Sheridan's arrival gave our men confidence. He had the two divisions of the Sixth Corps, also the Nineteenth, and part of the Eighth Corps put in line on the right of Getty's division. The enemy tried to break this line, but Emory handsomely repulsed the charge.
At about a quarter of four o'clock Sheridan advanced his whole line, which was met by a stubborn resistance; but soon the enemy was obliged to give way, and in a short time it was a complete rout.
Our infantry followed the enemy until their old camps were reached at Cedar Creek, and then the cavalry took up the chase. All of our guns were recaptured, and twenty-four of Early's (just the number we lost in the morning), besides about all of the ambulances and wagons that were lost in the morning were in our hands that night, with a large majority of Early's.
Our battery followed the infantry when the advance was made, and on arrival at Cedar Creek, went into our position of the morning. We had lost one gun and one limber and all of our camp equipage (our teams, having taken the pike when they fell back, were captured); notwithstanding, we felt happy at the way things had turned out. We also experienced just a little regret that we had no blankets, tents, or anything else in fact, but what we had on.
Not a man of the battery had had a morsel to eat since the night before, and no show for rations getting to the front that night. We could get along without tents or blankets, but the day's excitement had given us a good appetite. We built up two large camp fires and sat around discussing the events of the day.
About nine o'clock Lieut. Gray (who had left the battery shortly after we arrived in our old position) rode into camp escorting a four-mule team which he had captured. The contents of the wagon were soon spread out, disclosing three boxes of "hard-tack" as a part of the capture. This was issued at once, and we had a good supper.
The following is Lieut. Gray's report of his two hours' absence: "When we arrived in our old position just at dusk, there was a rebel battery on the hill beyond the bridge, and quite a piece to the right. A few shells came over our camp, and I knew they were from a three-inch rifle; having lost one of that kind in the morning, I thought I would ride over and see if I could find it.
I rode down toward our right, crossed a small stream in the woods, and came out near a small plateau where some two or three hundred rebel infantrymen were trying to hold our cavalry from coming up the hill. I swung back and joined the head of our cavalry line, which proved to be the First Vermont, Col. Bennett. He was waiting for his men to close up.
I crossed the stone wall and rode a few yards to the left, when Gen. Custer, with the Fifth New York came up, and both regiments charged. I was carried along with the crowd, but before we had gone fifty yards the rebel infantry broke. I made friends with a sergeant, and suggested that we shove ahead and get the guns of the battery that had been firing but a minute or two before.