The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-05
could not be surpassed, thus verifying
tbe Couptef

! Their best redress from presence of min l."
/ Yes, This presence II mind was OF meal
culahle value to him. Ii enabled him 10
overcome obstacles and 10 meet all emer.
eencies. 10y which al times he exircaied
himself aud command from The powerful
grasp of the enemy. This witnessed In
June, 1862. IN his memorable raid around
MClellan's army, which was appIauded
by the civilized world at the time as a
brilliant achievement, and pronounced
hy Napoleon Ill. then on The throne OF
France, as gland piece OF strategy, and
one that could not he excelled BIZ
any officer. Under orders Of bis
chief be was required 10 make a
reconnaissance on the right Of
the Federal army while il lay on
the Chickahominy menacing Richmond
/ Stuart, by his b0ldness and hard fighting,
had penetrated 20 the rear of the Fede
rails, and had reached point that was
alarmingly perilous He had cut through
/ the enemy's lines and DESTROYED trans.
ports, commissary, and quartermaster
trains, by which means he had stirred up
the whole Fedora. army. as d mischievous
boy does sometimes = colony of hornets,
and there was no way he could possibly
rctrace his steps. he road over which he
had come was filed with the enemy; for
the Federals fully expected he would en-
deavor 20 return by il To The Confederate
lines, and they had taken steps 10 crush
| him.
Here he was being holly pursued, and
could IN no way receive any succOr from
the COn!ederaies. for he was wholly cut
off from them by the Federals on the
Chickahominy There was but one
remedy for this horrible dilemma and
that was TO go forward and pass around
McCiellan's whole army. But how was
this to he done when liver confronted
him which was swollen by heavy raios
and was no longer fordable, and the
danger was thickening every moment by
an enragod and powerful foe gathering
around him and his command and
Threatening them with annihilation and
capture. But Stuart was calm under
all this. | saw him as he APP
preached The river and made observa-
tiOns up and down the stream, but he
did not show any signs Of fear or anxiety
as he sat on his horse strOBing his luXu-
RANT beard as he pOndered over the sit
uation. He had in the meantime dis
patched a courier to General ee apprsng
him of his perilous position. After doing
this he learned that at point below the
ford there were the remains of an old
bridge to which he FASTENED with his
command Upon his arrival there he
discovered 81 ccely a skeleton Of one, for
the Confederetes in their retreat up the
Peninsuiar had destroyed it But it oc
CURED TO Stuart that he would Under
such trying circumstances make an effort
to rebuild ii He placed strong picket
in his rear, and dismounied portion
Of his command, and undet his
eye commenced earnest and unremit-
ting work upon it, Tinbcrs were
taken from an old warehouse in the
ueighbOring field and carried hurredly 10
the spot where nothing remained but The
debris Of the bridge There were men
10 receive and to put them together as
they were delivered upon the BANKS Of
the river. The rapidity with which those
timbers were united Oy un killed bands
was a surprise even TO those who per
formed the work. The bridge possessed
little or no architectural beauty after be
Ing completed, but it possessed great
strength which was moe desirable than
an attractive appearance, and the ANA
teur bridge builders received the hearty
thanks OF the whole command While
this work was going on Stuart had in his
rear a threatening and formidable fo'ce
gathering 10 strike him, aud this was The
only means Of escape.
II H. a. 81, I'M n
for he was still in the euemy's country
and could only check his pursuers for
time bv the destruction OF the bridge,
which ne burnt, Immediately after cross
ing with his command He was now in
Charles CITY county, but still separated
from the Confederate Army, and there
was but one road by which he could
eScaDe and that is known as the James
River road which was occupied al that
time by General Hooker with "a large
Federal force Stuart passed rapidly
through ,regchcrOus boys and estuaries
on the North side of the ChickahOminy
until he reached "a point known as Green
Oak. here he left the Chickahominy and
marched with great rapidly to Bruk-
land on James River, hating an hour or
more 10 snatch some ItpOSe AZ d"H
Isaac H. Christians in this neighbor-
hood. He resumed his march for
the Confederate lines, but without
his command, for this was left mere with
orders 10 move at later hour. Taking
"a courier and myself as guide he started
al night for the headquarters of General
Lee, at that time at Dobbs farm, near
Richmond, a distance of thirty miles.
Pause for moment and think OF gem
eral officer separating himself from his
whole command and riding the distance
already mentioned, with only two men, a
whole night through country occupied
at the time by hostile forces actually en-
gagged in scouting and pickeling all the
roads, placing his life in great peril
every moment OF the time. stuart was
a splendid rider, going al gallop nearly
the whole way, and frequently in the
advance OF both courier and guide. There
was one point in his al.night ride that
was ;hrillngiy peiilous, and that was
WHEN he approached the locality OF!
Waite OAK swamp, for this was occupied
Ia. Egrar.1 Hacker who held n DO%ifiOu