Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1888-11-22
DEPARTMENT.
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
The Late Rev. Il. p. Roe's Studies OF Battie
From the Saddle.

LONGER resist the call for men ID tle
army. Learning that the Second New
York Harris Light Cavalry was WIN
out chaplain, / obtained the appoint
ment TO that position. General Nil
patrick was then Lieutenant-Colonel,
land in command OF the regiment. In
December 1862. / witnessed the bloody
and disastrous battle of Fredericksburg,
and can never forget the experience Of
that useless tragedy. ! was conscious
OF "a sensation which struck me as too
profound to be merely awe. Early 10
the morning we crossed the Rappahan-
mock on a pontoon bridge, and marched
up hill TO an open plain. The roar oil
the battle was simply terrific, shading
off from the sharp continuous thunder
Immediately 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 iron mouths
puffs of smoke issued necessarily, fol-
lowed by tremendous reyerberations.
Back of these batteries the ground was
covered with men lying on their arms,
that they might 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
"dueked" instinctively when the missile
was at least forty feet above us. Even
our horses shuddered at the sound.
| resolved to learn il the men were
sharing in my emotions in brief. what |
effect the situation had upon them and 1
rode slowly down our regimental line. |
So vivid was the impression Of the long
array of awed. paliid 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 fly far beyond the rude
alarms. They would hutter up into the
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 10 us for cover. The poor
little creature meant dinner TO the
fortunate captor on day when IA din
ner was extremely problematical. We
engaged in a sharp scramble, the prize
being won by the regimental surgeon,
who kindly shared his game with me.
In the dusk of Sunday evening 1900
men were massed in the woods on the
banks Of the Rapidan. Our scouts
opened the way by wading the stream
and bouncing upon the unsuspecting
picket OF twenty Confederates opposite
Then away We went across cold, rapid
'iver marching all that night through
he dim woods and openings in a coun-
ny that WAS emphatically the enemy's.
ICES 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
ards in advance Of the main body rode
vanguard of two hundred men thrown
Onward TO warn us should we strike ,
ny considerable number OF the enemy's /
avalry. As is ever the case. the horsoi
t a small force will walk away from "a ,
much larger body, and it was necessary +
rom time to time to send word to the d
ordering it to "slow up. L
his order was occasionally intrusted 20 1
ne. | was to gallop over the interval {
etween the two columns, then draw up a
Y the roadside and sit motionless on G
ny horse until the General and his staff 4
anne up. The slightest irregularity a
( action would bring shot from our "A
wn men, while the prospect OF an in
srview with the Johnnies while thus 4
'olated was always good. | saw one OF h
ur officers shot that night lie had il
dden carelessly into the woods. and r
ode out again just before the head Of /,
ne column, without instantly account $
~ for himself. As it was OF vital i'm p,
to keep the movement secret a
; long as possible, the poor fellow was I,
fenced in sad error as to his identity, q
On we rode, night and day. with the ;,
riefest possible halts. AT one point II
e nearly captured a railroad train. :,
nd might easily have succeeded had o
Dt the station and warehouses been in N
lmes. As it was, the train approach ~
us closely, then backed, the Shrek y
g engine giving the impression OF be- n
g startled to the last degree. h
On dreary, DRILLING, foggy day we i
lssed a milestone on which was let q
red, "Four miles TO Richmond Ii ~
as still ION to Richmond with us i
hat seemed a long way farther, and n
zen came considerable period of p
ssitancy. in which the command was y
avn up for the final dash. The en- =