%447.  Grant in Virginia.%—­Meantime Grant had set out from Culpeper Courthouse on May 4, 1864, crossed the Rapidan, and entered the “Wilderness,” a name given to a tract of country covered with dense woods of oak and pine and thick undergrowth.  The fighting was almost incessant.  The loss of life was frightful; but he pushed on to Spottsylvania Courthouse, and thence to Cold Harbor, part of the line of fortifications before Richmond.  He would, as he said, “fight it out on this line if it takes all summer,” and went south of Richmond and besieged Petersburg.

%448.  Early’s Raid, 1864.%—­Lee now sent Jubal Early with 20,000 soldiers to move down the Shenandoah valley, enter Maryland, and threaten Washington.  This he did, and after coming up to the fortifications of the city, he retreated to Virginia.  A little later, Early sent his cavalry into Pennsylvania and burned Chambersburg.

Grant thought it was time to stop this, and sent Sheridan with an army to drive Early out of the Shenandoah valley.  “It is desirable,” said Grant, “that nothing should be left to invite the enemy to return.”

Sheridan set out accordingly, and on September 19 he met Early in battle at Winchester, and a few days later at Fishers Hill, beat him at both places, and sent him whirling up the valley.  Sheridan followed for a time, and then brought his army back to Cedar Creek, after burning barns, destroying crops, and devastating the entire upper valley.

%449.  Sheridan’s Ride.%—­And now occurred a famous incident.  About the middle of October Sheridan went to Washington, and while on his way back slept on the night of October 18 at Winchester.  At 7 A.M. on the 19th he heard guns, but paid no attention to the sounds till 9 o’clock, when, as he rode quietly out of Winchester, he met a mile from town wagon trains and fugitives, and heard that Early had surprised his camp at daylight.  Dashing up the pike with an escort of twenty men, calling to the fugitives as he passed them to turn and face the enemy, he met the army drawn up in line eleven miles from Winchester.  “Far away in the rear,” says an old soldier, “we heard cheer after cheer.  Were reinforcements coming?  Yes, Phil Sheridan was coming, and he was a host.”  Dashing down the line, Sheridan shouted, “What troops are these?” “The Sixth Corps,” came back the response from a hundred voices.  “We are all right,” said Sheridan, as he swung his old hat and dashed along the line to the right.  “Never mind, boys, we’ll whip them yet.  We shall sleep in our old quarters to-night.”  And they did.[1] Early was defeated.

[Footnote:1] Read Sheridan’s account in his Personal Memoirs, Vol.  II., pp. 66-92.