The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-10-21
HATcHER'S RUN.
A Spirited sketch by a New rOrt Cavalrymnr

8 O'Clock I'm the afternoon when we halted aud
built little fires 10 cook our dinner. We had
been marching since O'Clock in the morning,
and were tired aud hungry. had just got my
tin cup full of water and, with "A handful of
coffee in one hand aud the cup in the other,
was going to place them on the Ere when bang
bang! went the carbines of the pc1et-line
which bad been thrown out, and, with a hurried
order from the officers to fall in, away went
coffee and water, and away we went into line,
mounted our horses and were ready for busi-
ness.
was a member OF the 10th N. Y. Cav, and
our brigade-Frst Brigade, Second Division
was composed of the 10th n. ", lst Me-, list VI,
path n o. aud list N. j. The LIST Me. was armed
with the Martini Henry rife or oarhine ~ IS
on arm very similar 10 the Winchester rifle
which is used now largely on our Western
frontiers. Ii is a l6-shOoter, and can be re-
loaded in less time than il takes TO load an old
fashioned musket The LIST Me. at this time
numbered about GOO men, aud GOO men throw
ing 16 shots apiece will stop almost any force
advancing on them. The rest Of the brigade,
including my regiment, were armed with
Sharp's carbines, breech-loading single
shooter.
We sat on our horses a few minutes listening
90 the quick firing of the pickets and light
skirmish line which had been thrown out, and
were then ordered TO dismOunt and prepare TO
fight on foot, every fourth man holding the
other three horses with his own. We were
hurried rapidly into line on q slight rise of
ground, without any protection except rall
fence, which was partially torn down and
thrown together 10 form slight breastwork.
The LIST Me was in the center on the highest
part of the rise the 10th n. Y. next on its left,
aud the other regiments of the brigade stretched
right and left on either side We had barely
got into position when the rebels were upon us.
They were infantry and In heavy numbers,
and were charging across the field with reient-
less force, which seemed destined 10
SWEEP ALL BEFORE 1T.
But they did not reckon on the Henry rifles,
and the LIST Me-, rs quick as il got into position,
commenced pouring steady fire into their ad-
vancing columns we firing, OF course, as last as
we could with our single-shooters. The first
line OF the enemy was knocked over almost
completely, and the balance of them went back
across the field faster than they came.
We remained on this line for an hour or so,
the rebs having retreated into the edge of the
woods i'm front and reformed, aud were keeping
upa scattering fire of muskctTy, TO which we re-
piled in about the same way. About o'clock
we heard the rattle of drums in our rear, and,
looking back, we saw long line OF infantry
coming to relieve us. They took our places in
the line, and we were ordered to the left into a
piece of woods. We advanced in heavy Skin
mish-line through the woods 10 the edge of a
large field OF plantation. About the center OF
this field, which contained perhaps $50 to 20O
acres was small house. The rebel line ran
along a sort of ridge, or higher ground than the
woods through which we were passing, just be-
hind aud close 10 this house and OFF TO the left.
We had orders TO shelter ourselves as much as
possible and keep up rapid fire on their line.
While i'm this place j came near being shot
by one of our own men. An eScitabe Irish
man of my company who was loading and
firing as fast as he could, without much regard
10 his aim, was a short distance behind me.
One of his bullets, striking a sapling by my
side, or little back, glanced of and whizzed
directly in front of my eyes j changed my
position aud took my stand behind pine tree,
and resting my carbine against the side of the
tree fired AS rapidly as possible, aiming prin-
cipally mt the rebels around the house.
The rebels were not idle all this time but
were singing bullets in among the trees where
we were so thiclly that they sounded like a
lot of bumble-bees. j had very good shelter
nj first, as they came from directly in front a
number of them striking the tree behind which
was standing But after a little while the
rebels TO our left that part Of their line being
in advance of the rest, commenced TO
FIRE oBLQUELg ON us.
Balls came from in front and from the left
and made the spot behind the tree where was
very small part of acute angle. lay
down AS close to the ground MS i could, the
roots forming q considerable protection.
After we had been firing there for some 30
or 40 minutes, and quite q number of the boys
had been knocked over, orders came for us u
charge the rebel line. We bounded 10 our feet
and dashed forward, yelling like lot of In
diaDs. j remember one peculiar incident thai
j noticed as we came out Of the woods and
started across the field. One of our boys In
charging forward had received ball square in
the forehead, killing him instantly. He had
fallen forward, the butt of his carbine catching
under his coat near the armpit aud the muzzlC
had run into the soft ground His head hung
down within few inches Of the ground, hii
body being kept up on the butt Of his carbine
We dashed forward up the slope and tho
rebel line, giving one last spiteful voley, broke
and ran. As we reached their line j came NJ
directly TO the door Of the house. lt was
small, one-story frame building, with door
in front opening into the main room, and
door in the back part directly opposite. j went
in at the front door In the room under the
bed which stood in one corner were two
women, scared half 10 death. j can remembel
one of them had her head out from under tn,
bed, calling out as i came in:
Don't kill u.s. don't kill us!"
We had been firing squarely into the house
and our bullets had passed through and through
the thin siding and lath aud plaster and il wa
wonder that they
had NOT BEEN KILLED.
OF course we did not know they were there
and the Confederates should not have left then
there in danger of being shot. 1 said, wv
don't fight women" and passed on through tn
house and out at the back door.
On one side Of the door, near the corner Q
the house lay one of our boys dead on his face
Near the other corner of the house lay rebe
dead, on his back. Prom their positions be
1ieve that they had come round the corners c
the house toward each other, and both drew u
and fired and both fell dead.
We chased the rebels for some distance an
then halted, and our horses were brought nj
Along after dark we got coffee and hard
tack, which you may be sure we felt a need O
we had had nothing 10 eat since O'Clock /
the morning, and had been fighting nearly a
day. j don't pretend 10 give an account of ii
battle Of Hatcher's Run, except such Of it {
j saw and took part in; and il is usually III
case, believe, that a description Of battl
except il be by the commanding officer can I
but fragmentary if given by the actual partic
pants.-N. EGBERT, Co. q, 10th n. Y. Cav
North Hector, n. Y.
The Ist New York DraRoong