Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-10-27
A CAVALRY RAID.
An Incident Of the War Told
by an Ex-Confederata
A Mixed Affair in Which the Oaptors Be-
came the Captured Several Times,

A Mixed Affair in Which the Oaptors Be.
came the Captured Several Times
In August, 1864, when Fitzpatrick
struck the Atlantic and Macon railroad
at Jonesboro' and other points l was
attached to Armstrong's brigade of
Jackson's division of Confederate cav.
airy. The Federal raider struck Jones'
boro' late one afternoon, drove out the
militia stati oncd there in small numbers
and applied the torch to four-flths of
the town. Next morning as they came
on up to Lovejoys station, our division,
which had been widely scattered the
day before, were masscd and ready for
fight. Our infantry had been fighting
and falling back for an hour, when we
moved into the fight, two thirds of the
command being dismountcd to support
one of our batteries, and while lying in the
ravine just behind the guns were taken
in flank by n charge of the Fourth
Michigan cavalry. l admit that we
were badly ratified at the onset,
some of the men breaking for the
cover of wood few hundred yards
away, and being sabered as they ran. A
cavalryman rode straight at me with up
lifted sabre, and hauled upmy musket
to shoot him off his horse. At that time
my regiment was armed with rifles, shot
guns, carbincs, rcvolvcrs, sabrcs and
swords A few men had carbincs and
sabrcs together; all Others depended
on one weapon alone. Those who had
muskets did not have, except in rare in
stances, sabres; those who had sabrcs
had neither muskets nor rcvolvcrs. Not
over one company in the regiment was
as well equipped as the Fcdcrals. had
an infantry muskct with bayonct at
tachcd, and when | sought TO fire on the
cavalryman at close range the charge
would not explode. Then as he rode
me down, l defended myself with the
bayonct, wounding him in the hand and
flinging his sabre to the ground. had
the advantage and he saw it and grace
fully surrendered and came down off his
horse.
During this time there was fighting all
around us. A part of our men used the
ravinc for rihc-pit aud could not be
dislodgcd, and the cavalry were galIop-
ing hither and thither through the
smoke. asked my prisoner what COM
inand he belonged to, and he answered
Fourth Michigan. Bullets were tipping
about us like angry bees, but | could
not take him to the rear for the simple
reason that there was no rear. Rebel
and Yank were mixed up like beans in
bag as far as l could see. stood hold
ing him by the arm with one hand, and
hanging to his horse with his other,
when two Yankee Calvalrymcn came
riding up. My man appealed to them,
and as they raised their sabcrs at me |
surrendered as prisoner of war.
"Watch your chance and run him in
to our lines" said one of the men to my
captor, and both rode off ut the call Of
buglc.
The Yankee now had his sabcr and my
gun, and as his horse became very restivc
he could give me but little attention.
He asked me what command
l belonged to, how the fight
seemed to be going, and rather depended
on my honesty not to run Off. lie had
just suggested moving along the ravnc
when a dismounted Johnny, who was
dodging about in the smoke, came upon
us. He took in the situation at glance,
and inside of aminutc Fourth Michigan
was again my prisoner. My friend took
the saber and mounted the horse and
rode away, while l got my musket
back.
"You'll probably be captured again."
l said to the blue-coat as we walked side
by side up the ravinc.
Every likely" he replied as he walked
on ahead and ducked every two seconds
for bullet.
We had proceeded not over a hundred
yards when crowd of about twenty
cavalymcn, nearly evenly divided as to
friend and foe came surging down upon
us as they cut and slashcd. We were
both knocked down in jilfy, and l got
a cut on the head from horses hoof
which left me unconscious for quarter
of an hour.
When rallied the fight was over, the
Fedcrals having fankcd us and passed
on. AS my captor and prisoner was not
found on the ground the conclusion was
that he escaped to his own lines. l
have always hoped so, for he seemed to
be fairly good fellow.-DetrOh Tree
Press.
TalbOt's Long Head.
trThn Lake Shore folks Mcrc aMfnllY