Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-26
'ssatH a5l& aqY
vAvALus vE'rEis.Ns.
An Interesting and successful I
unipn.

was held at the Bardwcll tlousc, Rutland
Wednesday evening, Oct. 11lh, 1888. /
the absence of President Braincrd Capt i
Moore, first vicc-prcsidgnt, called the nice,
ing to orler. Secretary 5. II. Wood read tb
minutes of tho last meeting and Treasure
Warren Gibbs reported II balance OF S2S. 1.
In the treasury.
fourteen IA new members enrolled ,hei
ramcs.
A nominating committee consisting Of II
o. Wmclet, j. ID. Rice, AID w. l.. Green
leaf rep ntcd a list OF clll.eis for the yea
ensuing, and thsy were unanimously elected
rs follows
rftsidcut- Capt. Frank Moore.
Secretgfy-S. IL. Wood.
Treasuier-Warrcn Gibbs and a vice.prcs
ldent for each company.
Executive Committee - William Wells
Howard ii. Burge, W. Cove.
The veterans thea adjourned to the suppc
room, where some forty cavalry boys ant
guests sat down 10 an excellent supper. Al
the close of this IN address was delivered by
Lieut.. W. J.. Greenl,af of Winooski. Hi
subject was the Cavalry Arm of the Service
in the War for the Union.
Tho Address.
Eaily in The war little dependence was
placed on The cavalry, and service IN it was
far from peasant. 1t was used only fol
picket al d scouting dirty, and the question
"who ever saw dead cavalry mani" was
thrown in the face of every mounted man.
Finally, however, 1t administered ZONE of
the most telling blows against the RI bcllion,
from capturing rebel gunboat to
taking JEFF Davis in peticoats.
C1l. (trppupnf clp,plpJ Tho epryirn ~ Tho
Cavalry Corps # the Army of the Potom ac-
under Gen. Sheridan, numbering with its bat
teries about 1000 mcn-iu 1864. Gen Shcri-
dan, after assuming the command. had made
careful study of thetupography of the coun-
try bttween the Rtpidan and Richmond, and
had become convinced that the only effective
use that could be made of his command
was TO c1niinc his attention to the cavalry of
the enemy. This idea he put in Practice as
far as possible, with what results, the sequel
will show.
the third division at Gcrmana Ford, and by
the second division at Ely's Ford, at daylight
on the morning OF May 4th.
Five days were passed in the Wilderness,
marching and countermarching through its
narrow and tangle wood roads, during which
lime the duty OF guarding the trans was
varied by several bloody fights, IN which our
men were nearly always victorious, defeating
the cncmys clvalry under ROsscr at Todd's
Tavern on the 9th, Hampton and Fitz Hugh
Lee at the Fun naccs on the 9Th, and Stuart at
Iodd's Tavern on the Itb, protecting the left
OF our army and preventing the capture of its
extensive trains. The withdrawal Of Lees
army 10 its defences on the Pc relieved our
cavalry of a portion OF its duty, and it was
ordered out on raid toward Richmond for
the purpose of cutting off Lees communlca.
,ions and SUPPLIES.
At day light, Monday morning, May 9th,
the column, numbering about 5000 men,
moved out, the first division having the
advance, the third following, the second in
the rear.
1t WAS Gen. Shordan's intention T. put his
command as quickly as possible on the south
side OF tue North Anna river, where he was
IN hopes to procure grain for the horses and
where he was confident that while he was
engaging the cavalry of the enemy, he would
not at the same time be confronted with his
Infantry; and where il not successful, he
could swing around westerly toward Gordon
vile and Orange, G. H., and rcjon the
army.
In order to misltad the enemy, the line of
march was at first toward Fredericksburg to
Tabernacle church, thence to the telegraph
road, thence turning to the right down
through Chilcsburg, to Andcrson's crossing
of the North Anna. The column moved at a
walk, with the three divisions on the same
road, making a column about 10 miles in
length. After crossing the Ny, Ia and Pc
rivers each Of which would have afforded
the enemy an excellent line of defence, all
fears of our ability to cross the North Anna
were removed and the command was halted
for short time on the broad intervac border
ing the Mat river. Again moving forward
our advance reached the North Anna about
dark, ut Anderson's ford, the LIST division
c'ossing Immediately, while the "a and
81 divisions encamped on the north
side. Casters brigade of the 1st
division, after crossing, was ordered for
ward TO Beaver Dam Station of the Vr-
giula Central railroad, where he was so for
tunatc as to overhaul train of cars, con-
tanning nearly 80 of our wounded men, in
Guiding many officers captured in the battles
OF the Wilderness who were thus unwilling
ly moving ION TO Richmond" The train
was ready to move with steam up, when
Custer came charging down upon it, scatter
ins the panic-stricken guards who, not sup.
posing there was an armed Union soldier
within thirty miles Of them, were taken
completely by surprise and fled in precipl-
tate haste, crying 'Thc Yauks are coming
the Ianks are comipg.." With the knowl-
edge we afterward obtained of the horrors
aud atrocities Of Andcrsouville and other
Southern prison pens, this timely rescue of
SO many OF our inca was great achieve
mcnt, had nothing moe been accomplished.
10 reach this station our cavalry had made
a march of thirty miles, and had outwittcd
the rebe! cavalry, which, late in the after
noon, had caught up with the rear of our
column, and made fierce and FREQUENT ut
tacks, but was held at bay by General Da-
vies, who had command Of the rear guard.
During the night Gen. Clusters brigade
destroyed the depot buildings at Beaver
Dam, together with three locomotives, 100
cars, 10 wagons, 10 miles of railroad and
telegraph, and severa, culvers 200, 900
pounds OF bacon and other stores, amount
Ing to over 800, 0C0 ralions, and nearly all
the medical stores of Lees army. This was
hitting johnnie Reb" in tender place.
With his haversack empty and his qunine
and whlskey gone, YOU can imagine how he
must have felt at breakfast time the next
morning.
While this picnic was going on in our front.
Stuarts cavalry was harassng our rear and
TANKS in strong force. The 9Th Ohio. which
was In the extreme rear, was roughly handled
and lost many men in killed and prisoners, by
vigorous charge of the enemy. The 1st
New Jersey was sent to It's assistance, and the
ehenly was manly REFUSED, ailer hard fight
lasting well ino the night. The rear of the
column, which Livouacked on the north bank
OF the river, was constantly diminishing with
the enemy until morning. Ga the morning
OF the ION Stuart with Fitzhugh Lees and
Hamptons divisions, again attacked our rear
but was kept back until the crossing could be
made under cover of the artillery. the first
stage of the expedition had now been success.
fully accomplished, and at Andersons mills
little grain had been procured for our almost
famished horses.
The rebels. having by this tine become
convinced that il was not Shtridan's ipten.
ton to swing around their rear by way of Or.
ange court house, saw their mistake in fol-
lowing up our rear, and by hard marching all
that day and night succeeded in getting be-
i....... .-...Ir. L.. L