The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-07-02
FIGHTING THEM OVER
Nlat0Hr Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
Another Camrado Comes TO Gen. Mlnty's ASST
HUCc.


ten from memory, and / think IL WAS, and n
poor memory nc that. i do not write entirely
from memory, bat quote from Col Mlntl re-
port made 30 the Commanding General on ms
return from the raid, and was known TO have
been correct and has never been disputed, un-
al Mr. NJ. ~. IT, with his wonderful memory
bOls up after -, years,
The following is the report Of Col. Miuty to
the General Commanding, under the date ot
near Atlanta, Ga. Aug "a, 1864, covering the
operations OF his command on the kllpainck
raid
"At j o'clock A. m. on Aug. Is ] marched
from camp al this place, with the Elrst
and Second Brgadcs Of Second Cavalry
Division. numbering as follows Filst brigade
81 officers ST. mon; Second Brigade, Col 1911
Long commanding, - officers, l,5Jc mons Una
cago Board of Trade Battery, Lieut.. Robinson
2onicers aud 81 men a total Of 2,3ss officers aud
men. At g a. an. ] halted on thg banks OF Jtoy
Greek and iu obedience TO orders received from
Gen GarwId, commanding Second Cavalry ID
vision, reported 10 Gen. Fitzpatrick command
iHg Third Cavalry Division at SanGt0wn. In
accordance with orders from Gen. Fitzpatrick
marched al dusk the same day, following the
Third Division
] now skip large part Of the report, as il
does not cutcr into tie point OF controversy,
although there was almost continuous fighting
by the whole command take up the report
again whore the command WIS near LoycJoy
Station, the morning Of the goth:
The rebel cavalry now attacked MS heavily
in the rear The General ordered me 10 with
draw my tWO bTiEadcs and form them on the
right Of the road facing 10 the rear, and pre-
pare Tor "a charge. j formed the First brigade
iu line Of regImontal column Of fours, 9TH Pa
on the right, 9TH Mich. ia the center, 9Th t. =
on ile leiI. Gaps were made ln the LTst fence
by sllirmishgrs.
4" moved forward a, the trot until getting
under the eucuy's hrc when ] gave the COM
maLd gallon and charge aud we swept down
on the cucmy's breasiworks. We were soon
amongst them and hundreds fell beneath
cur blades. The race and slaughter through
wood and field continued f0rabOut three miles,
when collected and reformed my command.
+" IN THIS charge we captured thee pieces of
artillery aud three stands of ColorS viz. 30
Tex. Cav, Zacharys Rangers and bcujamin's
Infantry, the hrst two by the 4tl u. ). and
tie last by the 4lh Mich. Gen. Fitzpatrick now
ordered me 10 cover the march OF the column
20 McD0H0GEh.
"Col. Long Immediately took position with
the Second brigade, aud before The head of the
column lad moved be was attacked by Cie-
bunc's Division of infantry. For nearly three
hours they were held in check by Col. Long,
who was here wounded n the arm and thigh,
and the command dry0lyed on Col Egg,estOn,
lst OHIO Cav. The Third Division being out
81 the way, ] placed tho dth Mich. EHd 9Th
Pa. in position wiki Lieut. Bcuncu's section Of
Board Of Trade Battery, and directed Col.
Egglcst0u 10 retire with brigade
Clcbume followed closely, and vigorously
attacked tile new line, but our rail bTcasWOrks
protected-thc mon, and our loss was compare
lively small. As soon as the road WAS clear, /
Withdrew aud mounted tho Firs, Brigade"
There Is much more OF Col. Mntys report,
but think The foregoing is al that is neces-
saIy at this time.
