The National tribune., 1890-05-15

IA hurry To get home. / was not in good physical
condition. In fact, If Gen. G. had not called me to
serve on his san when he did, might possibly not
have been able To be in nj the death 80 took things
very quietly until the order 10 march back to our
/ old stamping ground, en- route for home.
! Very truly, yours, H. w. CLARKE.
THE SECOND CAVALRY DIVISION AT APO
NATION
Comrade VIM. NJ Davis, Adjutant, 9th Ohio
/ Cav, Third Brigade Second Division Crook s.,
/ OF the Cavalry Corps, writes as follows from
jamestown, n. Y:
Just at dusk tho sth of April 1865 was de-
/ tailed by Mai. CTyer. commanding the 9th Ohio
! Cav, 20 take command of n small party and 20
ahead advance and find Lees pckeIs the
Iynchburg and AppomaItox turnpike One of the
brigade stall rode forward and gave me directions
/ as 10 what was expected, and telling me that we
were directly In front of tho enemy and now
/ the only road which could offer thcm any hope OF
escape; When reached their piolSets, we were to
press them back far possible before establish
/ ing our lice for the night
We passed Clusters Michigan Brigade Just going
/ into camp they having been engaged with the
enemy short distance beyond during the evening,
and about three quarters of n mile in their advance
came upon the enemy's piCkets. IL was now fully
dark, and as we came near they fired few shots at
us, which, OF course, did no harm. and Immediately
retired upon their reserve. We continued on our
course until another volley from their reserve
brought us 10 halt. Word was sent back. and the
troops In our rear came hastily forward few
nanIers were thrown out either side and we
pressed them back short distance TO the
brow OF the hin overlooking the little hamlet OF
AppomRttoX Courthouse
Our picket-line established, we made regimental
headquarters in the center OF the road, throwing
up some rude rail brcastworks = a light protection
extending short distance TO right and eft. We
lay close TO the enemy's line that their orders.
given in lond tone Of voice, about parking their
wagon-trains and artillery aud placing the troops
( as they came up could be heard quite plainly by
our pckets, well all the hustle aud confusion
incident 10 establishing camp after ngtlRll The
right OF the 9th Ohio rested in tie mir, bordering
Far,aN.w H.,
Rpprehended the enemy might penetrate To our
and of tie means of exit which 10 felt
We might possibly need in the early morning The
hours dragged slowly along. and yet morning with
its dreadful work would be upon ms soon enough.
Since the 2sth day of March bad not had n
single night OF rest and much oi the time but little
to eat.
So soon as Il was sufficiently light their pickets
began 10 show disposition 10 stir up trouble and
where their outlook could be improved 10y doing
80 forced our line back from the crest Of the hill.
Small bodies of the enemy could be moving
toward our left; a small party also came up the
THvlue on our right, and satisfied themselves that
The route could be made available TO work
vexAtion when the time should arrive for the
templated movement TO pierce our line. Thus
matters slowly maiured until about a. m, when
a lively fusilade opened the extreme left
OF our regiment extending still farther TO the left
which think. brought IL on to the isi Me Cav. To
besT the hardest brunt OF the heavy fighting At this
/ instant the rebel column hove sight over the
crest of the HILL and bad determined business
look which pnncndcd sore Hflliclion 10 anything
within IL reach Their lines were closed up IN solid
column with flags flying and bands playing. From
their point of advance ID brought them almost di-
recily Ia front of our brigade battery. which
~ position near the road la OF the Gth Ohio.
. The battery opened fre at once, and although IL
was very snort range with no obstacle III front To
protect them in the ie1st the enemy faitersd
from the time they starred until ching the road
aaa capturing one Of our guns; te others barely
I escaping The same fate. Things now were assum-
ing very Interesting phase FOR the 9th Ohio The
enemy hHd nearly reHched the road in irft rear
hnd nrinE had commenced At the bead OF tie ra-
vine IN our right rear.
Firing now commenced brislsly along our entire
front aud fauiSs and scetng thc dilcmnn
in, the order was given TO fall back. II required
no repetition for every man 10 strike go-as-yuu-
pleass" gait 10 the rear Those nearest the fayine
were obliged to assist the regiment our right in
holding the enemy ia check until assured our men
were al out, when we continued our reiTogradc
movement fighting we fell back for "A half mile
across open fields 10 the north Of The road. tbe
enemy now having possession Of that much coveted
outlet The force we were eoniendng with was
infantry, and they continued pursuit until almost
reaching the woods beyond, thinking doubt
their succcss for at least another day assured
when our Infantry, which all night long had been
piOdding fast aud faithfully to reach this point
now flied cut Of the woods. and passing through
our cavalry column opened directly upon their
advance.
