The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-17

special escort duty 10 the upper happahahhoCk
fords
III rode M there once in the company Of
Gen. Buford. doubled the route a dozen times.
Every now and then we st headquarters would
GET sudden orders to pack four days TatIons for
some or this special duty.
Il generally turned ont 10 be a scare caused
By some OF StuaUt'S cavalry crossing 10 our
side OF the river above, or between us and
Washington We had to make the midnight
ride All the same every time, generally reach
ing Kellys Ford Or Beverly Ford about day
light on these cold Winter mornings. where we
would stand around in the woods all day and
return to camp the following night without
getting a sight Of Stuarts men.
0n the staff of Buford were two young Eng
lish officers, quite boyish in appearance. They
were neatly uniformed IN blue but both wore
the graceful French capes OF clOaks with the
pointed hoods. These gave them certain AIRY,
foreign appearance, quite different from the big
blue 0vercoats our officers wore. When, lh case
OF storm OF on one of these midnight rides,
these young officers would draw their peaked
shaved hoods over their heads they had most
gu8tasaue appearance. They looked for ali the
werId like the clown or harlequin IN the play.
The youngsters were always on hand and took
au aCtive uau~n~4 these disagreeable rides,
though they might have reUIaiued in camp If
tlev had wished. Oue o. these officers was
named Ecoeh; but Of him more anon.
i was while I was absent on one Of these
sudden raids that Gen Burnside moved the
agmv out Of IFS comfortable Winter quarters,
where thov at once So iEnominiOnsly stuck IN
the mud right at their front door, or IN sight OF
the rebels. as il were. The weather had soft
ened considerably after Gen Burnside had
Issued the orders 10 move This IS one little
fact which ] mention here, because my impress
sion is that those who have criticized the Gen
eral Tor this movement. fail to explain that
.E.- 4 .is4s4flf tFaT
Were iu splendid condition IN fact the river
in places and all the roads approaching the
fords were frozen as solid IS could be desired.
As viii probably be discovered, l am open to
3 charge Of partiality 10 Gen. Burnside; but
this docs not change the facts ! am stating, as
gathered from close and personal observation
whie in bis family, as il were.
We Of Buf0rd's cavalry were expecting to
cross the river above. some place while Burn
side moved has army over 81 Banks and United
States For6s.
II raiued or showed and sleeted during all
the time we were upon the fauks. The rain
came down steadily IN this close slauting style
that means that it has come for good pour
down.
That we were wet and cold, and generally
uncomfortable goes without saying An hour
Of exposure TO this sort Of thing now would be
thought dangerous, but we were out there for
dav and night.
/ expected. as a matter Of course, to ride into
Fredericksburg in d few hours, or day at
furthest, where ] should be warmly welcomed
bv tfen0 and taken care Of by the Wells family.
This sort Of anticipation served to keep my
spirits up wonderfully. When the order came
10 return ] felt sure that Burnside had safely
crossed and surprised the rebels as he had
hoped. and had driven them out without a gGn
being fired. ! am reciting all these details. not
thar I think ID viii be interesting reading. but
2 -. q IA
soEroWfuliy bitter-dsspp0intm at Gen.
Buruside's failure. To my heart it had been a
teufold greater disappointment than TO perhaps
any one soldier Of all that 100000.
For months / had been living there In hopes
Of getting over the river to see my girl had
fully believed that the lOnE-l0Oked-fOr hour
had come: so, with these facts in mind, put
yourself in my place. Wet cold, hungry, but
stilI buoyant and hopeful ! rode back to camp
ard found that sen. Burnside had not crossed,
and would not cross. in our return 10 lind our
br0ken-up camp, we passed miles upon miles OF
troops wagons. cannon and caissons all
STUCK FAST n TIE MUD,
while e desulate dreary rain was pouring down
upon them al.
Ifyoa have never seen a truck loaded with a
biz. aw wi- yFars looking pontgon boat, standing
almost Oh END As the front wheels dropped into
maa-bole and the hind wheels carCened, il
VII u0t lie possible 10 understand this scene
Tarre we're gUn-c carriages imbedded so deep IN
tie uud that only the bTeuch Of the gun was
eEfosei To these would be attached {, 10, OF
perhaas II horses, doubled up from some other
paIf o. the battery, trying 70 pun it OFT TO the
accaalIlaulment OF the undiscovered drivers
oatas al bis horses and The officers commands
an curses aimed al tile men.
We bad al broken up our comfortable Win
ter Glarterz. expecting 10 leave that part Of the
ce14.ry forever; 50 that the 100000 men in
fhat old army Of the Potomac were IN the con-
oitiga Of a family On moving day iu the storm
--0lt oi lhe house they had lived in, and dissP
poig.ed about getting the key to their new
hone.
We were compelled to return IN this cold and
Wct condition 10 our deserted dreary old guar
te-s In the reaction that followed my great
disappointment / became for a few days
quite seriously ID, and At the first opportunity
wa- kindly given a l0-days furlough to visit
ms hgue.
Whie was absent on this leave Gen. Burn
SIDE WAS relieved Of the command Of the army
II BIS 1Eu urgent and repeated request and
GeH. Hooker assumed Tie command. Is is vel
know.
Before . final parting with Gen. Burnside il
tbs narrative ] may be permitted to record Z
private opinion that ] gathered from thil
association with headquarters. thatthe Genera
WIS crazed ~ times by the auuOyanccs, biczer
lDzs aud IleauHe5scs Of some Of his subOTdi
mates.
] have quietly watched the dear old Genera
al al Lours of the day aud night while IN thai
camp. lie certainly did 10 any say some curl
Gus things % the attendants a. times. Sincr
The WAT j was my privilege, while he was Seua
tor, also - be near him, as an employc Of tn
Senate for years and there Senator Burnside
was Z 1crcut man entirely from Gen. Barn
Size.
Leaving Fredericksburg for a furlough hom
was not. 10 lHy mind aud heart al thai time
looked upon as any great privilege. ] did not
Of c5ur.e, make a cOuldaut Of my cUmrade
about the cause of MY attachment 70 the ol,
town then la possession Of the J0hunics.
felt lE sending that message 10 Capt Wells
house that they would al know that ] va
near; that was some consolation.
Thou art so near and yet SO FAR has lon
had deeper significance 10 me than 10 auyen
else; especially just then. or course, / rode {
The riTer bank al the Lacey House and gzzc
over earnestly by the hour, at every oppoi
tuuity. ! realized, too, that if the contents q
the letter had been reported 10 Gen. Lee
would ngw suspect il ~ bave been a dec0y
Therefore it was some consolation 10 know tina
was not ln the hands Of the rebels as a su.
pect rs ] might have been ii ] had crossed as
proposed. 4 was yet free, and had anothe
cbauce. ] reluctantly Left the river bank on
day after q silent farewell. before taking raj
for Ecauia Creek and Washington.
Tu1re Is nothing of general interest TO recor
about my Visit home. IN Washington / sa