The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-07-03
LoNGSTREETs TRAIN.
Another Account of How il was Captured by the
Escaping Union Cavalry.
To THE EDrTeE:

To THE EDTTeE:
In your issue OF June 70, noticed a COM
muEication from Thes. hcAllister, company
c, ist battalion Maryland cavalry, entitled
The Capture of Longstfeets Ammunition
Train This communication gives his i'm
pressi0ns. / think il important to give the
facts, for the incident referred 70 gave to the
oth New York cavalry the creGit Of being COM
manded b. one OF The most gallant aud skillfnl
cavalry officers ia the Army OF the Fotamae,
aud such would have been the verdict Of has
tory had he not met the death that brave SOL
dieTs seek at the head of his regiment at
Beverly Fond Va, june 9, 1853 General @.
o. Howard, IN his Personal "Reminiscences
page 5, issue Of June j. IN referring 10 Colonel
- +. Davis, says: AZ dawn On the eth OF
June, 1903, being favored with a heavy Jog, the
columns crossed the river with scarcely any
opposition Confederate Jones' picket posts
were captured OF dispersed by Buford's leading
brigade. This brigade WAS IN charge OF Colonel
j. /. Davis the colonel OF the Sth New Yo k
cavalry, which at this time led the column.
Davis was classmate of mine at West Point,
ana distant relation Of JEFF Davis. Without
giving any reason for his course, he remained
steadfastiy attached TO the Union cause. Often
playing an important part in the war, he parti-
culaTly distinguished himself by saving his
entire troop from the ingiorious surrender of
old General niles az HaTper's Ferry, at the time
famiiiaFly called among his comrades Grimes
Dayis.' Permit me TO say, Mr. Editor, that
/ General Howard had no right TO question Colo
mel Davis loyalty by the reference to reasons
why he sustained the Union cause" General
Scott and dear old Pap" Thomas sustained
the Union cause" and their loyalty has never
been questioned This depression seems to have
been necessary, IN view Of the fact that Com
rade MeAllister SAYS On the evening before
the surrender OF BaFper's Ferry we all knew
that to surrender was al that was left for the
Union troops 10 DO, and the next morning some
Of rs mounted men, who knew the country
well tor miles around, decided Of our own ac-
cord to try to get out 0f the trap" | wish to
notice two errors in this statement, one of
which IS, that the permission TO organize this
movement was reluctantly obtained by Colonel
/ Davis from General Miles upon the distinct
/ threat IN my hearing, that be would never
surrender ms force 10 2 living person without
2 fgh.," and the other that the force did not
start IN the morning, bat at 8 p N. Sun
day evening, beautiful starlight night. The
eth Aew FORK cavalry had occasion TO remember
this memorable incident for we had picketed
every foot Of sacred soil" for miles around Har-
i per's Ferry, and knew every inch ofthe ground.
/ We also knew Colonel Miles, the post comman-
/ d2nt, who had been assigned 10 duty az Harper's
Ferry because his conduct at the first battle of
4 Bull Ran had given the authorities al Washing
distributing post was not deemed likely
4 to bear the important part it did when General
4 Lee conceived the idea OF a Northern invasion.
! However, the colonel paid the penalty Of his
lack Of loyalty. as ne believe, on the following
+ morning, having been killed BIZ a shell just at
/ tie moment of sGrreDdeTiug his entire force Of
( 1900 efficient troops to Stonewail Jackson.
COL DAVE FORCE.
The force which Colonel B. F. Davis so GAL
lantiy led across tbe p0ntoon bridge, thrown
over the Potomac River bat few days before
was composed Of about ], 500 cavalry, comprised
Of the commands and n the order named by
Colnrace McAllister. lie says however, THE
/ Maryland battalion led the column quietly,
] scabbards lashed to saddles and stole along the
/ river bank and tow-psth, across the canal,
chesapeake and Ohio, through brush and
timber through the cOrDfeids and over the
4 plowed land" lie fails 20 note an important
1 incident which was OF great service to Colonel
D-Fls. Upon reaching SharTsburg, and near
tie historic bridge SO calamity defended
By General Burnside but foar DAYS sub
seQnently, twO mounted men presented
themselves to Colonel Davis, claimed to be
Onion spies, and offered 10 pilot cur force
through the rebel army, which was immedi-
a1ely Ia ftont Of as They convinced him, by
documents ID their possession, Of their fidelity,
/ and alter 1Islrning them and threatening to
slloat them II tTeacheFous and recommend them
4 10 General Mcclellan for promotion if true, our
column started on a trct COmrade McAlIister
/ says: We struck the Hagerstown and VIII
Transport pike Just before daylight at Jones'
] Crossroads. Ia q few minutes Longstreet's
snlBunitioB train hove in sight. We headed
! IL north. aud persuaded the drivers to whip
I EN- up One wagon broke an axle-tree There
was q large lot Of hay on top Of the shells. &C.
and we stuck 2 match to it, Pretty soon there
+ was heap bag racket. Ne-that is, the
Maryland battaiion-ran sixty-One wagons and
about one hundred prisoners into Chaa.bers-
( burg before the day en6edp ! am compelled
+ 20 dissent from these conclusions also The
ammunition train referred 10 embraced eighty
i've siz-mule-team ammunition wagons. which
LOngstreet had but a few days before cap
t1red from General Pope at or near Bail
hnn. It was in charge Of officers Of Jeb -
sJusr5s stad, and the escort was well mounted
SURPRISE ALL ROUND.
/ Coming as re did from the direction Of Mary
/ land Heights, tho officers IN command natur-
! ally regarded as as rebels, particularly as our
dnst-eoyered appearance indicated US as /" grey
backs" Where are you going with that
Z train ~ yelled Colonel Davis to the rebel staff
officers. "AcT0ss the Potomac at Wiliiansport."
was the reply. I" What troops are these % in
guired the Confederate. Union troops from
Hsrpers Ferry" answered Colonel Davis
/ Who are vou /" asked the johnny Colonel
-
/ reply, and yoa are my prisoners - Then
detailing bis force By sqgadrons, he started the
( head OF the train towards Pennsylvania on the
/ Greencastie pike, and disarmed the force IN
4 charge, with the request that the first team
ster who refused 70 obey orders should BE shot,
/ Word was quickly brought 70 General J. Z. B.
/ Stuart, who harassed our command no TO the
/ hospitable village OF Greenclstle, Pa, where
we drove them back. and after moments con-
| sultatioD, Colonel Davis determined to send the
/ captured train under escort to Chambersburg
the Maryland battalion probably acting as
/ escort Tho rest Of the cavalry force under
/ the gallant Colonel Davis turned back. the
I sound OF heavy firing indicating to his prac-
/ tlced ear that VIC would find enough to 90 in
4 that direction We rode hurriedly back. reach
[ ing the battlefield OF Antietam shortly after
1 the wounding Of General Hooker Col Davis
! reported to General Abner Doubleday. whom
! had the pleasure OF greeting at the recent
Reunion Of the Society OF the Army of the Po-
t0nac in Brooklyn. The fact that Colonel
Davis Originated and carried into successful
! operation one Of the most daring escapes and
/ certainly one Of the most brilliant captures of
the war and TO pay d proper tribute to the
memory Of the gallant officer are the reasons
/ Why ] have taken the liberty Of RELYING
/ through your Interesting Journal BELL.
! Captain and BTeger Major 5th n. T. Cav, COM
! handing "a Squadron, Brooklyn, n. Y.
Can the sist New York Verify flis siory!
To THE EDITOR: clip the following article
from the Utica Observer:
| few days ago IN Rochester died woman who
fassff1 lie. $50, 49,