Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-08
ASHBY AND STUART.
How the Confederate Cavalry Lea
ders Fought and Died.
Stuart. the Cavalier of the Scuth---
Ashby, stoaewali Jackson's
Right Arna-.-The Raid
on Pope.
m. Quad in Detroit Free Press. !

cavalry and artillery. 1t was highway adj
m1rably laid out for the defense by a rear
guard. Always narrow-ful of sharp de-
scents and sudden curves-natural ambus
cades at every mile-it needed only dozen
men at certain spots to hold regiment at
bay for quarter of an hour. Jackson
pushed ahead at a famous rate, and the roar
OF the guns of the rear guard was ever in his
ears. Atone point zine dismounted cavalry
men held the narrow road until the Federals
had advanced two full regiments, and 100
men had worked their way up the sides of the
mountain to flank the little band These
nine men killed and wounded twenty three
men before they were pushed back and,
though dozen shells were fired at them as
they retreated along straight stretch of
road, not a man was injured.
THE CAPTURE OF wYNDHAM.
During the afternoon of the last day of the
retreat, the Federal Gen. Wyndham, who
had command of full brigade of cavalry.
was pushed to the front to drive through the
Confederate rear guard. The spot chosen
was where the highway stretched across a
level, giving the cavalry room to deploy and
nlanoeuVre. Not quite half mile beyond,
the Confederate rear guard was holding the
hill over which the road wound. Two pieces
Of artillery were posted in the road, and dis
mounted cavalry supported them. When it
was seen that Wyndham's brigade was mass
ing for a charge, Ashby hastily collected
about seven hundred of his men and massed
them in the highway. The guns were then
drawn aside, and the cavalry carbines slung
and depending upon the sabre alone, rushed
down the highway in mighty mass. Wynd-
ham was struck in the centre, and the Con-
federates passed clear through his lines.
wheeled at the call of the bugle, and,
dividing to the right and left.
they fell upon the two wings with
such fury as to route both. 1t was sabre
work almost entirely, and in that fifteen
minutes fight $50 men were killed or
wounded, Wyndham and six officers cap
tured, and two flags, thirty-two horses and
forty prisoners taken. Ashby led the charge,
and men who followed close after him aver
that he struck as many as six different men
with his sabre. In that fight Confederate,
now living on farm near Glendale, Va,
had his right ear sliced off close to his head,
and the sabre sunk into his shoulder in a way
to forever disable his arm. The wound in
his shoulder was felt at once, but the loss of
his ear was not noticed until the fight was
over Wyndham sought to excuse his disas-
ter by talking of the cowardice of his troop
ers, but his own sabre was without stain.
and men who hear no orders of command
cannot be blamed for falling into a panic.
The Confederates rode right at solid lines and
the shock of meeting knocked down numer-
Gus horses and disabled number of men
CHARGING INFANTRY.
Half an hour later Fremonts advance of
infantry was pressing so closely that infantry
had to be sent back to oppose them. EwelI
ambushed three or four regiments in the
woods and fields at turn of the road, but
the advance scented the trap and deployed
right and left, and advanced to the attack in
two lines of battle, most of the force being
composed of Pennsylvania Bucktails. To
reach the Confederates, the blue lines had to
cross wide, open fields, and, as they left their
shelter, they received such a fire that all
further advance was checked The men
were seeking the cover of rocks and bitches
and holding their ground well, when Ashby
Numbered down upon them with his cavalry.
There was no time to form squares, and the
charge resulted in a rout. The infantry
were driven back upon the reserve, horses
and men; Federal and Confederate inter-
mingled, and again the sabre and bayonet
inflicted terrible work. Almost every
cavalry horse was wounded, some three or
four times, and many of their riders were
thrust with the bayonet and pulled out Of
their saddles.
How strange so few of the cavalry leaders
on either side died as they might have wished
to die-leading their commands in some
glorious charged Ashby had. courted death a
hundred times as he rode at the head of his
men. Here on this lonesome road as night
came down he formed another ambush with
infantry. The trap was well set, but, as its
jaws were about to spring, a shot fred at
random by a Federal struck one who had
risked his life dozen times that day and laid
him low. Jackson was Lees right arm.
Ashby was Jackson's right arm. The tribute
paid him by the eccentric warrior was rot
lengthy, but it outweighed the boom of cam
non, the long professions, the burdens of
flowers and the efforts OF orators When a
courier rode up to Jackson and announced
the sad news, he dropped the reins, bis head
bent low, and he whispered:
''Poor Ashby! I am grievedr'
STUART AFTER POPE.
The cavalier of the south was Stuart. He
was torn to the saddle. He looked upon in
fantrg as a sort of necessary evil, and when
ever he attempted to handle them in conjunc-
ton with cavalry he was worsted Had
there been no army regulations, Stuart's men
would have been dressed more like knights
than dragons. Rough old fighters smiled at
his plumed hat and his dandy ways, but
Stuart was a fighter. Had he worn a ruffled
shirt and velvet CLOAK, he would still have
been the dashing cavalry leader that he was,
counting odds as nothing, and ever fighting
to win. When Gen. Pope had his headquar-
tiers at Catlett's station, Stuart one day paid
him a visit Of inspection. Pope didn't care
particularly to see Stuart, but Stuart had
longing to see the man whose headquarters
were in the saddle, and who wanted his men
to forget the word retreat. With about
three hundred men Stuart one day made
hard ride and sudden dash. But for Fed
eral forager, mounted on a thoroughbred
running horse, Pope would have been taken
in his tent. As it was, he had about ten
minutes warning and got away, leaving be-
hind all his papers, clothing and baggage.
Stuart captured the station and all left be-
hind. and one OF the prizes was new suit of
clothes for Pope which he had not yet stepped
into. Hissupply Of liquors included whisky.
brandy, cognac, champagne, port and sew
eral other brands, and were used to wash the
dust out of the threats Of the Confederates.
Pope's razor, looking-glass, bedding, fine
shirts, and other articles OF toilet were di-