Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1865-12-02
A ROMANCE OF THE WAR.
VIRGINIA. October, 1868.

! IA hearing name so illusIrious, that, If !
were TO give il, the mos, ardent opponents
nt The nv ylhoOgic +. F. VS. would take
certain historic interest in wha! | am
going 10 relate. " hen ] say that ne IL
.caEe = k.ieUtensHt W YOU can not
possibly guess his name. But tho cRrI-
Ious incident WITH whIrh propose 10
amuse those readers who laks an inter
esl in the verilable occurrences of The
great struggle just terminated.
On the ninlh day Of June, 1868. there
took place at Fleetwood Hill, near Bran
dy Station, in Culpepper, the greatest
and most desperate cavalry conflict OF the
war. Nea.ly $4,000 horsemen fought
there "all summers day'-as when
Earl Percy met the Douglass in the gIades
of Chevy Chasesand the combat was OF
unexamp!ed fury. General Stuart com
manding all the cavalry of General Lee 8
army. had held grand review some days
before, IL the extensive fields below the
jConrl-honse. and mimic battle had ia
ken place, preceding tbs real one. The
horse artillery, posted on hill, fired
blank cartridges as the cavalry charged
The guns; the columns swept by great
pole, from which The white Confederate
flag waved proudly in the wind; General
Lee with hi. erlzzled beard and Old gray
riding cape. looked on, the center OF all
eyes; bands played. the artillery roa'ed,
the charging squadrons shook the ground,
aud from The great crowd assembled TO
witness the in posing spectacle shown the
variegaled dresses and bright eyes of the
beautiful women, rejoicing IN Me beyday
of the grand review.
| Bu, lha, roar of artillery in the mimic
battle reached other ears than those for
which it was intended. There were
some friends Of ours upon the opposite
shore OF the RaPpahannock who took
Ieyen greater interest in the movements oi
General Lee than the fair daughters OF
Virginia. The thunder of The artillery
Was heard by them, and they at once
conceived burning curiosity TO know
what all This firing meant. So, one bright
l
the river, about seventeen thousand IN
number. to see what old Uncle Robert
was about. Thereupon followed the
hard fight Of Fleetwood Hill.
description of this long and desper,
ate struggle is no portion of the present
subject The Federal forces (all cavalry,
advanced in front, on the right flank, on
the left fank--everywhere. The battle
was thus foughi, so 10 speak, "lrom the
centre outward" What the eye saw as
Stuart rapidly fell back from the river ant
coucenlrated his cavalry for the defense
Of Fleetwood Hill, between him and
Brandy, was great and Imposing spec
lacle Of squadrons charging in every por'
lion of The field-men falling. cul out oI
the saddle with The saber; artillery roar
ing, carbines cracking-a perfect hurly'
bury of conflict.
Some day, perhaps, the present histo'
} r!an may give page 10 this hard battle
and speak Of its "uIuving accidents" ot
The manner in which cannoneers of the
horse artillery met aud Eepulsed charge
upon their guns with clubs and sponge
sIalTs; how that galan, spirit, p. NJ. b.
Young. Of George, met the heavy flank.
ing column attacking from the side Of
ISIevensburg, and swept il back with the
lsaber; how The brave William F. Lee re-
ceived the charge upon the left and fell
in front Of his squadrons al the momen,
when The Federal forces broke; and how
Stuart. on fire with the heat oil battle, was
everywhere the soul and guiding spirit ol
the desperate Struggle.
At four in the evening the assault had
been repulsed, and the Federal cavalry
were in hasly retreat across the river
again. Many prisoners remained in the
hands OF the ConGederates. but they also
|! lost no, few; for the fight had been so
"mixed up" and so many small detach-
ments Of the Southern cavalry had been
cut off and surrounded in The melee, that
the captures were considerable.
Among those who were thus cut of
and captured in this wild struggle made
up of dust, smoke, blood, and uproar, was
Lieutenant W. His horse had mire d
in the ground near The Barbour House,
and he was incontinen.ly gobbled up by
his friends in the blue coats, and marched
to the rear, that is to say, across the Rap
pahannock. Lieutenant w was an
excellent specimen Of those brave youths
of the valley who gathered around Jack
son in the early months of the war, and
III The hot fights of the great campaigns
against Banks and Fremont, had borne
himself with very great courage and dis
hnc'ion. Wounded and captured at Kerns-
ltown-I think il was-he had bsen ey.