Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-12-08
ASH5YS oASH.
A Story of the Confederate War.

!
fame. His immediate command
numbered less than 1000 horse
men, and until the last few miles O
the march he checked all ASSAULT
with cavalry and artillery.
1t was highway admirably laiC
out out for successful defense by Z
rear guard. Always narrow, full
of sharp descents and sudden curves
natural ambuScadeS at every mile
it needed only dozen men at GER
tain spots TO hold "A regiment at bay
for quarter of AN hour. jackson
pushed ahead at a famous rate, anC
the roar OF the guns of the real
guard was ever i'm his ears. At one
point nine dismOunted cavalrymeu
held the narrow road until the fed
erals had advanced two full regi
ments, and 100 men had worked
their way up the sides of the noun
tain to flank the little band. These
niue men killed and wounded %
men before they were pushed back,
and though dozen shells were fired
at them as they retreated along a
straight stretch of road not a man
was injured.
The Gar 1OhE OE W NOA1Ahs
During the afternoon of the last
day of the retreat the Federal Gen.
Wyndham, who had full 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, thus giving
the cavalry room to deploy and
vancouver. Not quite half mile
beyond the confederate rear guard
was holding the hill over which the
road wound. Two pieces of artil-
lery were posted on the road, and
dismounted cavalry supported them.
When ii WIS seen that Wynham's
brigade was massing for Il charge
Ashby hastily collected about 200
of his men and massed them in the
highway. They were then drawn
aside and the cavalry, carbInes slung
and depending on the sabre alone,-
rushed down the highway in
mighty mass. Windham was struck
in the centre and the cOnfederates
passed clear through his lines, and
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 captured, 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 a farm near Glendale,
Va, had his right ear sliced off close
to his head, and the sabre sank INTO
his shoulder in a way to forever dis
able his arm. The wound in his
shoulder was felt at once, but the
loss of his ear was not noticed until
eight was over. Wyndhams sought
to excuse his disaster by talking of
cowardice of his troopers, but his
own sabre was without a stain, and
men who hear no orders of COM
mand cannot be blamed for falling
into a panic. The confederates rode
right at solid lines and the shock of
meeting knocked down numerous
horses and disabled a number of
men.
CHARGING INFANTRY.
Half an hour later FremOnt's adj
vance of infantry was passing so
closely that infantry had to be sent
back to oppose them. Ewell am
pushed three or four regiments in
the woods or 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
buck-tails. To reach the COnfeder-
ates the blue lines had to cross wide,
open fieIus, and as they left their
shelter they received such fire that
all further advance was checked.
The men were seeking the cover of
rocks and bitches, and holding their
cover well, when Ashby Numbered
down upon them with his cavelry.
There was no time to form squares,
and the charge resulted in defeat.
The infantry were driven back upon
the reserve, horses and men, FEEDER
al Ond Confederate intermingled,
and again the saber and bayOnet in
flicted 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 off their sad
dies.
ASHBY'S DEATH.
How strange that so few of the
cavalry leaders on either side died
as they had wished to die-leading
their comrades in some glorious
charge! 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 in
fantry. The trap was well set, but
as its laws were about to spring a
shot fred at random by 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 eccen-
trio warrior was not lengthy, but it
Outweighed the boom of cannon,
the long professions, the burdens of |
flowers and the efforts of orators. |
When Il courier rode up to Jackson
anu hN"Sy JIG NAOP
ped the reins, his head hung low,
and he whispered:
"Poor Ashby! am grieved"'
STUART AFTER POPE.
The cavalier of the South was
Stuart. He was born to the saddle. |
He looked upon infantry as sort |
of necessary evil, and whenever he |
to handle them in con- !
junction with cavalry he was wOrs-
ted. Had there been no army reg |
ulatiOns Stuart's men would have |
dressed more like knights than dra-
goOns. Rough old fighters smiled
at his plumed hat and his dandy |
ways, but Stuart was fighter.
Had he worn a ruffled shirt and vel
vet 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 head
quarters at Catlett's Station, Stuart
one day paid him visit of inspec-
ton. Pope didn't care particularly
to see Stuart, but Stuart had long
ing to see the man whose head-quar-
tiers were i'm the saddle and who
wanted his men to forget the word
retreat. With about 800 men Stu
art one day made hard ride and. a
sudden dash. But for a federal