The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-01-08
THE WILDERNESS.
What Troops brought on the Big RaltIsI


EDITOR NATIONAL Tribune: In your issue
OF Oct. 1G, under the head Of Comments aud
Corrections" appears a comment from Com
rade Tilt, i'm regard 10 an article OF mine APP
pearing in your issue Of Sept. 4.
In writing that article inadvertently stated
that the Second Cavalry Division crossed the
liapidan at Ely's Ford at dayhreak, May ,,
1864, instead Of May which latter date would
have been proper The comrades question,
asking If Hancock's Corps crossed on the 4th.
where did the rebels come from who fired their
guns 10 give warning when the head Of column
entered the river on the 9Th ?" is proper / adj
NIT, and is explained as above. The error /
SAW too late for correction, and so far as our
Second Cavalry Division being the first troops
10 cross the hapidan on that occasion, does not
alter the facts ia the least, as the members Of
The battery and infantry on the north side of
the river at CupepcF Ford and who were said
to belong TO the Fifth Corps, and were pre-
pairing 10 Hoss. will admit, If any OF them care
TO do 50, if living, and remember the circum-
/ stances.
As TO the alarm by the picllets firing their
pieces Of in the air at Ely's Ford, il was re-
piled 10 by the rebel pickcts at Cnlpeper,
stationed on high ground and between the
tWo-slOry white house aud the river. The
pcket-post beyond or above Culpeper was not
visible from our position lin the bed Of the
river at the time, but it is fair 10 presume that
il was visible 10 the picket at Culpeper Ford, as
II is fair also 10 presume that all the rebel
picletposts were in sight Of each other, so that
an alarm at any one post would alarm all
/ simultaneously, which must have been so in
this case. since the comraie tells US that the
llth and 2d Regulars first met the enemy under
Ewel on the right Of the Orange turnpike,
May 3. lie does not say tina; they encountered
any opposition whatever on the Ath.
j think IL Is a fact well known 10 every sol
der who served along the Rapidan, that while
the Confederate army layi Winter quarters in
the vicinity Of Fredericksburg and G0rdons-
Vile, that they always pickctcd the river. /
know IL TO have been the case just before the
engagement at Mine Run in 1853. remember
TO have been on post 1t Germania Ford, on the
north, while piclicts on the other side belonged
10 the lst Md. Confederate Cav When of post
We met in the middle Of the river, converted,
exchanged newspapers tobacco jack knives,
buttons, OF anything except useful information.
The comrade does not SAY how this picket
line was disposed Of 1.-THE Fifth Corps opened
the battle Of the Wilderness, some menbcrof it
may be able 10 explain what disposition was
made of the first line Of piCkets which they en-
cguntCrcd on the ith at Germana Ford, IL they
reached there before the Second Cavalry D-
vision did Ely's Ford.
The matter is readily explained. The Third
Cavalry Division reached Germania Ford In
there, and followed up until reaching the sec
ond line operating simultaneously with the
Z Second Division at Ely's Ford aud Culpeper.
JOmrade Clark, lst VI, in llis article Of Oct.
ODD, says they We're the first to cross presum-
ably at Germania Ford.
ia the Story Of a Cannoncer," issue OF
Dec. 10, 1889, the author saws: "Atl o'clock in
the morning Of May T. We mounted aud filed
out on the Stevenson plank road, on the march
for Hermania Ford" And farther on he says:
Finally the cavalry got across and we moved
close at their heels. Perhaps il was 9 o'clock
in the morning OF May 1, when our battery
pulled up from the pontoon bridge and after
hating some time TO let Wadsworth's infantry
file past, we again moved forward"
Does the comrsde need additional proof as
10 what corps belongs the honor Of opening the
engagement al the Wilderness? 1t is admitted
/ by the CannOaccr that tho cavalry were in ad-
vance and rs his battery belonged to the Fifth
Corps, j think that would be proof enough 10
be satisfactory 10 everybody.
Regarding the Orange turnpike which the
cOmrade, on the authority OF Gen. Mitchell
calls the road five miles from the crossing at
Gcrmania, j am not prepared 20 enter into a
controversy about as ] do not think the name
Oi the road cuts any figure The road is there
] presume, aud believe IL TO be the same that
turns OF from the road leading south from Gull
pepper Ford, and running perhaps southwest
from the point Of junction with the road from
I CulpccT, being as near as / can remember
about two miles from the river
would say however that the Orange turn
! pike, as known 70 me land ! believe to cavalry
men who had served In the defensos Of Wash
/ ingtOn two years preceding the Wilderness
campaign, Is the turnpike leading from Orange
! Courthouse, and crossing the Rapidan in the
ncighborhOod Of the little hamlet Of Wolftown
the name Of the ford has passed from my
memory; then passing by Cedar Mountain TO
i Culpcper Courthouse. connecting with the
! Marrcuton pike, which, ] believe. extends
/ from the Rappahaunock AZ Sulphur Springs
through WaTcnton 10 the Stone Bridge aud
! Ceuteryille, IN the ucighborhOOd of which il
connects with the Alexandria turnpike, which
passes through Fairfax Courthouse. The
/ Orange & Alexandria Railroad was so named
from the fact that 1t parallels the above
named system Of turnpikcs. and connecting
| Orange Courthouse aud Alexandria.
II is also the turnpike over which the Con-
icderatcs came in lSG2 when Pope's army was
attacked, the rebels under jackson aud Ewel
/ reaching the river az midnight preceding the
| battle Of Cedar Mountain. Our cavalry being
| biyOuackcd on the north side Of the river un-
I'll midnight when being apprised of the Con-
Tolerate advance by the rumbling of their Al
tillery wheels, We were withdrawn and sent 10
The left, and as ] lay in the middle Of the road
that night ] remember that il was a good turn
pike, aud had been kept in good order, and
was IN most, If not AL respects better road
than any had seen from the Rapidan south 10
Richmond. believe / have ridden over a
number. or all Of them, in the "Auld lang
syue."-JoHM GLYSN, private, Co. q, "a Pa
Cav, Del Rio, Tex.
/
Ohio Regiments at Ball Hun.