be no backing or filling by you without a superior force of the enemy actually engaging you."

Sheridan issues a direct written reprimand to General Averell following a sluggish pursuit.

"I already knew that even in the ordinary condition of mind enthusiasm is a potent element with soldiers, but what I saw that day convinced me that if it can be excited from a state of despondency its power is almost irresistible."

Sheridan reflects on rallying his retreating army along the road from Winchester to Cedar Creek.

What It's Really About

The text explores the logistics of total war and the role of rapid mobility in modern military operations. Beyond formal field movements, the narrative focuses on the operational value of actionable intelligence, showing how informal networks of scouts, local Unionists, and freedmen influence major military decisions.

Sheridan highlights the psychology of command, emphasizing how rapid movement, aggressive leadership, and soldier morale alter outcomes on the battlefield. The account illustrates how denying an opponent food, forage, and rail infrastructure can be as decisive as winning formal battles. Beneath the operational details lies an argument for unified, resolute action to bring a prolonged civil war to an absolute finish.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to Civil War history, military strategy, and eyewitness historical narratives will appreciate this work. It provides an unadorned, clear look at late-war cavalry movements, intelligence work, and battlefield decision-making without romanticized grandstanding.

The prose is direct and methodical, offering a clear view of the physical realities of 19th-century warfare. Sheridan describes endless downpours, bottomless mud, stuck supply trains, and the grueling pace of continuous marches. Readers must navigate dense local geography, military terminology, period attitudes, and unforgiving operational methods, including the deliberate destruction of crops and mills. What remains is a vivid primary document detailing how logistical efficiency, stern discipline, and aggressive tactics combined to decide the war in Virginia.