Middletown transcript., 1883-11-02
FIELD, FORT AND FLEET.
HOW AsHBY LED AND HOW HE DIED
STUART's DASH AFTER POPE.

STUART's DASH AFTER PORE.
While StoneWall Jackson was retiI
ing upon Harrisonburg, pushed b
Fremont and watching out for Shields
the rear of his army was defended b,
General Ashby, of cavalry fame. Hi
immediate command numbered les
than l 200 horsemen, and until the las
few miles of the march he checked al
assaults with cavalry and artillery.
It was highway admirably laid ou
for successful defense by a rear guard
Always narrow-full of sharp descent'
and sudden ncurves-naturala lambuScadei
at every mile-it needed only a dozer
men at certain spots to hold regiment
at bay for quarter of an hour. Jack
son pushed ahead at famous rate, anG
the roar of the guns of the rear guarG
was ever in his ears. At one point
nine dismounted cavalrymen held The
narrow road until the federals had ad
Vanced two full regiments, and one
hundred men had worked their way VI
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 a dozen
shells were fired at them as they re.
treated along straight stretch OF road
not man was injured.
During the afternoon of the last day
Of the retreat the federal General
Wyndham, who had command of full
brigade of cavalry, was pushsd to the
front to drive through the confederate
rear-guard. The spot chosen was
where the highway stretched across a
level, this giving the cavalry room to
deplOy and maneuver. Not quite half
a mile beyond, the confederate rear
guard was holding the hill over which
the road wound. Two pieces Of artil-
lery were posted in the road, and dis
mounted cavalry supported thenl.-
When it was seen that Wyndham's s
brigade was masSiQg for charge
Ashby hastily collected, about 700 of
his men and massed them in the high
way. The guns were then drawn aside
and the cavalry, carbines slung and de-
pending upon the sabre alone, rushed
down the highway in mighty mass.
Wyndham was struck in the centre and
the confederates 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 rout both. 1t was
sabre work almost entirely, and in that
fifteen minutes fight 150 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
close after him aver that he
struck as many as six different men
with his sabre. In that fight confed-
,rate, now living on farm near Glen |
lale, Va, had his right ear sliced off |
close to his head, and the sabre sunk
nto his shoulder in way to forever
lisabIe his arm. The wound in his
was felt at once, but the loss
If his ear was not noticed until the
light was over. Wyndham sought to
excuse his disaster by talking of the |
,owardice of his troopers, but his own
sabre was without stain, and men
who hear no orders Of command cannot |
De blamed for falling into a panic
The confederates rode right at solid
ines and the shock of meeting knocked |
lown numerous horses and disabled a
number of men.
Half an hour later Fremont's ad-
vance of infantry was pressing SO
closely that infantry had to be sent
back to oppose them. Ewell ambushed
,hree or four regiments in the woods
md fields at turn of the road, but
.he advance scented the trap and de-
Dloyed right and left, and advanced to
The attack in two lines of battle, most
Of the force being composed of Penn
sylvania Bucktails. To reach the con-
federates 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
we'll, when Ashby thundered down
upon them with his cavalry. There |
was no time to form squares, and the
charge resulted in rout. The infantry |
we're driven back upon the reserve,
lorses and men federal and confeder-
ite intermingled, and again the sabre
md bayonet inflicted terrible work. |
Almost every cavalry horse was
some three or four times,
md many of their riders were thrust
With the bayonet and pulled out of
heir saddles.
How strange that so few of the
,avalry leaders on either side died as
hey might have wished to die-leading
heir commands in some glorious charge!
Ashby had courted death hundred
lines as he rode at the head of his men.
Iere on this lonesome road as night
anne down he formed another ambush
With infantry. The trap was well set,
nut as its jaws were about to spring a
hot fired at random by federal struck
ne who had risked his life dozen time
hat day and laid him low. Jackson
vas Lees right arm. Ashby was jack
on'sright arm. The tribute paid him by
he eccentric warrior was not lengthy,
,ut it outweighed the boom of cannon,
he long professions, the burden of
lowers, and the efforts of orators.
When a courier rode up to Jackson and
the sad news he dropped the
ems. his head bent low, and he whis-