The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-04
4 DRAMATIC oAyA1RY CHARGE
How the Onset OF Cookies Brigade At
Gnines's MN Saved the Federal Guns.

How the Onset OF Cookies Brigade n
Gnines's Mn Saved the Federal Guns.
Copyright, 1se1)
Dramatic cavalry charges. 30 far as our civil
war was concerned. began at the very outset,
and the first regiment to cross sabres with the
Southern horsemen on Virginia soil was prob
ably tho last one Mr. Jefferson Davis imagined
would be prominent against him. the Fifth
Regulars. He had selected its officers when It
was organized in 1855. most OF them pets Of
his own from the sunny South. and famous
troopers they were. With few exceptions. the
Southern born Of their number had resigned
and gone with their States. but virginian
though he was. nothing could daunt tho
loyalty OF George H. Thomas, who had
risen from Major to Colonel commanding
when Sidney Johnston and Robert e. Lee
stepped down and out. It was Thomas
who remounted and prepared the regiment
for the field on its arrival from Texas. and half
its force was thrown at once into Washington,
guarding the White House and Treasury
building until near the end Of May. 81, when
tho dash was made over Long Bridge. On the
morning OF Juno 1. D troop. led by Lieutenant
Charles Fl. Tompkina. now Assistant Quarter
master General Of the army. charged three
times through tho town OF Fairfax Court
House. killing and wounding twenty-five OF
their antagonists and losing only five men
and thirteen horses shot 1t was brilliant
dash. the first cavalry exploit of the war. but
was speedily forgotten in the whirl OF events
that followed. Bull Run was fought July 81.
and the few cavalrymcn on the field had little
to do beyond supporting batteries and cover
ing the retreat Then came tho long
months Of organization and drill under Nc
Clellan: tho advance on Manassas in March.
'02 only to find II Abandoned; then the trans
for to the Peninsula: the halt Of hundred
thousand mon In front OF Magruder with little
more than a division: the tedious siege OF
Yorktown: the pursuit to williamsburg: the
advance to tho Chckahominy and the strad-
ding thereof. and then the four squadrons OF
the Fifth Cavalry not employed on orderly or
escort duty had some genuine cavalry work.
A born trooper was the veteran Brigadier
who commanded the little forco OF Union
Horse. Philip St George Cooke. but among the
powers that were in tho Army OF tho Potomac
in June. 90. he was neither appreciated nor
treated as he deserved. When toward tho end
Of Juno Mcclellan had determined to change
base from the Pamunkey to the James, and
Gen. Fitz John Porter's corps was still to the
north Of the Chickahominy, down came that
wonderful TANKER and marcher, Stonewa!l
Jackson. from the Shenandoah. and. acting
in conjunction with A. p. Hill and Longstreet,
swooped upon Porter's less than 10000 with
not less than &C; 900 lighting men, Andthe des-
the rss asa N tSs
first named. but most emphatically he was In
the seeondEfor al hS was worth. And SO were
after their savage handling at Beaver Dam
Creek the previous day,
sxSy Of Mi bsKno
fine fves5story structure hardl two miles north
due, south into the Chckahominy. Ali around
and s
q mile to the southeast. and. sweeping around
Harbor. tiowed Westward through II the woods.
o the
Of h the had bp
Ssnd south Seaatitaiiy andui%stae and cleared
over S Ing tie s little and here On 1 This
ib din ridge Porter 1T had made
sion on his extreme right and facing north. the
line swept AROUND upon the crest. the brigades
east to southwest, the frowning. black -muzzled
The aey
" es IN
sk %tR orce r too
small to hold against such fighters as Jackson.
Hill. and Longstreet
NJ. and got q most unmerciful pounding for |
two mortal hours. Then Longstreet assaulted |
the extreme left, and tho batteries deluged |
him with case shot and canister Then Jack
son. who seems to have counted on Hill g easily
liine. found: in ths lansuage e Major Da5ney:
. cent" Ewel was we'll nigh worn out fight
heavily rss'n , B. il; Iii ,I Sys Con;
The Union right, and were crawling steadilyup
on the beautiful batteries Of Wood. Tidball
and Kingsbury. all regulars. The six brigades
thought to have to use at oil were sent pIung-
ing into the fight wherever they found the en-
,ircinG limo tRinned BY. that terrible fire from
same cheering over the Chickahominy in time
o ~ the growing gaps in Porter,s, sturdy
ranks. and so the battle wore on until nearly
The whole front. and tho one chance for the
Obedient to his orders. little as he liked
:roopers to the left roar Of the fghting gGnners
along the, crests. Porter, had moved up by
his time bateT after battery 1T to the edge
black with cannon. The roar and crash Of
,attle was terrific as the sun dropped below
ho forest to the west. and all that surging
'moke. The triumphant yells 81 the Southern
l,ost. rising shrill above the thunder. told Of
heir bTF ba
With stragglers. and s0on. all the left
ef sse% sspes re 81 @ 5
hose guns doomed, black and threatening
long the westward crest, Dim. .shadowy.