Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-11-16
SOLDIERS DEPARTMENT.
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
Tho Late Rev. E. T.. Roo's studies OF Batti
From tho Saddle,

army. Learning that tho Second Ne
York Harris Light Cavalry was will
out chaplain, / obtained the nppoin
mcnt to that position. General Ki
patrick was then Lieutenant Colone
and in command of the regiment. i
December, 1862, witnessed tho blood
and disastrous battle OF fredericksburg
md can never forget the experience c
that useless tragedy. l was consciou
of sensation which struck mo MS to
profound TO bo merely awe. Early Il
the morning we crossed the Rappahan
mock on pontoon bridge, and marche,
up hill to an open plain. The roar o
tho battle was simply terrific, shading
off from the sharp continuous thunde
Immediately about us, to dull, heavy
mutterings farto the right and left. A few
hundred yards before us, whore the
ground began to slope up to the fata
heights crowned with Confederate
works and ordnance, were long limos Of
Union battery. From their iron mouths
puffs of smoke issued necessarily, fol-
lowed by tremendous reverberations.
Back of these batteries the ground was
covered with men lying on their arms,
that they might present less obvious
target. Then n little farther to the
rear on the level ground above the
bluff, stood our cavalry. Heavy guns
on both sides of the river were sending
their great, shrieking shells back and
In nd t.FA oft
"duckedn instinctively when the missile
was at least forty feet above us. Even
our horses shuddered ut tho sound.
/ resolved to learn II the men were
sharing in my emotions-in brief, what
effect the situation had upon them-and
rode slowly down our regimental line.
So vivid was the impression OF the long
array of awed, pallid faces that at this
moment | can recall them distinctly.
There were strange little touches of
larks were hemmed in on every side,
too frightened tofly far beyond the rude
alarms, They would flutter up into the
sulphurous air with plaintive cries, then
drop again into the open spaces between
the troops. At one time while we were
standing at our horses heads startled
rabbit ran to us for cover. The poor
little creature meant dinner to the
fortunate captor on day when din
ner was extremely problematicaL We
engaged in n sharp scramble, the prize
being won by the regimontal surgeon,
who kindly shared his game with me.
In the dusk of Sunday evening 1000
men were massed in tho woods on the
banks OF the Rapidan. Our scouts
opened the way by wading the stream
and pouncing upon the unsuspccting
picket of twenty Confederates opposite
Then away we went across n cold, rapid
river, marching all that night through
The dim woods and openings in coun-
Try that was emphatically the enemy's.
Lees entire army was on our right, the
main Confederate cavalry force on our
eft The strength OF our column and
is objective point could not long re-
main unknown.
In some unimportant ways / acted
Is aid for Fitzpatrick. A few hundred
Yards in advance OF the main body rode
l vanguard of two hundred men thrown
forward to warn us should we strike
my considerable number of the enemy's
cavalry. As is ever the case, the horses
of II small force will walk away from
much larger body, and it was necessary
from time to time to send word to the
ordering it to 'slow up"
This order was occasionally intrusted to
me. was to gallop over the interval
between the two columns, then draw up
by the roadside and sit motionless on
my horse until the General and his staff
came up. The slightest irregularity
1f action would bring shot from our
)wn men, while the prospect OF an in
erview with tho Johnnies while thus
solated was always good. | saw one of
'ur officers shot that night. He had
'idden carelessly into the woods, and |
ode out again just before tho head of
he column, without instantly account |
ng for himself. As it was OF vital i'm |
,ortance to keep the movement secret |
IS long as possible, the poor fellow was
iilenced in sad error as to his identity,
On we rode, night and day, with the
'riefest possible halts. At one point
ye nearly captured railroad train,
md might easily have succeeded had
rot the station and warehouses been in
lanes. As it was the train approach
ID us closely, then backed, the shriek-
ng engine giving the impression of be-
ng startled to the last degree
On dreary, drlzzling, foggy day we
'assed milestone on which was let
cred, "Four miles to Richmond" 1t
vas still ION to Richmond" with us
'hat seemed long way farther, and
hen came considerable period of
esitancy, in which the command was
rawn up for the final dash. The en-
my shelled a field near us vigorously,
nut fortunately, or unfortunately, the
og was so dense that neither party
ould make accurate observations or do
luch execution.
For reasons that have passed into
istory, the attack was not made. We
'lthdrew six miles from the city and
'ent into camp.
| had scarcely begun TO enjoy much
reded rest before the Confederates came
p in the darkness and shelled us out
I such quarters as we had found. We
ad 10 leave our boiling coffee behind
s-one of tho greatest hardships |
ave ever known. Then followed
,ng night ride down the Peninsula, in
riving sleet and rain.
The next morning the sun broke out
loriously, warming and drying our
hilled, wet FORMS Nearly all that day
&c maintained line of battle confront
lg the pursuing enemy. One brigade
'ould take a defensive position while
he other would march about five miles
0 commanding point whore it in turn
'ould form line. The first brigade
'ould then give way, pass through the