The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-10-17
MBODEN'S CAVALRY.
A Days Stern Chase in the Shenan-
doah Valley.
Dare e-Devii Dash or Harry (silmoress
wild HOrsemen-A Sabre that
Looked Long as
Fence Rail.
Washington Republican ]

"The Johnnies had some pretty derned
smart officers during the war;" said the ma
jor, "ImbOden was one of them. lie was a
smashing good soldier, had the true instincts
Of a cavalryman, and was as much at home
in the saddle for three days ride to raid an
outpost as he would have been playing bean
poker for apple brandy in u crossroads
grocery in the Shenandoah mountains.
''On the morning Of Oct. IS, 1863 not an
hour after sunrise, l had my batteries out
drilling, on the high ground at the western
foot of Maryland heights. across the Potomac
when heard guns TO the southwark, away
beyond Bolivar, and riding out to the redoubt
above the river was signaled in short time
10 come at once with my command to head
quarters Col. Revere Of the Tenth Maryland,
receiving the same orders. Igave the same
instructions to battery commanders and
started off at once with lieutenant and our
orderlies, and in half an hour or so reported.
No one yet knew the trouble but the lookout
from Bolivar heights located the firing at or
very near Charlestown, and Col Wells of the
Thirty fourth Massachusetts, infantry was
started out Miners Indiana battery, with
which went, and Coles battalion Of the
cavalry accompanying.
I'VE soOn found out what the trouble was
CIR. J. d. Imboden, with a small force of
cavalry, perhaps 500, and a section Of artil-
lery, had started from BerryviIle at O clock
that Sunday morning, nearly twenty miles
away. md marched to Charlestown, where he
ar iv d "in ut sunrise, and succeeded in sur
round the place before a single officer or
man discovered the least sign of his ap-
proach.
ImECden demanded a surrender, but Col
Simrs0n nf the Ninrh demanded an hour for
consheration-Drobably wanted to drill his
troops. lmf"den wouldn't have that. and
sent worl that he would give five minutes
before he onened fire, and advised Simpson
to send the women and children out Of the
wav. Simpson answered gallantly to "Take
me II you cnr," and firing Mt once began
Imboden had his guns posted within two
squares Of the court house, and they were
served so well that in less than five minutes our
people got out in the streets and tried to skip
out fer Harpers Ferry. Just at the edge Of
town Imboden's brother and Harry Gilmore
met them, and after firing only one volley
our troops downed their arms and surren-
dered-not tn single man, however, for ut
the first shot Col Simpson, his lieutenant
colonel, whose name I don't recollect, AMI
five other mounted officers lit out, got through
the rebs, and reached Bolivar heights
after the first shot was fired Col. Wells faf
pushed his Co"'"'"ni so hard that
jumped into Imboden, who had cen
hastily improving his time in gathering
together his prisoners and the consider
able quantity Of plunder he had secured in
the way of arms, ammunition, accoutre-
ments and supplies, and had started them Off
to the southwark on the Berryville pike
ut was not long before matters began to
warm up, and the game began. and the
fighting all that beautiful day was kept up
in echelon, almost as regularly as IL French
general Of brigade was exercising in tactcs
A section Of the battery was limbered to the
front a couple Of hundred yards ut the gallop,
supported by portion Of the other trooJs,
and hot engagement would follow for
twenty, or ten, or FIVE minutes, as the case
might be, Imboden resisting enough
TO check n continual movement for
ward and retiring as the other sec.
tions and portions of the command
came up and passed on to right or left so
that for most Of the time there was continu-
Gus fighting over almost every inch of the
way from Charlestown to a point few miles
below Berryville, when the night came on
and the pursuit was reluctantly stopped.
"Once late in the afternoon, at a point
shop, grocery, etc. and Berryville, Miner
had gone into battery with all its guns in
rolling field off to the right of the road,
where Imboden made what threatened to be
a determined stand. as the ground was all he
could have wished for II he had picked it out.
our front. Close by our right, and 400 or
500 yards from the road, was q patch of
woodland that seemed 70 have been well
thinned out, and had a thick second growth
Of scrub pine that you SO OIsen see n VIr-
ginia and apparently iIlpassabl. 4 LAY
apparently advisedly. for had ridden over
to tue .nar:. III Of the wo Ms and could see no
trace ef road, either wagon or brille path.
TIL" guns were well work. AMI as Miner |
was short OF officers ] was directing one of |
his Sc tions, when, with q whoop and |
a yell out of that thick underground. lit
tie 10 the rear, came a couT lie Of Harry Gill |
more squadrons. with tlst daredevil sabreur |
leading them, straight down on us. every |
man with his saber pommel at the thigh, and |
looking as IL there was q whole division Of |
them. I wasn't more than fifty yards away, |
and Of course it didn't take long for them to
get there JOSH
"Our support at the time was one of Coles
troops and two companies Of u . Thirty
fourth, and the rush was 80 sudden and un-
looked for-an episode in fact. that the
support gave way and Gilmore made straight
for the guns. ! was dismounted at the time,
and actually, before anything could be done,
they rode right over and past the guns,
sabers siashing and pistols firing as they went
had been tugging Ike blazes at my huge re-
volver-army pattern, weighing as much as a
carbine almost-but couldn't get the
blamed thing out, and as they rode over us
long legged, red-headed fellow made a
vicious slash at me over the wheel with his
sabre. promptly lodged under the muzzle
Of the gun, and he didn't reach hie. much to
my satisfaction.
aFours, left wheell" rang out, and back
thev came before you could draw q breath
with any satisfaction, and when they did I laid
for the son of saber that reached for me
before. for l had got out my gun by this
time, and got around in the rear Of the piece
by the trail. / didn't see my red-headsd
friend, but happened to look up suddenly
just as a handsome, dark-moustached young
ster, boy in looks, was making point to
run me through. Dern my buttons, gentle
men. but IL that saber didn't look as long
as a fence-rail, and as bright as an
electric light, Ill let my pay this month
me as IL just stood still half an hour look
ing at it; but that was just fancy, for
dropped fat under the gun axle and the boy
swept on past. By this time the support had
rallied and began work. and in a second cr
two we wheeled q gun round as IL stood, a
stand Of canister emptied couple of sad-
dies and the thing was practically over
But it was warm weather for the moment
As far as my own experience and observa-
tion 60, that dash Of Harry Gilmore's was
the handsomest thing OF the kind that took
place during the war You see, he and his
men knew every blessed inch OF that whole
and had just slipped around our
flank by an almost unnoticeable bride path.
I'D like to run across tnat yoCng fellow some
time. IL he pulled through the war alive, and
talk that over. would like to know jwt
how he felt when he thought be had me 20