The First and Second Bhgades Of our Second
Cavalry Division were the extreme left a. We
faced ihe enemy aud were engaging the rebel
cavalry under Gen Rosser while our Third Iri-
gade was coaending with their Infantry only.
"A our Infantry came out OF the woods and nd
yAnced upon them, Merritt and Custer, with the
FirHi aud Third Cavalry Divisions. had just reached
an advantageous position on the cHrniy's = eit flank
aud ia Eve minutes more would have been riding
down all that left OF the Army Of Northern
Virginia. Under these discouTAging surroundings
tiso white flag raised Custer rode out aud
received a. The 9th Ohio Cav. la at tlse close.
and participated ia delivering tie last blow at
Secession Must Of our men, except the pickelz.
were on the line. dsmouuied, and our horses were
brought forward 10 us reached the woods
oul oi which The infantry were NOW advancing.
Most of the fighting 10 tle ieit of Third rigpde
1 fFaFHr llanHa. ~
Gregg who had been in command Of the Second
Brigade. was taken prisoner at FaruIyiile on the
evening oi ihe Hh aud on ile evening Of the 9Th,
alter the surreud r. returned 20 liis command.
Comrsde J. l.. Pray, Battery II, Ist Ohio
J.. A., detached as Acting Signal Officer Fifth
Corps, writes from Whitehouse o., under date
Of April 5, 1880, as follows;
COAKADE: Jan. !, co. while at Brandy Station
uas transferred 70 the u. T. Signal service and IN
tie Spring Joined SeTRt GRge'E party and went
out with The Fifth Corps ihe fth Of May into
the Wilderness campaign. Capt. Cope, was in
charge Of the Engineer Department With him
were Comrade q. w Reed, Of the 9th Mass. bat
teFy lie was formerly with BulfoTd a. Co. litho
grapcrs. Boston. Charlie Reed WAS "a very apt
artist. lie ias provided mHny Of tie sketches for
the ielttgg, Hlso Tor his book. " HaTdnck and
tonce." lie, with william Is. HHmm, nd, made
the Typographical survey, and skeched up the
maps 81 the Petersburg front. They messed with
our aignA party. having joined us la the Winter
1 Globe Tavern Reed BE- How ia Boston aud Ham
mOnd iE running "A druggists printers business al
| Baltimore. lid They would be good authority on
! maps 81 the AppDmattOx cafnpui2n. / think your
sketch 81 the battlefield Five Forks IL the most
comprehensive aud correct I have seen. 4 went
/ over the llght line Of eafthwoTka close by the
White Oak road started with Warren but soon
lost him, a. every body participated In the rush.
! remember piece OF artillery captured right at
that point, and ! secured il mHlet aud some
tFlnkets from the linber CHEST Oar party whs en-
gagged Ia saying 10 the boys, who had run them
selves down Tired. that about 10 strike the
SOUTH Side road, and urged them on sup
4 posing inst we were going directly toward IL,
I Instead of parallel with IL. ran until along
| Ia thc night. We did not know that
GIN. WARREN HAD BEEN RELIEVED
| until returned about midnight or course WI.
were tHuBderstrucE. Aud want 10 say rigiit here
That while respect the many deeds of YaoP that
Sheridan Has done, and appreciate the high value
Of lie services. cannot overlook his uncaed for
HHd most uhGcncrOus action at Five Forks III.
treatment 0l Warren Las taken from him much Of
( ihe glory 10 which lac would Otherwise have been
/ cuuurd- cannot see where Warren was lo blame
EHFc thought thai 10 wHs largely the result Of "a
previous illiceling aud i the delay of the Third
DIVISION 30 Ceiling around to the position Yon
TtcDi-gi iisal ID WAS said that CTa.ord must have
lost his way, because lac took too much time and
fp@ce swinging To the right too far-and delayed
the attack until late Ia the afternoon IL was said
al headquarters tie next day that our loss was
greater Than the gain, because we hhd lost Cen
winthrop. Jnls was, Of course IA reflection on
SAeTldnn.s achievement. Gen. ChRnbeFia has
Eiace told me. ia conversation at Gettys,t,re In
Jgiy, is8s lint Col. Nike Sheridan had told him
llc reason tAal nO adjustment Of the matter WAS
ever lnHde. was ihe proud spirit of both, and
especially cf Warren, who would not allow any
CORRECTION 10 tc i.itle, except through the Tcgu.
lsf channels 81 Court Of Inquiry, etc. Ny regard
i'.r Warren prompted mo 10 contribute for the
monument put upon Little Round Top
remember very well bearing Sheridan swear a