St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-08-06
"reminiscences.

day in the Shenandoah Valley, Va, a
column of blue coated cavalry could
have been seen winding its way over
and amongst the hills east of New mar
ket. 1t rained all day, and as we pass
ed the I'd Indiana, just across the
Shenandoah river, in bivouac under
their rubber blankets, we envied their
comparative "comfort.n
The mud in the "dirt" road was
nearly bOttOmless, as it was everywhere
in Virginia at that time off the pixies.
Capt. Preston's white moustache stuck
straight out, and ''Old Dewey" switched
his tail more than ever.
Capt. Mann, of the 1st Michigan Cav
airy, had been out the day before scout
ing, and reported to Gen. Hatch that
he bad seen some rebels in that direc-
tion-Ashby's Cavalry of course! So
detachment of the 1st Vt. Cavalry was
sent out to look them up, and bring
them in. We found nothing, not even
a glimpse of Ashby's famous white
horse, and came back hungry, tired and
wet, and hoping that the ubiquitous
rebel cavalrymen might catch Captain
Mann and keep him. The next thing
that we heard of this celebrated Mann,
he was Cnlnnal of the 9TH Michigan
Cavalry, which with the 1St, 5th, and
9th Michigan, and the 1st Vt. Cavalry,
composed Clusters Brigade. He did not
achieve much honor in this capacity,
and we next heard of him as out of SER
vice, and having an office in New York
city, engaged in foisting on to the gov
ernment new tangled machines for
crushing the rebellion, such as extern
sion ladders to raise a person up half
mile or more, so that they could see
over the enemy's works; or patent
breastplate or armor, warranted to stop
rifle ball. This was Il reasonably safe
venture, for if it should happen to stop
it the wearer was satisfied and if it
did not, but went through, the chances
were that he would not find fault about
it. He actually approached the War
Department with proposition to
equip, and, of course, command 'Bug-
gy Brigade"
Buggies were to be built to carry
seven men each. These were to be
drawn by one horse to each, and were
to cut around in rear of the
rebel army, destroying railroads, Sc,
and if they met the enemy in force, six
men could dismOunt and fight, while
one man held the "buggy." 1 do not
understand that it was proposed to
charge on the enemy, but the wonder
full fertility of his mind might have
contemplated even that. Instead of
the usual order, "Prepare to fight on
foot Nos. one, two, and four dismount,
No. three hold the hOrses," it would be,
"Prepare to fight on foot, No. one hold
the horse, all the rest dismount" He
might have put some scythes on the
wheels, and made kind of Roman
chariot of them, but | don't understand
that it was done.
Secretary Stanton was too sharp to
be taken in by any such party as he
was, but it seems that he found one
distinguished military man who did not
see through him till it was too late.
Having some worthless land to sell, he
organized just at the close of the war,
the "United Service Pipe and Oil Co.,"
with brilliant prospectus and Major
Gen. W. S. Hancock for President, or
figure-head. The thing was an unmiti.
gated swindle, and the victims never
received back one cent of the S47, 900
paid in. 1 read in the paper that an
other and greater swindle was organiz-
ed in Cincinnati few weeks ago with
the same figurehead. The intention of
the first swindle was to ensnare Union
soldiers and get their money the evil
dent intention of the last one is to get
their votes. RossER.