The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-09-01
Campaign "reminiscences.
STUART's FAMOUS RIDE DESCRIBED by
GEN. NJ. c. BUTLER.

sTUART's FAMOUS RIDE DESCRIBED BY
GEN. NJ. C. BUTLER.
Your readers may remember the
remarkable ride made by Stuart
sround MoClellan's army. with se-
lect column, after the battle of
Sharpsburg, in the full of 1862 In
some respects it was tho most oele-
brated march OH record. After pass.
ing tho Potomac INTO Virginia, at
Shephcrdstown aud adjacent crossings,
the second day after that terrible
battle, Gen. ice, it will be rcmem-
bored, remained with his army in the
lower Valley of Virginia, in the
ncighborhood of Charlestown, Win.
chester aud Martinsburg, until some.
time in Dece mber.
The cavalry (Hampton's, Fitz Lees
and Wm. II. Il. Lee'e brigades) were
guardingg the crossings Of tho Polo.
mao in front of the army. My rogi.
mcnt, the Seooni. South Carolina
Cavalry, was part Of Hampton's
brigade, stationed near Martinsburg,
on tho Baltimore and Ohio Rail.
road.
About the latter part of October
Sharpsburg having been fought in
Septembr-I was ordered to select
Que hundred and sevonty-five of my
best mounted men, with the neces.
sary complement of officers, and reu-
devious late in the evening, with the
inevitable three days's cooked rations,
near McCorr iyk's Ford, one of the
upper picket stations Of the cavalry
Oh the the Potomac.
Accordingly, we reached the point
of rendezvous after dark, and rested
-wlthodt fires-for the night, at no
great distance from the ford. My
regiment having been selected by
tcoident, l presume-to lead the
column the next day, aud oonsequ
ly the first to cross the river, :se mcrc
in the saddle the next morning bofuse
uaylighS, aud just ut dawn. having
moved down to the river, Lieut..
Robert ShIver. of Capt.. Ckestnut's
company, was detailed, with nine
men, to cr'ss on foot ledge of rocks
discovered by the scouts short dis
tance above the main ford. The
pronptness and success with which
this gallant soldier accomplished his
duty is best known to those of US Nho
witnessed his cool deter minaton
upon this and many other perllous
occasions. He waded across With his
detachment, surrounded the Federal
pickcts on the opposite banks, ais-
pcrsing them and capturing some,
when Capt. John Chestnut, another
soldier as knightly and fearless as
ever drow a blade, dashed with his
company into the stream, hitherto
untried by any of QsySfand qnickly 2
gained the Maryland shore, making
the crossing for the rest of us com
parativcly easy.
The regiment was soon over without
accident, and it was 10 difficult mat
ter to put to flight the reserve post of
our blue coat adversaries, evi,lentl 3
alarmed by our audaucity, and sur
prised by this uncerem onious morn
lug call. One piece Of Havt's battery y
was hurried across and taken under
our wing to the nearest elevation be,
yond the river, where it was put in
position with the usual guards, from
my regiment, thrown out on all the
roads to cover the crossing Of the
column in the rear, composed of the
remainder Of Hampton's brigade,
the brigades of the two Lees aud one
other. battery, I think, besides Hart's.
We we're all fairly over, and then
began that bold and exciting ride.
Stuart oan.e up and joined US with
the advance guard before we had
reached the national turnpike, and
was indiscreet enough to ask him by
what route ho expected to recross the
Potomac. (We we're then heading
UP the Cumb srland Valley, with Mo.
Clellan's immense army on our righ,
for miles, and what appeared to me
impaSsable mountain barriers on oul
lefty "Ah," said he, "my dea,
Colonel, I have not yet answered
that question myself" The subjco,
was of course changed, and Stuart
laughed and sung as gaiy as if he wat
ON pleasure excursion, and remark
ed to me that 70 be with the advance
guard uuder suoh circumstances was
as exciting as a fox chase.
1t had never occurred to me, in the
most extravagant exercise Of my i'm,
agination, that he Intended to go
clean around MoClellan's army and
recross between him and Washington
but so he did. We crossed tho Ma
tional turnpike, and, at point shor
distance to our right, captured sig
nal station located on an elevation
near the roadside, with tho entir
outfit, men and all. So suddenly hat
wa debouobed that tho bunting eve,
had NOT haan ~ nfu u ad "a xpalnnxna. a. 4, G