The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-11
WITH SHERIDAN.
A 9th 4. 5. Cayalryman Gives Few RccOIIcctIO

A 9th u. =. CaFalryman Gives a Few Rec0llectiOns.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: When THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE was first published as a
weekly, thOughtless person ventured the
statement that historic material TO publish a
weekly soldiers paper would be exhausted in a
few years, five at most. The five years have
come and gone and the subject seems 10 be
! simply ineXhaustible. What world OF men,
Dries those four years experience have Gre
ated
am very much pleased with Gen. Walkers
sumner at Fair Oaks" It is a well-deserved
tribute 10 a grand old soldier. who was always
eager TO march TO the sound Of the cannon.
BY the way, Fair Oaks was greater factor IN
the war of the rebellion than many are aware
Of il proved that the Northern volunteer sol
dier was willing and ready TO make up IN Nalor
what had been or might be lost by mistake or
misfortune. On the Confederate side Fair
Oaks aud Gen. Johnston's wound was Gen.
Lees opportunity and placed at once in the
forefront the greatest Of all the Confederate
chieftains.
am impatient TO hear from Gen. August V.
Kautz He was my Captain, and the father of
the regiment after Col. Emory was promoted.
He was every inch soldier. What he writes
may be depended upon.
] see some Of our brigade are getting quite
interested in Todd's Tavern, Sheridan's raid,
etc. Frank Robinson claims that the LIST n. Y.
And that we did not start on the raid until the
9th. Right again. Lieut.. Henry Gale rises 10
correct COmrade Robinson aud SAYS we started
the Sth. COmrade Gale is wrong in the date.
Gen. Grant may have ordered Gen. sheridan
TO cut loose on the Sth. believe he did. But
we did not go until the 9th.
Gen. Sheridan left Army Headquarters, ac-
compauied by the 9th u. 5. Cav, about p. m.
the 9TH, for Todd's Tavern TO attack Stuart s
H., fnf Loo
and hold the position against anything that
came until the Fifth Corps (Warren) could get
up. That we did fight infantry rs well as cav
airy believe 10 be incontestable. In TACT, The
Richmond Enquirer of about Goth May gave the
Yankee tailors and cobblers on horseback "
credit for stopping Gen. Hills Corps. Anyway,
it was rough time, in which the Regular or
Reserve Brigade, with the exception of the 9th
u. s., lost heavily. Capt. Ash, prospective
Brigadier- General, was among the killed. May
s part of the corps was engaged again. i dis
tinctly remember playing infantryman with
Gen. Robinson's men when his brigade was
hard pushed and himself wounded.
May we started on the raid. Custer took
Beaver Dam Station that afternoon or evening.
The next night, May 10, headquarters were at
GOodall's; May III Yellow Tavern was fought
and Stuart was mortally wounded. We were
in the saddle, and stood TO horse that night.
About 3 a. m. May - we got into the outer
works Of Richmond aud among the petards,
which began to go off as they were trodden on.
Daylight soon came, and we discovered some
thing worse than petards The enemy were
surrounding US. Maj. Robertson looked sorry
for his guns. If ! remember right, Wilson at
tended to the city SIDE Gregg TO the rear, and
Merritt and Custer forced passage over the
Chickahominy. In the meantime Meadow
bridge had TO be rebuilt. 1t would astonish
the natives il they could have seen the material
with which that bridge was rebuilt and how
quickly il was done / have been a great adj
mirer Of Gen. Sheridan since that day. That
night we went into camp at Gaines Mill, our
old camp of lS62.-THoMAs DoDD, Serg't, Co.
b. 9th u. 5. Cav, Willoughby, o.