Cedar Creek • Tour the Battlefield • Battle Maps • The Armies
Pre-dawn • Dawn • 6am • 7am • 8am • 9am • 10am • 3pm • 4pm • 5pm
Fight in the Cemetery
The attack of Evans’ and Kershaw’s Divisions slowed as Keifer and Wheaton fell back in good order beside Merritt’s Cavalry. While it was true that many Confederate soldiers had left the ranks to plunder the Union camps, fatigue was also becoming a problem for men who had been marching and fighting contiuously for over twelve hours.
Previous map: 8 a.m. • Next map: 10 a.m.
The fighting shifted to Getty’s Division holding the cemetery northwest of Middletown. Supported by artillery, the divisions of Ramseur and Pegram launched two unsuccessful attacks on the high ground.
At this time Getty learned that he was in command of the Sixth Corps due to Rickett’s wound. He left his division and in command of the Vermont Brigade’s Lewis Grant.
A third assault on the cemetery by Wharton’s division also failed. The decision by Early to add Wharton’s Division to the attack on the cemetery has been identified by several historians as a major blunder of the battle. Wharton’s small 1,100 man division was Early’s last reserve. Its orders had been to advance down the Valley Pike, which could have closed off the main line of retreat to the Federals.
Instead, Wharton’s men were badly bloodied in a frontal assault against superior numbers in a good defensive position, and the Valley Pike north of Middletown was occupied by Custer’s strong cavalry division.
As the fog burned off Confederate artilery was able to concentrate on the ridge. Grant finally withdrew from the position, not because of the artillery but because he was concerned that Evans’ and Kershaw’s Divisions were moving behind his flank.