New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-07
pidly marching up the narrow mountain

|
Night had now come on, and began tC
| realize for the first time the perilous tasl
| before us. We were upon marrow winding
| r0ad-but two horsemen could ride abreast
| steep activities rose up along our right
| and our LETT was thanked by chasms and
| deep gorges, through which rushed noun
tain stream, swollen by the heavy rains
| which now came down in torrents
Through the pitchy darkness of the night
not a foe could be distinguished; but the
| steady tramp of the horses, the ring of steel
scabbards. and the stern command from
| time TO time. "Close upr" STEADY, menp
| could be heard for miles far Down in the
| valley below, as the anxious column pressed
up toward the mountain top.
Young Clusters Michigan brigade had the
| front, with division headquarters escort, I'M
der Captain Jones, in advance. brave
! boy four at one of the mountain houses, who
was acting as our guide. now told us that
we were nearing the top; a moment later
we made turn to the right, and suddenly
came full upon the enemy. The challenge,
''Who comes thereP was instantly followed
by the rapid discharges of artillery and
musketry in our very faces.
Fer moment all was confusion, but the
troops quickly recovered, and dashiug for
ward. captured the artillery and four hun
dred prisoners.
n
distinctly heard rolling on down the noun
tain road not half a mile Always
There goes their train," shouted Custer.
''Yes hear it: what's to be done -
"Why, 90 for it, that's ALL"
'Will you lead?'
''Of course | will"
Hold on, then, till we can give them
some artillery, and under cover you can
charge"
The artillery was brought up, and opened
on the train, a citizen directing where to
fire. Then Custer, at the head of his gal
liant brigade, dashed down the road through
the night.
The artillery ceased firing, and we held
our breath in excited expectation Five
minutes hardly had elapsed when we heard
our bugles sounding the charge. Then came
a crash of musketry, mingled with the wild
shouts of the men as they charged upon the
tt ain. In moment all was over. Custer
struck the train, and then facing in the di-
rection of Gettysburg, held the road, while
the entire column passed on down to the
valley below. Here. parking and burning a
wagon train over five miles long, we moved
on to Smoketown, where we successfully
repulsed an attack made by Stuart and
drove him off in the direction OF Hagers-
town. Lee all this time was pressing on by
a different route to the Potomac.
Buford, in the meantime, had crossed
South Mountain, and early in the morning
of this day sent me word that large
wagon train was parked at Williamsport,
and that he intended to destroy it, and
asked me to hold the roads from the direc-
ton of Hagerstown. About two o'clock p.
III. we heard his artillery, and knew he was
at work. We had been fighting Stuart's
cavalry all day, and could have held for
ever the roads and high hills against this
foe; but now word was brought that rebel
infantry was moving up the road, not two
miles away. knew that / could resist but
an hour more at best. Lees army was
nearing Hagerstown, so, leaving a brigade
under Richmond, with Elders battery, to
hold the road to the last sent word to Blu
ford that if the train was to be burned it
must be done within the next hour, and
that if he would press forward, Custer
would charge.
He answered back, tall right; in ten
minutes | will advance and then you pitch
in"
Custer had already formed his command J.
Hamilton and Pennington gallOped down
with their guns and numbered within less
than eight hundred yards of the enemys
position, in spite of the terrible fire from
twenty pieces of artillery. Every moment
was precious-twice had Fitz Hugh Lee
desperately charged the position held by
the gallant Richmond. Once his troopers
rode over Elders battery-but they were
driven back, and again the guns blazed
forth. At last Custer was ready-it had
seemed an age-his bugles sounded the
charge, and then the lines dashed forward
two regiments had reached the enemy's
flank, hundreds of wagons were already in
a blaze fred by Buford's men, and in five
minutes more. Imboden, with all his wagons,
prisoners and Wounded, would have been
ours, when an officer, covered with blood,
dashed up from the rear with word from
Richmond that he could not hold his posi-
ton another minnie. In fact he was now
falling back, but fighting. Infantry was
pressing on his centre and masses of ca
valry were sweeping on his TANKS; twice |
ordered Custer to retire, but it took third
order to force him from the fight, and then
only when he saw that ruin and capture
awaited us if delayed another moment
Word was sent to Buford that we must re-
tire. The brigades were then united, and we
all fell slowly back, disputing every inch of
ground till night came on.
Let me repeat. Lees original and ire
trievable error was his failure to seize and
hold the line of hills at Gettysburg, and
more particularly Culp's Hill, the COM
point of our position. Once hav-
ing lost this golden, opportunity, and
Reynolds and Bufor1 having secured the
position for our own army, his experience
of the skill of our officers, and the spirit of
our troops, should have deferred him from
our lines even with his superior
But recent success had effaced
the memory OF Antietam. He hurled his |
army against the firm front of the army Of
the Potomac, and they were dashed to
pieces. 1t may be that his broken and dis |
command ought not to have been
suffered to escape across the swollen Po- |
tomac; but it is the merest justice to the |
of Butord. and to his gallant COM
rades, living and dead, to affirm that if there |
was anything like uncertainty or sluggish |
ness in the pursuit of the routed enemy,
most assuredly this imputation ought not to
'est upon the cavalry or its leaders. have !
lOt at hand details of the operations of the |
divisions of Buford and Gregg. But l can |
say that the third division alone concluded |
sixteen days of incessant fighting by des- |
,roying Ewells train, capturing nearly five |
thousand prisoners, nine guns and eleven |
and Gin conjunction with Buford |
would have captured ImbOdens command |
md the larger train at Williamsport, but |
or the unexpected arrival of Stuart's entire |
'Orps and the advance of the rebel army in |
is precipitate retreat.