The Portland daily press., 1870-01-08
Selected Story.
The Tale Of Sheridan'S Ride Re-told

and CQcTludll dl w dSulUOUOQ. loo ~
1t is difficult to describe the feeling of hone
lessness these few words produced upon all
who heard them. Strockey, the captain or
our company, confirmed their truth by add
ing, Yes; he went 10 Washington two or
three days ago" "Who is COMMANDING the
army?" was asked, and the INQUIRER was told
1t was wright" The old Sixth knew Wright
well as an officer; by the death of the beloved
Seogwick he was called to its command We
Knew that he had led us often since then into
and out OF "the thickest of the fight" but be
nad never commanded an army; and we felt
That the present was not safe occasion to
try prentice hand" There was at the mo-
ment painful anxiety manifested as to the
chlef command; though we might have
spared ourselves this inquietude, ior it is
doubtful whether any one could have acted
more skilIfully, under the circumstances, up
to that juncture, than Wright had done.
what he would have done further is matter
OF conjecture, as the opportunity was not pre-
sented for any further developments of strate-
gy on his part.
The fog had now dispersed, and the sun
was shining brightly. We were in the fields
about mile north of Middletown, and had
held this position Tor nearly an hour. Look
ing back along the road that soped I'D to-
ward Newton, both it and the adjacent fields
were dotted with stragelers, servants leading
pack mules, wounded men getting to the
rear, with good many OF that peculiar class
known to their woithier comrades as "coffee
boilers" The general direction OF this spo-
radio tide was toward Newton, the goal being
Harpers Ferry, which was upward OF forty
miles further on from the enemy. A few
wagons were ambIing diagUnally over the
fields toward the road, as though retiring
from the tanks; but it was strikingIy notable
that there was nothing, man or beast, NOV
ing back from the village to the line of the
army. The firing in our front was now be-
coming quick and severe, as if the enemy
were making use of our own guns, captured
by them in the early movement of the morn
ing. On the other hand, our artillery fire
seemed, as it was in fact,s proportionately
weaker, from the loss of at least fifteen pieces.
Occasionally our men glanced behind them
toward Newton, mutteref imprecatIons leap
ed from their lips, directed against the "bum-
mers" and coffee boilers" that could be seen
constantly and very distinctly retiring to the
rear, as there was an uninterrupted view all
the way up to the village.
just at this crisis the first Rhode Island
batt7iy,or section of it, galloped at spen-
did paca just along the rear oil our line, and
was soon lost to our view in a ravine beyond,
In which there was tract of timber. In
few seconds after terrific "slumm" came
booming out of the woods within two hun
dred yards OF our flank, while a cushion of
snow-white smoke was seen putting up over
the trees. "Goodj God! they are getting
range of us with she'll" Another conclusion
OF the air and a "slumm" as before, followed
by the clouds OF smoke, made him knit his
brows and compress bis lips. "SIumm" again
and as the smoke cleared I raised myself
slightly on my hands, for we were living down
under orders, and saw the CLEAN of a bur-
n'shed Parrott, and hammer, with spong-
ing rod on the shoulder OF a blue blouse.
Strockey saw it too, and with a veil shouted
out, "By Godw it's the Rhode l. land hat
tery!' How those splendid fellows served
their guns! and the guns seemed to under
stand what was required Of them, for never
before was metal known to speak more op-
pori unely than those pieces did. "Spang!
spa2g! spang! spapg! and metallic twang
and whirripg whistle was heard at every dis
charge, as the iron-lipped dogs beched out
their gyral tongues OF steel. 1t was worth a
division Of relnforcements to hear it, for it
was the first artillery we had seen that morn
ing on the Union side, while. although we
did not see them, we knew from experience
that the rebels had used theirs with terribly
destructive effect.
just then faint cheer was heard afar off
IN our rear, as from the straeglers along the
Newton road. Gus, glancing over his shout
der, growled cut mechanically, ''Lsten to
those bummers! Where's the provost guard ?"