Coz. Miuiy had command OF the two brigadcs
OF tie Second Division, as he was the ranking
officer Gen. GarIard, with Wldcrs Third
Brigade, did not accompany the expedition.
lu hilpatricks report he says he had 300
men Of his OEn division aud 1900 men from
the Second Cavalry Division, under Col. Niuty.
ills loss from bis own division was y men,
while The loss Of the Second Division was POS
Gen. Fitzpatrick lcclurcd at Dundee, Mich.
where ] was aud am now living about % wears
ago I think b was The Winter before hc died,
and talking with several oil the GAR boys
about lhe raid, said that Miuty's Brigade made
tire finest cavalry charge be ever saw was the
only one present, except himself that was On
tic gald.
also have description o. the whole affair
written by a correspondent OF The Cincinnati
Commercial, who accompanied Fitzpatrick, and
was written Immediately after the return OF the
expedition; Eot from memory - years after
j Is too y0um'n0us 10 be published, bat ID can
be had boy any person wishing il.
i quote few sentences published at that
time:
at was, al admit, one Of the grandest
charges 0t The war; fully 100 men fcil under
the Keen sabers Of MiHtys Brigade The
praises oil Mluty aud bis commend arc upon
every tongue. In The charge Miuiy's Brigade
captured three stand Of colors tic 4,h L. s.
taking two aud the 4th Mich. one"
III ny. IT. says:
81 grr,r 49,. FrfT..4.e
and heard BIN call his BuElor aud tell him TO
sound officers call, which be did; the General
waited some moments aud saw that the field
officers were all that were answering the call
lie then told thc BuuluT 10 sound officers call
again. which DE did, but still the line officers
moved not Then the General stepped "a few
steps forward. aud called out in bis clear, shril
voice, Gentlemen, that is officers call and
they came without further orders"
Now docs amy comTadc, especially If lhc cay
airy ibink That Gen. lllpauick, although he
had a good voice, could call bis officers from
that hc.1, situated as they must have been,
nearly two divisions 81 caya,Iy, IN the excite.
mcnt ana confusion Of leAtug aud skirmish-
3HE, ~ that they would not know officer. call
many d them West pOiut.r62 Al. NJ. II. saws
again.
When they were assembled ne Nlilpatricly
made q short speech 10 them. saving fhaf Tie
time bad come when the Commanding General
seemed y best 10 consult A.s subordinate
Ohlcrrs."
So Do appears that even accord inc 20 n. ". II
hllpatHcE did call aud consult DIS officers
Aluty sIys lhat Fitzpatrick seat for him. ms
one o. bis division commanders, and addressed
him nearly as follows: "l0I. u iuiv ve ara
surrounded; sou know what Is in our front
jackson with 5000 cavalry Is in rear oil our
right, and Pat Cltbume, with 10000 infantry.
b. closing 0u oar right our ouly salvation Is
10 cut our way out We viii form here facing
60 our Icar; you Wlil form line cu the r.isl.t Oi
thc road Col Murray viii form on Tie lcn
you Wlll charge simultaneously
! said3 General, J would not charge owe,
tbs ground iu linc III We strike the enemy
% MlA bu tnIn, WayCilug blow that vii
amount "a nothing"
klFatrlah asked How would Won charrc p
4 replied " lu column, sII; our momentum
would Doe llEC tlai o. "a su..l0aa train. when
Wc strike, something BIAS 10 break
Gen. hIilailicE paused o m0mgut. and then
said: - Porn iu any way yoa p.casc7
la There anything inconsistent iu what Col
M4hiy sayst According 10 d. ~. d.. Gen
hllI4iti'i called Dos oluccrs, saying hc wished
tHeir advice. II would not De iucOg ..tgnt moi
would li reflect on Gen. kIlpa.lic., 10 cIl.fIr,
hia plan somewhat upon the advice Ol BIT
second IH command.
AZ is always The case, some command lad 4,
tahc tlc advance, aud Do docs uul reflect ir AZ,
lcsst u1Uu tlc other division that Do Laf,gpfut
10 Do Auty.- Brigade That made thc cl.rPc
~ that Col. Longs covered the retreat. som,
command lad 10 start for McDonuurh, aul