National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-01-24

of Alexandria. Here, on tho left side of
the bank Of curving cut, the three were
posted SO as entirely TO command the
railroad. The infantry were posted In II |
half circle behind aud inclosing the /
battery, and company OF cav |
airy was stationed on each wing. |
All the forces were directed to conceal |
themselves as much rs possible, and men |
were sent out to take charge Of farm
houses In front on the right and left to
prevent the inhabitants from making sig
nails to the advancing enemy. l think it
was about $3.50 o'clock when other cavalry
videttes came in and stated that a train
crowded with troops was near at hand and
slowly coming on, and that there was no
pilot engine or cavalry videttes ahead of
them. Such news of the utter stupidity
of tho federal commander was almost too
good to DO believed, and yet the sequel
proved IL to be truo At this report Kom-
per hastily pointed his guns to rake
train coming around tho curve, and COW
cred up his guns with the boughs of trees.
And just at this point circumstance oc-
CURED which, had tho federal commander
been little moro vigilant, would have
resulted in the failure of tho ambuscade.
A woman was seen rushing out of u house
on hill to our right aud long way in
advance, waving handkerchief, and ap-
pareently
FRANTICALLY SIGNALLING THE ADVANC-
ING TRAIN.
| Whether the federal troops saw her or not,
they didn't heed her, for Gen. Schonck,
who commanded the oxpeditionary corps,
had been SO creditably informed that
there wero no confederates in or around
| Vienna that he deemed himself perfectly
safe. The train came slowly onward. the
engine pushing from behind, and the
troops seated or standing on fiat cars in
front, while tho principal officers wore in
a car next TO the tender. The men were
singing patriotic songs and waving their
flags at every house they passed. AS tho
train rounded the curve and came within
400 yards Of the confederate guns the
brush was hastily cast down from before
the muzzles, and tho simultaneous roar OF
tho three cannon aud tho crashing OF
round shot and shell aimed point blank
among them was the first intimation tho
astonished troops had that
AN ENEMY WAS IN FRONT or THEM.
The first volley disabled tho gearing Of
tho wheels Of tho front car and ploughed
through the dense mass of men on tho
Hat cars. Tho troops tumbled off tho cars
to the right and left, much as would flies
q
discharge of shot and she'll was not SO
deadly, however, as it might have been
had Del. Kemper been informed that the
front cars were "gondolas," consequently
no elevated his guns too high for the full
est effect of the shot Other discharges
followed in quick succession, and as tho
confederate infantry were closing in the
engineer unpinned his engine from the
disabled train and made the best of his
speed for Alexandria, leaving Gen.
Schenck and his men in tho lurch. AT
this their first trial at arms the men OF
tho first Ohio behaved bravely, and
made good their retreat in toll
cradle order. The commandant of the
confederate infantry and of the expe.
dition showed poor generalship, for with
three times tho number of tho force OPP.
posed to him, and which force he might
easily have captured he was hampered by
the bugbear of overpowering forces in his
front in his own mind, disease which
often attacked commanders at that stage
| of the war, and, which caused many Off
cial amputations to cure tho malady
/ Suffice 1t to say that tho confederate
forces fell back, and likewise the federals
EACH AFRAID OF THE OTHER.
The first part OF this little affair pre-
liminary to the great contest, however
, was the tactical invention Of Gen
: Schenok Of charging on infantry, artil
, lery, and cavalry in o railroad train with
out having sent out scouts to ascertain
. where the enemy might be located. l
! was one Of those unique invention
a which were rife at tho beginning of tn,
!, war, but l can't remember that 1t wa
= universally put in practice by subsequen
, leaders on either side 1 have heard o
/ and seen infantry charging on cavalry
a but never since the episode have men
toned have l seen or heard of a rsilroa
a train charging an enemy on its own hook