Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-19

Tho Desperate Fight st yellow
Taverp-o.3O0 Agatast 5000.
Mar 0rlnans PlcaYnno.l

had preceded HIM, Old soldiers ali over
the country, without regard TO the flag
under which they had served, eulogized
the distinguished General and recalled
incidents of his splendid career OF which
they happened to have knowledge.
Among these was recital by Senator
Plumb, OF Kansas, himself 8 gallant
soldier, who related an account OF an ln-
terview he had once with General Shen-
dan in regard to his celebrated cavalry
raid on Richmond on the 18th of May,
1864. Colonel Plumbs story has been
printed before, but it is worth repeating
ALWAYS think OF Sheridan In connec-
ton with a conversation / he'd with hlm.
General" said, "you were In the
West before you came East. What was
your opinion Of the Army Of the Poto-
mac ?" You remember 1t was charao-
terized about that time as not doing Its
share of the work ?
"Oh, the Army Of the Potomac was
all right" said Sheridan; "the trouble
was the commanders never went out to
lick anybody, but always thought first
Of keeping from getting licked. "
Sheridan, continued the Senator, came
East when the cavalry OF the Army OF the
Potomac was not IN good condition and
Grant gave him the task OF recognizing
it and raising its efficiency. de had
worked some time when General Meade
sent him over the Rsppahannock on q
reconnaissance. Sheridan came back
and in making his verbal report alluded
TO q brush he had with StuaJt's cavalry.
"Never mind Stuart, said Meade inter
rupting, she will do about es he pieases,
ANYHOW. Go on and tell what you dis
covered about Lees forces"
That made Sheridan mad and he re-
torted "Domn Stusrt, can thrash hell
out of him any day" Those were times,
YOU know, when mems utterances, like
their deeds, were not fashioned upon
the models of these days of peace.
Meade repeated the remark to Grant,
who asked, "Wby didn't you tell him to
do it?"
Not long after Sheridan got an order
TO cross the river, engage Stuart, and
clean him out. Il knew could whip
him." said Sheridan, "if could only
get him where he could not fall back on
Lees infantry; so / thought the matter
over, and TO draw him on started straight
for Richmond. We moved fast, aud
Stuart logged us right at our heels
We kept on second day straight for
Richmond, and the next morning found
Stuart in front OF us, just where We
wanted him. He had marched al night
and got around us. Then | rode
him down; 1 smashed his COM
mand and broke up his divisions
and regiments and brigades; and
the poor fellow himself was killed there.
Right there. Senator, / resisted the
greatest temptation of my life. There
Law Richmond before US and there was
nothing to keep us from going in. 1t
would have cost 500 or 600 lives and i
could not have held the place, OF course.
but knew the moment it was learned IT
the North that a Union army was IN
Richmond then every bell would ring,
and / should have been the hero OF the
hour. could have gone in and burned
and killed right and left. But ! had
learned this thing our men knew
what they were about. had seen
them come out OF fight in which only
handful were killed, disconnected, mad
clear through, because they knew an
opportunity had been lost or a sacrifice,
small rs it was, had been needlessly
made, and have seen them come out
rood natured, enthusiastic, and spelling
Tor more when they bad left the ground
so thickly covered with dead that you
could have crossed portions Of the field
Oh the bodies alone. They realized that
Notwithstanding the terrible sacrifice
the object gained had been worth It.
They would have followed me but they
would have known as well as | that the
sacrifice was for no permanent adyan-
tage."
Senator Plumb was not an eyewitness
of the battle OF Yellow Tavern. and his
story-while in the main correct aud not
Intentionally inaccuracies nevertheless
not wholly consistent with actual events.
Here is Governor Fitzhugh Lees ac-
count Of that battle, in which he par
ticipated. His narration was made IN an
address delivered on the 18TH of June Of
the present yesr, when a monument
erected on the spot where General Stuart
fell WAS dedicated. He eald:
Probably the Confederate capital
was never in such dsngerof capture from
the moment it was first beleagued by the
hosts Of the enemy to the time OF It's final
fall as it was on the day Of the fierce
battle at Yellow Tavern. At that time
Lee WAS confronting Grant and his
powerful army near Spotsylyania Court
house. General Butler was pressing
close upon the lines near Petersburg,
while Richmond. nearly stripped OF
troops, depended chiefly for defence upon
the local forces, composed of the en-
ployees in the government offices and
workshops. Ii was at this critical mo-
ment that General Grant sent out
strong force Of cavalry under Sheridan,
whose reputation as a cavalry COM
mander was already at its highest, TO
march rapidly upon Richmond and cap
ture it before the city could be re-en-
forced.
"On the 9Th Of May, 1864, the Fed
eral cavalry corps was concentrated near
Fredericksburg, and on the morning Of
the 9Th marched by Hsmilton's Crossing
to the Telegraph road, and moving to
the right OF General Lees right flank,
marched to Beaver Dam Station, on the
Newport News and Mississippi Valley
railroad, aud from that point by the
Louisa or sold Mountain Road via
Glen Allen, u station on the Fredericks-
burg railroad, to the Yellow Tavern. His
command consisted of three divisions
under Generals Merritt, Wilson, and
Gregg, numbering according to the
official returns OF the Federal army,
dated May II, 1854. $500 men in the
saddle. His brigade commanders were
Custer, Devius. Gibbs, Davies, j. Irwin
Gregg, Mcintosh, and Chapman.
General Stuart followed these seven
brigades OF Sheridan with the three
brigades of his command-yiz.. Lomar's
and Wickham's of fitz Lees division
and North Carolina brigade under
General Gordon. making total effective
force of some 5000 troopers. On the
morning OF the l1.h General Stuart in
tercepted, at Yellow Tavern, Sheridan's