The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-12-07
HOW THE FIRST N. JERSEY FOUGHT
AT BRANDY STATION.

u LII was the prettlest cavalry nSht tina
or you ever saw" said the Adjutant, stretch
al ing his legs and lighting fresh cigar
at was jus. my luck to lose it,"
answered. "Here have 1 been lying
growing and grumbling while you fel
'e lows have been distinguishing yourselves
: 1t was miserable to be taken just when
the army got in motion, and still worse not
to hear word of what was going on. | al.
most wished that we had been news.
paper regiment, so that could learn
something about our share in that day s
work. Be good fellow and play repor-
ter for my benefit. Freshen haws, as
the nautical novelists say, and begin"
"Well, We were lying at Warrenton
Junction, making ourselves as comfort
able as possible after the raid, when, on
the morning ofthe 9Th of June, the whole
division was ordered out in the very ligh
est marching order. That night we lay
close at Kelly's Ford in column of bat
talions. the men holding their horses as
they slept, and no fires being lighted.
"At four o'clock on the morning of the
9th we were again in motion, and got a.
cross the Ford without interruption or
discovery. Yorke, with the third squad
ron, was in advance, and as We moved
he managed so well that he bagged every
picket on the road. Thus We got almost
upon the rebel camp before we were dis
covered. We rode right into Jones's
Brigade, the First New Jersey and First
Pennsylvania charging together, and be-
fore they had recovered from the alarm
we had a hundred and fifty prisoners
The rebels were then forming thick upou
the hill side by the station, and they had
battery playing upon US like fun
Martins New York battery on our side
galloped into position and began to ans
wer them. Then Wyndham formed his
whole brigade for a charge, except squad
ron of First Maryland, left to support the
battery. Cur boys went 10 splendidly.
keeping well together and making straight
for the rebel battery on the hill behind
the station. Wyndham himself rode on
the right, and Broderick charged more
towards the left, and with a yell we were
on them. We we're only two hundred
and eighty strong, and front of us was
Whites Battalion Of five hundred No
matter for that As we dashed iercely
into them sabre in hand they broke like
wave ou the bows of a ship, and over and
. through them we went sabring as we
went We could not stop to take pris-
oncrs, for there in front of US were the
Twelfth Virginia, six hundred men, rid
ing down to support White. They came
up splendidly, looking stcadicr than we
did ourselves after the shock of the first
charge. do not know whether Wynd-
ham was still with US, or if he had gone
to another regiment; but there was
Broderick looking full of fight, his blue
eyes in blaze, and his sabre clenched,
riding well in front. 1t seemed but an
instant before the rebels were scattered
10 every direction, trying now and then
to rally in small parties, bat never daring
to await our approach. Now there were
the guns plain before US. We caught
one gun before they could move it, aud
were dashing after others when | heard
Broderck shouting in a stormy voice
The fragments of Whites battalion had
gathered together toward the left of the
field and were charging in our rear. Atthe
same time two fresh regiments, the Elev-
enth Virginia and another, were coming
down on our front. Instead of dashing
at Whites men the First Maryland waver-
ed and broke, and then we were charged
at the same time front and rear. We
were broken Of course, by the mere
weight of the attacking force, but break
ing them up too, the whole field was COW
cred with small squads of fighting men.
saw Broderick ride in with cheer and
open way for the men. His horse went
down in the melee but little Wood, the
bugler of 20. G. sprang down and gave
him his animal, setting off to catch an-
other. A rebel rode at the bugler and
succeeded in getting his arms before help
came. As Wood still went after horse
another fellow rode at him. The boy
/ happened at that moment to see carbine
where it had been dropped after firing
He picked up the empty weapon, aimed
! it at the horscman, made him dismOunt,
give up his arms, and start for the rear.
Then he went IN again. None OF us
thought anything Of two to one odds, as
long as we had chance to ride at them. 1t
was only when We got so entangled that
we had to fight hand to hand that their
numbers told heavily. 1t was in such
place that lost sight of Broderick. The
troop horse that he was riding was not
strong enough to ride through knot of
men, SO that he could fight them. He
struck one so heavily that he was stunned
by the blow, but his horse was swerving
to one side he escaped the blow from an
other, and warding of the thrust of a
third, managed to take him with his
point across the forehead /; just as he did
SO, however, his sabre, getting tangled
with the rebels was jerked from his hand.
He always carried a pistol in bis boot
Pulling that out, he fred into the crowd
and put spurs to his horse. The bullet
hit a horse 10 front of him which fell