Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-04
A BATTLE IN THE DARK.

II
ginia Soil During the War-HOw Lieu
tenant, Now General, Tompkins, Ske-
daddled the Confederate Cayalry-Ex-
ira Billy Smith in His Shirt Sleeves
An Exciting and Novel Episode.
7. j. Murray IN the Washington Star.
Some hypercritical persons have asked
me, speaking of two articles of war
"reminiscences | wrote for the Star,
What's the use of stirring up these old
things-why not let old matters rest?
reply that | deem it right, nay a duty,
that the soldiers on both sides in our great
civil war should put upon record their
memories of the events in which they
participated, for in that way only is it
possible for a measurably true history of
the war to be written in the future. And
! believe that a man should write in the
first person and put his name to his arti-
cles, so that if he stretches the blanket Of
trnth in his statements everyone Will at
least know who it is that is lying. The
above is my excuse for the following:
On page 164, Vol. /. Compile de Paris, in
his history of the civil war in America,
saws:
son the first of June Beauregard, who
since the capture of sumter had become,
too soon for his reputation, the fayOrite
General of the South, was place IN COM
mand of the sO-called department of AL
eXandria, comprising all the tract of
country between Richmond and Washing
ton. He found a little army already as
sembled at Manassas junction. On the
same day shots were exchanged for the
first time between the two parties on the
soil of Virginia. A detachment of regu-
lar Federal cavalry proceeded as far as
the village of Fairfax c. H., west of AL
eXandria, and dislOdged a post of the
enemy from it," ETC., etc.
TRUE, WITH AN EXCEPTION.
All the above is true, except as to "the
dislOdgment of post of the enemy from
it." although that post was considerably
shaken up, so to speak. The facts in the
case are as follows;
Soon after the occupation of Alexandria
by the Federal forces and the retreat of the
Confederate troops who occupied that
city to Manassas Junction, Fairfax Court
House was one of the posts of Observa-
tiOn formed 10y the COniederates. Here
two companies of cavalry were sta
tioned-the RappahannOck cavalry and
the Prince William caYalry-who num-
bered together about 200 men. Lieutenant
Colonel (afterward Lieutenant General
Ewell was placed in command, and with
characteristic energy he at once pro-
ceeded to get these commands into some
sort of shape and discipline, for they were
about as raw in the manner and school of
the soldier as raw could well be. They
were splendid material to work ON though
fine, stalwart fellows, boiling over with
pluck. and, as a rule, finely mounted.
But as to arms, both companies were
wretchedly EprOvided. The Rappahan-
mock cavalry had nothing but sabres,
and they did not know how to handle
these even. while the Prince William
cavalry had only five-shOOters of Aliens
oh nt.ra1-
he imagined that the very bTavest men
would have but little confidence in them
selves when pitted against well-armed
troops.
HOW EWELL TRAINED THE BOYS.
Colonel Ewen at once instituted sys-
tenn of vigorous drill in the school of the
cavalryman, for the most part exercising
the functions of drill-maSter himself, and
the way in which he stOrmed at them was
a new revelation TO the citizens who were
On-lOOkers, and to the men in the ranks,
who at that time were not accustomed to
pay that respect and Difference to the Off
GERS which discipline and the experience
of battle brought alterWard. Colonel
Ewell treated these men precisely as if
they had been regulars, and, while their
volunteer blood burned, he, at least, in
spired them with mortal dread of him,
and with the belief that he wouldn't hest
tate to shoot any of them by drum
head court martial for any Offense
against discipline, and that, too,
without reference to the letter
of army regulations. At this time
the turnpike leading to Alexandria, the
Falls Church road, and the Vienna road
were picketed, some two or three miles
from the court house, by this body of
cavalry. The men were new to the duty,
and being so far from the main body were
very nervous while on picket. AS a con-
sequence on a number of occasions, both
by night and by day, they had gallOped
back from their posts 2rOusing the COM
mand and exciting the inhabitants Of the
village by false alarms of the approach of
the enemy. Colonel Ewell got tired of
this sort of thing. and he sWore a mighty
oath, and caused 1T to be announced 10
the men OF the two companies, that the
next picket who came in with false
alarm would be summarily shot. That
settled it, and there were no more false
alarms; in fact, there were no mere alarms
of any kind, and / believe that if the
whole Federal army had advanced
upon them the picket would have quietly
retreated before it, and made no
mention of the matter. In fact, | heard
some of the men say that they wouldn't
give an alarm if they saw the enemy in
the village. The severe discipline imposed
upon these men at the outset seemed to
have a bad effect upon their morale. Now,
no restriction had been imposed upon
citizens entering the village, even those
who came from within the plcket-line of
the enemy. although the neighbOrhOOd of
Falls Church was settled chiefly by North
ern men. who were generally we'll known
as Union men. AS a matter of tact, then,
there was no difficulty in finding out by
the Federal officer commanding the Uni
ted States regular cavalry stationed at
Falls Church. all he wanted to know
about the two Confederate cavalry COM
panies at Fairfax Court House-their
numbers, stations, equipment and tenn
per. That he did find out all these things
was proved by the sequel.
THAT MAY NIGHT.
This. then, was the situation Of affairs
at Fairfax c. IL. on the night of May 81,
1S6l-the RappahannOck cavalry was
quartered in the court house building and
the Prince William cavalry in the EpiscO-
pal church, some two or three hundred
yards further up the pike, and on the out
skirts of the village. That evening late
the Warrenton Rifles, Capt. John Q. MARI
commanding, numbering about 30 men,
arrived in the village and took up their
quarters in the Methodist Church, situa-
ted on the county road that crosses the
pike at right angles and leads to Fairfax
station. on the Virginia Midland Road.
So that the three companies were quar-
tered in buildings about 300 yards
from each other. 1t is pretty GER
tain that the Federal cOmman-
der at Falls Church had not
heard of the arrival of this company Of
infantry, and this was what spoiled his
calculations in the end. About l O'Clock
on the morning Of June | Lieut.. TOmp-
kins NOW Assistant Quartermaster Gen
eral United States army commanding
Company b, Second United states regu-
lars. numbering about eighty men, left his
camp at Falls Church, and, under guild
ance of a Union citizen of the name of
Sage, took the road leading to Fairfax
Court House. He attempted to capture
the Confederate cavalry picket on the
road. but they fled, and neither gave the
alarm to the infantry picket OF two men
stationed about a quarter of mile from
the village, whom they passed, nor, so far
as [ can learn, to the officers in the vii
lage.
SKEDADDLE OF THE CONFEDERATE CAV
AIRY.
The night was as dark as Erebus, Just
that darkest hour which precedes the
dawn, when the Federal command APP
preached the infantry picket and were
upon them almost before they could fire,
but they did fire, and thus gave a partial
alarm. The Federal cavalry then moved
rapidly up the main street of the village,
and when opposite the court house they