Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-04-08

burgh. Gen. Fitzpatrick was reliev-
eel of the command of our division,
and Gen. Wilson took the command.
Gen. Phil. Sheridan having been call
ed to take command of the corps,
Gen. Grant had taken command of
the army.
The spring campaign opened in
earnest the first of May, and it was
the part of the cavalry to protect the
fanks of the army. We crossed the
Rapidan at Germantown Ford, May
4th, and proceeded to Parker's Store,
where we bivouacked. We took
what part we could during the Will
derness fight, and had some sharp
skirmishing along the route to and
about Spottsylvania. Gen. Grant
finding it very difficult matter to
dislodge Lee from his works about
Spottsylvania determined to harrass
hi9 communications, and sent Sheri-
dad*on q grand raid in the rear. We
started about the 10th of May on a
raid of over two weeks. Our first
big fight was at Yellow Tavern, where
the rebel General Stuart was killed
and the rebs were pretty roughly
handled. From thence we went close
to Richmond, but got into hornets
nest aud were pretty willing to
move little further off from the reb-
ell capital city. We skirmished more
or less until the army crossed the
James river, where we soon went on
the big raid known as the Richmond
and Danville r. r. The object of the
raid was the destruction of the rail-
roads leading into Richmond, COM
pelling Lee to push out and fight or
90 hungry. We succeeded in tearing
up the roads as far as Roanoke Sta
ton on the Staunton river. We had
a hard fight there on plantation be-
longing to the estate of the late Chas.
p. Allen of Irasburgh. We were
roughly handled and started next day
on q retreat back to the main army.
A large force, both of infantry and
cavalry. had been sent down from
Petersburgh and vicinity to cut us off
and we were hard pressed on all sides.
On the 28th of June we had reached
Stony Creek, ID miles from Peters
burgh and there met brigade of reb-
ell cavalry, land had Gen. Wilson made
a charge at once we should have cut
our way out, but he failed to do it,
and we were obliged to give battle at
sunset and maintain fighting we'll into
the night. l was ordered on to skir-
mish in with lot of dismounted men,
where we remained till daylight. The
night was dark and the situation was
such that we passed one of the most
unpleasant nights in all our long SER
vice. We were carrying rails, max
ing a slight breastwork, while the fir
ing of shells and carbines were crack
ing in all directions. About midnight
a shell burst close by me and | tho't
surely that my head was gone, till l
felt for it and found it was there, tho
the concussion was such as to put
me out of my senses for time and
to permanently make me deaf in one
ear. Early in the morning, Gen. Will
son seeing the impossibility of driving
the enemy from his front, decided to
make long detour southward in or
der to evade the heavy force in front.
The skirmish line was called in, or
dered to mount and get into line, but
before we executed the order we were
ordered to form another skirmish
line. 1t was very foggy morning
and we could see but little of the sit
uation. But it was not long when
the Maj. came to us and said, "boys,
take care of yourselves, the rebels
are in the rear" We started back
on a smart run, and | happened to
be near the road we came in on the
night before, and had reached the
place where Wilson had fallen lot
of trees across the road during the
night, when l saw before me, not two
rods away live Johnny resting his
musket across the tree, the hollow
end of it aiming exactly in my direc-
ton. He sang out, "Halt Yank !"
l stopped, but no sooner had the eye
Of the rebel'lifted than 1 jumped and
ran with all my might. OF course a
bullet followed me. 1t passed thro'
my overcoat, and in another instant |
[ was confronted by another rebel,
whose bullet punched another hole in
my coat, and not until | was fired at |
four times did get into fair sailing,
DE- rather running. Iran with all my
might, perhaps a mile, when 1 fell in
with two of our men, Charley Hoyt of
Craftsbury and Frank Russell of
Portland, Me.
We soon reached Stony Creek and
thought if we could cross it we would
be all right. We soon found tree
fallen across the stream, over which
We passed in safety. There was
arge open field before us, and we
started as fast as we could to cross
t. We had not gone a great dis
jance when we saw that we were dis
covered and were being followed by