too looked back along the pike, and saw the
tide OF "strags" and relreaters moving or as
before, all going northward. Everythir not
with us at the front was retiring in the same
dlrecton-toward Newton. No. not eVery-
thing; single horseman was seen galoping
down The slope of the hill from Newton and
toward us. There was only one, and in all
likelihood my eye was attracted 10 the indi-
viduai-some wagon-master, supposed him
to bei-because he was travelling in an oppo-
site course to the crowd, through the thick OF
which he was making lis way. The glance of
others may have been momentarily arrested,
as was mine, by the sight of this solitary
horseman but it was so unimportant a mat
ter that no one thought OF calling comrad's
attention 10 it. The firing in our front had
now become exceedingly severe, and we ex-
pected every moment that the enemy would
show themselves, charge and attempt to dis
lodge us from our position. But they did not
then, nor ever afterward in that valley. Their
opportunity OF driving" us out of the Scar.
den of Virginia" was lost, for it was open on
ly about ten minutes longer. While we lay
waiting for them dozen or more voices in
our rear whined out q second feeble ,disointed
"Ha-a-ay! hoo-rayw and there was some
change in the aspect OF the crowd struggling
along the road and IN the fields nearest New
ton. noticed that the rider already men,
toned had turned off the hard, dusty cause
way, and was galoping along the road-marein
upon the brown turf. But he was still COM
ing toward us, while the groups as he passed
them either halted or turned aud followed, by
twos and threes, in his wake as if returning to
the army The horseman could be seen at
intervals to take off his hat and wave it above
his head, while The stragglers cheered In re-
Spouse. Some one IN our ranks remarked,
THAT fellow has got heavy load of Commits
sary inside his Shirt he has"
Still at galop his horse came on, with
long sweeping lunges, though he was not gal
Looping fast, his pace being more noticeable for
its stretch. than quick movement. A great
number of our troops had now noticed him,
but still paid him only the attention that
might be given to drunken man making a
show OF himself on horseback. At this time
second horseman appeared upon the hills
just emerging from Newton, and a full hall
mile to the rear of the first. He, too, seemed
to be riding at hard gallop. as if trying to
overtake the other. Just then attention was
called to the front by sp.uttering flsilade
from the enemy's SkIrmish line that was be-
ing thrown forward, and as they came slowly
on we gave them a volley IN return. Then
single she'll from the battery on our right
dropped and burst in their midst causino
them to retire. and as they Withdrew two or
three more shells passed over their heads and
exploded behind a little ridge, under cover of
which we believed them to be massing.
A cheer again rising in our rear, but this
time stronger and more continuous, caused
hundreds Of us to look back. The solitary
horseman was Within five hundred Yards of
us, and the herds of stragglers were still
struggling, but they strag sled to the front,
maneuvre SO unexpected as to astonish the
eldest of our veterans. And cutting through
among them down the Newton slope came
half-a dozen Other horsemen strung out IN
race-course order, but no two of them widely
separated, as they urged forward, now one
leading, then another, along the gray road
way. The second rider was nearly a mile
ahead of these, while himself a good half
mile behiud the foremost, who was now rap
idly approaching our lines. AS be came close
enous h for his features 10 be distinguished,
we could see they were animated to the high
est pltch OF anxiety aud earnestness, and with
his body thrown forward he appeared to grasp
his horses ribs convulsively between his
knees. Inc horse, a splendid black charger,
was evidently laboring, as the long swinging
gallop and distended neck plainly testified.
In another instant the strange horseman
came sweeping up to our lines, dozen yards
20 the lett of where and my comrade Stood
a. a. ne approached he once more raised his
iis aS auu waved 1t in the air. We could see his
Ups LA w, w great apparent energy; but
WI oo,, f,s;,n "' MN ms voice amidst the firing
ana CONFUSION. There was nothing in bis
dress or appearance to have attraetadS - us
lar attention. He wore the uniform pa part'cu-
ficer-the coat double breasted with the en h o.
4