The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-03-14
A CAVALRY CHARGE.
Thrilling Description OF mn IncItlont During
tho 1lnttlo Of Gettysburg.

I We had been hold In reserve tho sec.
ond day at Gettysburg so long that men
and horses became nervous and afraid.
My horse was an old veteran who would
drop his head and pick at tho green grass
with a battery firing on either side Of US /;
but as tho moments dragged away on
this occasion no evinced q woman's nor.
yousness. / looked down the line and
saw that the alignment was constantly
being broken by the horses backing up
or forging nhea1. They could see the
fighting to the right and in front and
the smoke from the Union battery to tho
loft and In front OF us drove back and
over us, and the horses breathed II in
and blew 1t out OF their nostrils in gasps.
A tremor OF excitement--a sort OF
Bhiver-ran down tho line.
The wind had shifted q bit to blow the
smoke TO our left, and down across tho
meadows we saw tho Confederate cavalry
forming with green woods for a back.
ground. Jeb Stuar.'s men were there
Ashbys men-men from Hampton's
Observation-Disclosures Virginians--Rosser's
rangers-Guerrillas from Mosby's com.
tnand. There were fragments from
every cavalry command We had met on
the turnpikes OF old Virginia, and there
wasn't squadron which wouldn't stand
for charge. The battery began firing
more rapidly, and there wasn't a man
OF us who did not realize what was com.
ing long enough before We got the word.
Some OF the horses knew It, too. You
could feel them filling their lungs and
,trinZ ng up their nerves for hard work.
Zine troopers in gray wheeled into line
under fire which must have tried the
nerves OF the bravest, and then the com.
pact mass got the word to advance.
They were coming for our battery,
which was without infantry supports.
There we stood, two thin, short lines,
representing 1000 dragons, but not
numbering one-half Of that figure, and |
body OF tive to ono was moving down |
upon us. Isaw several OF the gunners
look back. They saw the odde, and won.
dered, perhaps, why We did not run
away.
attention"
We had obeyed the order before 1t was
given. 59a
Fright dress!"
We were g minute ahead Of the com.
mand.
"Forward-draw sabers-guide right
troll" T.
Ali We are off! The gray moves
north and the blue moves south. We
are going to meet in the meadow below.
We must hold them back until infantry
supports can DO brought up. Every man
knows that he is moving down into
maelstrom Of death, but no one lags. A
strange EMULATION creeps into the heart.
1t is as il you had heard some grand.
good news, and wanted to shout over it
and tell everybody Of your good luck.
"Gallop-charge!"
Deathl Why, il one could die score
OF times instead OF only once there
would be no fear. l sit so lightly in the
saddle that my horse seems to have no
weight to carry. He Skins over the
ground as if he had wings, and l begin
cheering and yelling in chorus with my
1t is a living missile OF 500
men thrown at the front Of 5000. What
a crash there will be! How horses will
90 down and men pitch from their sad
dies! Afraid? No! Why, man, 1
would not miss this scene for years
life! My hand clutches the saber with
a strength I did not know I possessed.
l feel hunger for blood such as never
felt before. ~
"Yil Vi! Whoop-rah!" and We
strike them fair in the center. The 500
have the greatest momentum, and We
drive through the 5000 as a wedge is
pounded into soft wood. Men strike at
me. There is q flash, flash, and pop !!
pop! of pistols. | strike back. l feel
the desire OF the tiger to slay. w;
"Rally!". @'". l.
We have driven through the mass,
and the bugles sound the call to gather
for the return. The horses obey it with
out a touch Of the rein. 1t Seems that
the whole living mass is riding in a cir
Gle, and that there is blood on every
man and horse. All OF sudden we
shoot out from under the Bmoke.cloud
into the sunshine-not the 500, but the
30O-and the battery opens again. We
are to the right Of it, and it sends grape.
shot into. wild mob to drive it back
into the cover OF the woods. It is a sight
to look down over that field. Five hun
dred dead wounded men and horses are
lying there. It is only as I sit on my
horse and look over tho field that begin
to feel weak and grow frightened. My
head begins to swim-things grow dark,
and some one helps me to the ground. l
have q pistol ball in my shoulder, and
the blood is running down my back
from saber.cut on the head.
} ~ Tho Snmarin OF To-day.