Sheridan’s wagon trains were kept at Harper’s Ferry, where all of his stores were.  By keeping the teams at that place, their forage did not have to be hauled to them.  As supplies of ammunition, provisions and rations for the men were wanted, trains would be made up to deliver the stores to the commissaries and quartermasters encamped at Winchester.  Knowing that he, in making preparations to move at a given day, would have to bring up wagons trains from Harper’s Ferry, I asked him if he could be ready to get off by the following Tuesday.  This was on Friday.  “O Yes,” he said, he “could be off before daylight on Monday.”  I told him then to make the attack at that time and according to his own plan; and I immediately started to return to the army about Richmond.  After visiting Baltimore and Burlington, New Jersey, I arrived at City Point on the 19th.

On the way out to Harper’s Ferry I had met Mr. Robert Garrett, President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  He seemed very anxious to know when workmen might be put upon the road again so as to make repairs and put it in shape for running.  It was a large piece of property to have standing idle.  I told him I could not answer then positively but would try and inform him before a great while.  On my return Mr. Garrett met me again with the same and I told him I thought that by the Wednesday he might send his workmen out on his road.  I gave him no further information however, and he had no suspicion of how I expected to have the road cleared for his workmen.

Sheridan moved at the time he had fixed upon.  He met Early at the crossing of Opequon Creek, a most decisive victory—­one which the country.  Early had invited this attack himself by his bad generalship and made the victory easy.  He had sent G. T. Anderson’s division east of the Blue Ridge before I went to Harper’s Ferry; and about the time I arrived there he started other divisions (leaving but two in their camps) to march to Martinsburg for the purpose destroying the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at that point.  Early here learned that I had been with Sheridan and, supposing there was some movement on foot, started back as soon as he got the information.  But his forces were separated and, as I have said, he was very badly defeated.  He fell back to Fisher’s Hill, Sheridan following.

The valley is narrow at that point, and Early made another stand there, behind works which extended across.  But Sheridan turned both his flanks and again sent him speeding up the valley, following in hot pursuit.  The pursuit was continued up the valley to Mount Jackson and New Market.  Sheridan captured about eleven hundred prisoners and sixteen guns.  The houses which he passed all along the route were found to be filled with Early’s wounded, and the country swarmed with his deserters.  Finally, on the 25th, Early turned from the valley eastward, leaving Sheridan at Harrisonburg in undisputed possession.