On the night of October 13th 1864, General Sheridan's army was camped in the lower hills, surrounding Winchester, Virginia. No lights were visible, and the only sounds were chirping crickets, the occasional whinnying of restless cavalry horses, and the measured tread of a sentry. Apparently, the army that was destined to meet the forces of General Early at Cedar Creek displayed no signs of life, yet in one of the smaller tents, and by the shaded glow of a bullseye lantern, a tall, blue-coated trooper was trimming his beard...