General George Crook: His Autobiography

Schmitt, Martin F., University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, 1946 (Crook)

Battle of Cool Spring (page 122)

The next day we joined the Sixth Corps, Gen. H. G. Wright commanding, and marched to Snicker's Gap. The enemy was across the Shenandoah River, but we could not tell whether they were in force or not. Gen. Wright ordered me to send a force across the river and develop the enemy, which I did, waiting myself with Gen. Wright to watch developments. He occupied a commanding position from where we could overlook the country where the enemy was supposed to be.

The rough country seemed to end in the bluff just under us made by the Shenandoah River. On the opposite side was mostly bottom and rolling country divided into fields, with an occasional clump of timber. My troops had no more than crossed the river when the enemy's strngth commenced developing. I desired to withdraw my troops to our side of the river, but he said no, he would order Gen. Ricketts' to cross the river and support me with his division.

Gen. Ricketts was standing with us at this time. He gave Gen. Ricketts the order in my presence. Gen. Ricketts' division was lying just in the rear of my men. He and I rode down together to where the crossing was to be made. By the time we had reached this place, the enemy had shown such strength that Gen. Ricketss declined to go to their support, and allowed many of my men to be sacrificed. I lost some valuable men here, murdered by incompentence or worse. I reported the facts to Gen. Wright, but that was the end of it, while I suffered in the estimation of my men as having made a useless sacrifice.