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[556] from the Army of the Potomac to the command of the forces in the field under Hunter, was appointed in his stead. The selection was a fortunate one. An excellent strategist, of sound military views, and a wary, enterprising, and aggressive temper, General Sheridan was of all others the man best fitted for the peculiar command intrusted to him. To the column of active operation under his command, consisting of the Sixth and Nineteenth corps and the infantry and cavalry of West Virginia, under Generals Crook and Averill, were added two divisions of cavalry from the Army of the Potomac, under Torbert and Wilson. This gave him an effective in the field of forty thousand men, whereof ten thousand consisted of excellent cavalry—an arm for the use of which the Shenandoah region affords a fine field. General Sheridan was appointed to the command on the 7th of August, and his operations during that month and the fore part of September were mainly confined to manoeuvres having for their object to prevent the Confederates from gaining the rich harvests of the Shenandoah Valley. But after once or twice driving Early southward to Strasburg, he each time returned on his path towards Harper's Ferry. General Grant had hesitated in allowing Sheridan to take a real initiative, as defeat would lay open to the enemy the States of Maryland and Pennsylvania before another army could be interposed to check him. Finding, however, while on a personal visit to General Sheridan, in the month of September, that that officer expressed great confidence of success, he authorized him to attack. At this time the Confederate force held the west bank of Opequan Creek, covering Winchester; and the Union force lay in front of Berryville, twenty miles south of Harper's Ferry. The situation of the opposing armies was peculiar: each threatened the communications of the other, and either could bring on a battle at any time. It would appear that General Early had designed assuming the offensive; for, leaving one division of infantry and Fitz Hugh Lee's cavalry to cover Winchester, he had thrown the
1866.
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