, 1888-11-08
A Chaplain's Studies of Battle
From the Saddle.
At Observation-Disclosures
Near Richmond.
Experiences In the War OF the Rebellion
study Of Mems Emotions While
Under Fire.
[Lippincott's Magazine,1

resist the call for men in the army.
Learning that the Second New York
Harris Light cavalry was without a
chaplain, obtained the appointment to
that position. General Fitzpatrick was
then lieutenant-colone and in command
of the regiment. In December, 1862. |
witnessed the bloody and disastrous battle
of Fredericksburg, and can never forget
the experience of thai useless tragedy.
was conscious of sensation which struck
me as too profound to be merely awe.
Early in the morning we crossed the Rap
pahannock on pontoon bridge, and
marched up the hill to un open
plain. The roar of the battle was
simply terrific. shading off from
the sharp continuous thunder i'm.
mediately about us to dull. heavy
mutterings, far to the right and left.
A few hundred yards before us. where
the ground began to slope up to the fatal
heights crowned with confederate works
and ordnance. were long lines of Union
battery From their ron mouths puffs Of
smoke Issued necessarily, followed by
tremendous reverberations Back of these
batteries the ground was covered with
men lying on their arms, that they might
I present less obvious target. Then
| 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 forth over our heads. and we
often 'ducked" instinctively when the
missile was at least forty feet above us.
| Even our horses shuddered at the sound
resolved to hear II the men were shar.
ing 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 mingled pathos
and humor Meadow larks were hemmed
in on every side, too frightened TO tly far
beyond the rude alarms. They would flut-
ter up into the sulphurious air with plain
tive cries, thea drop into the open
space between the troops. At one time
while we we're standing at our horses
heads startled rabbit ran to us for cover
The poor little creature meant dinner to
the unfortunate captor on day when
dinner was exceedingly problematic. We
ing won by the regimental surgeon, who
kindly shared his game with me.
In the dusk of Sunday evening 1000 men
were massed in the woods on the banks Of
the Rapidan. Our scouts opened the way
by wading the stream and pouncing upon
the unsuspectinQ picket of twenty confed.
crates opposite Then away we went acrsos
cold, rapid river, marching all that night
In the dim woods and openings in the coun-
Lees entire army was on our right, the
main confederate cavalry force on our left.
The strength of our column and its ohjec-
tive point could not remain long un-
known.
In some unimportant ways ] acted as
aid for Fitzpatrick. A few hundred yards
in advance of the main body rode van
guard of 200 men. thrown forward to
warn us should we strike any considerable
number of the enemy's cavalry. As is
ever the case, the horses of a small force
will walk away from a much larger body,
and 1t was necessary from time to time to
send word to the vanguard ordering it to
'slow up" This order was occasionally in
trusted to me. was to gallop over the
interval between the two columns, then
draw up by the roadside ana sit notion
less on my horse till the general with his
staff came up. The slightest irreRularity
Of action would bring shot from our
own men, while the prospect of an inter.
view with the Johnnies while thus
isolated was al ways good. saw one of
our officers shot that night. He had
ridden carelessly into the woods, and rode
out again just before the head Of the
column, without instantly accounting for
himself. As it was of vital importance to
keep the movement secret az long as pos
sible, the poor fellow was silenced in sad
error as to his identity.
On we rode. night and day, with the
hr;afaof y,paoihla n alta ,,otpf tva
nearly captured railroad train, and
might easily have succeeded had not the
| station and warehouses been in flames.
/ AS IL was, the train approached us closely,
then backed, the shrieking engine giving
the impression Of being startled to the last
degree.
On dreary. drizzling. foggy day we
passed milestone on which was written,
-Four Miles to Richmond" 1t was still
ION to Richmond" with US what seemed
long way farther, and then came consid
| erable period of hesitancy, in which the
| command was drawn up for the final dash.
The enemy shelled a field near US vigor-
ously. but fortunately. or unfortunately.
the fog was SO dense that neither party
could make accurate observations or do
much execution.
For reasons that have passed into his
tory, the attack was not made. We with
drew six miles from the city and went into
camp.
had scarcely began to enjoy much
needed rest before the confederates came
up in the darkness and shelled us out of
such quarters as We had found. We had
to leave our boiling coffee behind us--one
of the greatest hardships l had evei
known. Then followed long night ride
down the peninsula. In driving sleet and
rain.
| The next morning the sun broke out
Agloriously, warmisR and drying our
chilled. wet forms. Nearly all day we
mai nj nod q Ii ua oe hakflo rouS~outius, xho