Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-06-06
WAR ECHOES.
A CAVALRYMANs STORY.
A Tight Place and n Timely Leap
Who Was First at FayetIe-
willie, N. @.

'NiN elAoA puts ~ W lest.
In the month of February, 1868, our
cavalry headquarters were in the vicinity
OF Bell Plain, Va, and from that point
details were sent to maintain a picket>
line extending from the left of the main
army before fredericksburg, down along
the Rappahannock, on the south side OF
the Peninsular region lying between this
river and the Potomac. Owing to the
high condition and width of the river.
the apparent small force of the enemy
below, and the small amount of trouble
they gave US, our line was light; one
regiment often guarding or watching, by
| picket and patrol, the whole extent oil
country reaching from the left of our in.
fantry nearly to the Chesapeake Bay.
During the time this duty was assigned
to our regiment, lasting, as it did, about
three weeks, we saw scarcely any fight
ing, but the terrible marching imposed
upon us IN patrolling such distance at
regular intervals, with the fact that the
roads were made almost impassable by
rain and mud, told with destructive eff
feet upon horsefiesh and the health and
strength of the men,
By reference to the man of Virginia.
it will be te that the distance bV an
airline from Falmouth to the Chesa.
peake, is about so miles. As we started
from point about half way between
Falmouth and Port Conway, and at the
end of our march down the Peninsula
Ietraced our steps at point about 90
IN les from the bay. the distance direct
is probably so or 20 miles; but as we
were obliged to follow road the winds
ings of which would be difficult to trace
on paper the march back and forth
must have comprehended a distance of
more than 1875 miles. We found it next
to impossible to asc. rtain distance from
citizens aud negroes whom we saw and
questioned; the ideas of the negroes in
regard to distance, being, as they ex-
pressed them, very vague to us.
On the afternoon of the 9th day of
February our regiment received orders
to relieve anotE er regiment of the brin
gade then picketing at King George
Courthouse; so at o'clock we were on
the march, and reached the reserve at
10 o'clock that night. We passed three
days picketing. At 12 o'clock on the
night of the 18th, however, we were
suddenly aroused, the outposts with
drawn, and were soon on the march.
From that time until we reached our
destinat on we stopped only when it be.
came absolutely necessary.
About noon one day near the last part
OF our hard march my horse gave out,
and l was obliged TO abandon him by
the roadside and undertake the almost
hopeless task OF keeping pace with the
regiment on foot. To best accomplish
this left the road and struck off across
the country in q straight line, through
brambles, bogs, pine thickets AM un-
cultivated fields, trusting thus to shorten
my own walk, and, ii possible, strike
the road again. After about three hours
scrambling over this trackless route,
was finally favored with the sight of
cluster of plantation buildings, and
upon reaching it found to my unspeaka-
BILE delight stable, and in that stable
| three fine look ng horses.
My presence brought concourse OF
woolly heads about he stable and two
white women, fairly dressed, who set up
terrible outcry when saddled bay
| horse and poceeded to lead him out. An
elderly white man thel appeared and
with menacing manner commanded me
to rel'nquish the horse. simply tap
ped the handle of my revolver and
sprang into the saddle. He than began
to beg me to take the black horse. just
then noticed an old darkev close BY
the horse, and I felt by his actions that
he wanted to say something, but was
afraid. l leaned over on his side as
though to adjust the stirrup~strap, when
lie hurriedly whispered:
Don't take de brack horse, case he
dc debbel's own. Take de bay, and fo'
dc Lords sake git out o. dis quick!'
Strengthening up I glanced at the
white woman and the d man, and saw
that they had seemingly lost all inter-
ests in the fate of the bay horse, but
were expectantly glancing in particu.
lar direction to the east. Becoming in.
terested, 1 rode the horse past the cor>
ner of the stable. and, looking in the
SAME direction, saw what caused M to
wheel the horse into the field and start
him at rapid galIop 10 an opposite d.
rection. | had ridden but few rods
when herd great uproar in the vi
entity of the stables, caused bv yells.
curses and the sharp repot is of rifles and
revolvers. Looking back Is.w three
citizen-dressed horsemen following me
Into the field, shouting and fling at me.
To my right, and near the road, four
others were urging their horses to hea
me off from gap in the trench-and-
brush fence so common in that country.
new we'll enough that to fall into the
hands of those m meant certain death.
saw, also, that could not reach the
gap in the fence ahead of those who
were riding for it. My only alternative
, was to whe.l suddenly to the left and
lide for the nearest point in the fence,
and try the | aping qualities of the horse
rode. Touching him with the spur he
bounded away with long aud strong
leaps, and arriving ut the fence just ga'b.
cred himself for an extra effort and
cleared the brush hedge aud trench with
perfect ta-e. The leap. as any one ac>
quainted with that style of fence will
agree with me, Was one that no other
except the best of saddle horses could
accomplish. In the road turned to the
left, met one Of the guerrillas, excharg.
I'd shots with him, swept by him like
storm>driven cloud, and urged my horse
to his swiftest pnce. until. distancing
my pursuers :, l cou d no longer see or
hear them. class this escapade as one
among the mos eXcitinv that I exl eri-