Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-04-05
The s,sirmi.b At Mooreaeid.

' d.
under command of Lieut. Chaifant, al re
tersbnrr w Va. with the One-Hundred
and-Twenty-third Ohio, and company c
Third West Virginia Cavalry, all under
command of Col. Wasburn. while eleven
miles from us. at Moorefield, was stationed
the One Hundred and Sixteenth Ohio and
the left section of battery B OF oul
regiment.
About 5 O'Clock of that morning the
booming of artillery was heard in the direc'
ton of Moorefield. Boom. boom. boom
The reports sounded plainly on the qulel
sunny air. Instantly all was hustle
and confusion in the different camps
The drum corps of the Infantry beat the
long roll, and our bugle sounded the gen.
eral call. Presently staff officer dashed
UP to our lieutenants tent, and in some
thing like half hour the section was
stretched out upon the road leading to
Moorefield, awaiting orders The cavalry
was drawn up in column Just IN advance
of US.
Col. Washburn went down the line, and
the orders to our section were: "Lieuten-
ant. you will keep up with the cavalry, and
| will follow as fast as ! can with my in
fantry." Our Lieutenant saluted him and
said: every well, SIR The orders that
were given to the cavalry are not known
but IN few minutes they started out TO-
wards Moorefeld in sharp trot, and at
proper interval, and as fast followed our
section. The writer was so fortunate as "a
have in his charge an extra horse. ! could
have galloped away after the section and
probably kept within yelling distance; but
there were several important considera-
tions that kept me from it. / did not pant
for gore" do not know that the others
did. but they travelled as if they did.
wanted 70 live ever so badly. 1t was toe
pretty a day to be killed. If the world was
tired of me, was not tired oft. The best
of it was | had no saddle on my horse,
which was a very rough trotter, and it was
pleasanter riding criSS cross, keeping up TO
the movements of the baggage wagon in a
slow and gentle walk than TO be bobbed up
and down on the sharp backbone Of poor
old horse.
Away went the section trotting up hill
and galloping down, keeping close TO the
cavalry at all times for better than an hour.
About two miles from Mooretield, just as
the section turned a short bend in the road,
a sharp volley was heard in advance, and
in two minutes the cavalry came rushing
back past our guns as if they had run into
a hornets nest and had been badly stung.
We halted, and about 300 yards beyond us
we saw body of Confederates, and here
were two pieces of artillery ready for their
acceptance, if they had only known II.
They did not think, for moment, that we
were so foolish as 10 gallop away with no
infantry support, and with only handful
of cavalry that would be ready to run, as
they did. at the first fire.
Ii was here that the GOODNESS and bravery
of our lieutenant showed itself, and from
that time we realized. what proved to be
trueon every other occasion, that Chalfant
knew no fear.
Just as soon as the section halted and
the cavalry had broken past our guns, the
Lieutenant, with drawn saber, rode up the
elevated place where the enemy was
posted and waving his sword he ordered
Sergt. Deiters. of No gun, ito bring his
pieces up here" Up they came, went into
battery before the amazed and dumb
founded enemy, and opened upon them
with case shell at less than point blank
range. Indeed they were scarcely 2OC
yards from us.
| suppose they expected charge of in
fantrv next, not thinking for moment
that our infantry was at least four miles
in our rear Probably they had orders &c
retire when we appeared in force. At any
rate they ran away as fast as their legs
could carry them.
Our cavalry soon rallied and formed on
our right, and for nearly two hours we haC
things our own way. There was a piece OF
artillery on the mountain side to our left sc
high above us that it could not be de
pressed sufficiently TO hit US while We
could elevate ours, and, as they were MOI
far away (less than half mile, after
sending three or four shells after the re
treating infantry, we opened on the piec,
on the hill The boys think we dis
mounted it. Anyhow it soon ceased firms
and there it remained, in full view, during
the remainder OF the day.
In our front looking across MOorehelu
could be seen lot Of tents We knew the!
had been ours at one time, but whether
they were ours now or in possession OF thu
enemy we could not tell, as no flags wer'
fving. On our right, and separated fron
us by branch of the Potomac river, wa
quite body of troopers, whether our mel
| or the enemy we could not tell. Whil
still farther on our right, and nearer thu
centre, was larger body Of troops de
ploved in the works, whether our friends o
enemies we could not tell.
Ii was this uncertainty that saved then
or us and probably both, because Chalfan
was on the rampage and ready to pitch int
everything that showed the least lnclina
ton 10 fight
In about an hour and a half the infantr.
came up II was hot day for the time o
year. and the men were heavily loade,
with their winter clothing, besides thei
accoutrements WaSh0urn placed tw
companies TO our left on picket and al
vanced the same number TO QUE right 10
ward the ford of the river, for the SAM
purpose, while the remainder o. the legi
ment stacked arms and gathered arouD,
the Colonel. who was coddled upon higl
stump with long telescope to his eye
trying TO find out which was which. BE
fore this 0. X. Ellifritz, our blacksmith
and Il corporal in the cavalry, had volun
teered to ride across and open communica
tions with our friends or find on
that they were whipped that We
might retreat ourselves. But Washbur
would hear TO none of ii until he wa
satisfied his old spyglass could not tell him
His men clustered around him like swarm
of bees. while he looked long and anXiousl
at the group nearest us on the right. Fin
ally he said: "I'll be doggoned, boys, if
can tell who they are. There goes ma
riding grey horse with blue coat on
and there is another with sorter blue pants
and there is another with gray coat.
declare. don't know who they are AM
down came the old glass, Whlle the Colohe
mopped his forehead with an old dirt
white handkerchief As soon as the glas
came down u dozen hands went up lie
me see, Colonel let me see" One fellow
got hold of it and turned it upside dow
and the cover dropped over the eve piece
~ can't see blasted thing" mo won
der" said another, you are not holding i
right" He grabbed it, and about dozeI
peeped through it, your humble seryan
among the number. But II was so art.
and greasy that the men whom ! saw look
ed like big black buzzards. All this tim
Washburn sat bumped up on that old stunt
the image of despair.
Our Lieutenant then came TO him aDC
renewed the offer OF the two men to eros
over and open communications. The Col
onel finally agreed to it, something he
should have done two hours before. Okey
rode a little, chunkey, flea-btten gray
mare. and as he and the Corporal rode
down the hill in the direction Of Moore
field, was proud Of him. did not offer