The National tribune., 1891-10-08
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
Nhat0 Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns

"reminiscences Of the Oac.armed Hero Of Two
Wars.


the Potomac was originated by Gen. kcarny,
il is not equally true that the rcd diamond or,
ms ID has been frequently called, the kearny
Patch was the first badge ever worn by mcm-
bcr OF that army. Early ia the l'all oil 1851
hcarny had a badge made of fine yellow coth
in the form of q Maltese cross, trimmed around
the edge with q gold cord. These he gave 10
men of his brigade who were wounded HIS
first command consisted of the lst "a and 81
n. j.. and later on the lti N. J. was added to
&c. A German soldier OF Co. j, % y. j., made
them and the writer of this saw kcarny pro
sent one OF them 90 soldier who had lost an
eye by q gpn-shot received while on scouting
expedition. aud with ID either 500 or 500 n
gold, for tho purpose OF procuring am artificial
eye
The writer was detached from his regiment
for special duty about the 18th of August, l-6l,
az keamy's headquarters, aHd from that time
until Winter occupied q room in the house nsed
by kcaruy as headquarters. Before such de-
tail hc bad been acting rs q scout Tor the Cen
erll. and Uuon one occasion the General SAID !;
Lieut. Custer tells me that he had heard
from citizens that the secesh had masked
battery between as and the village OF Amman
dale j don't believe it, How long viii ID
take yOn 10 end out The truth Of the mattcrI ="
Lieut. Castor allcrward Gen. Custcrl was Act
ing Assistant Adjutaut. General for kcarny az
this time aHd commanding q troop OF the %
e. s. Cav, attached to kcamy's Brigade. At
this time the rebels had an outpost a short dis
lance beyond what was known as Padgcts
wagon stand. On the opposite sidoof the road,
which was The Little River pike, was a place
marked b3iHgcricd where one OF the Lees
on. IN. II lives now, From pHdgpt's a road
ran north uutil IL Jed into the Columbia pike,
which led into the Little River pike az AMMAN
dale
In answer to the Generals query. told him
IN
know. About 3 p. m, ] crossed the road run.
ming between the Little River aud Columbia
pike, and caui iOusy made my way through the
woods until the village of Aunaudale was in
plain sight. A convenient pine thicllet near
hy afforded a safe retreat. Ensconsing myself
therein with pencil and paper ] soon had a
map of the village MS il appeared from my re-
treat
On th Columbia pike, near a church, within
80 yards of my position sat two vIdcts One
Of them bad hIs hat brm hanging over hiseycs,
on account OF q break, aud both wore ostrich
plumcs. They were probably not as viIlaiuous
rs they looked On my left q litUc farther
away, was the Little River pike. A steam saw
mill, with Us smOllcytack perforated with bull
let-holes stood on the near side, while on the
other side upon sdg-hill, was another yidet
on "a gray horse, which he presently d ismouutcd
from, as a heavy rain storm commenced lie
Cuwled into q brush hat, which was probably
no more Ol n protection Guringthc storm (which
lasted ioI hours than was my pine thicBot.
Soon after dark j made a thorough eXamna-
tlon of both sides Of the road from Annandalc
down toward our lines as Ear rs padget's wagon
stand. ON coming 10 our own lines about mid
night a Lieutenant of Co u, "a ~ j., and i
met boz the road. Ills name is forgotten, but
the way lIls sword leapcd from lis scabbsrd is
not The next morning upon showing kearny
the map had made, aud telling him the color
Of The horses the yidets were mounted on, and
showing one house, which was 0ctaEon in shape,
he asked How were you armed" Upon being
shown penl1niie and told that j had carried
nothing but tbat, be turned 90 a field desk and
took up "a silycrmouHtcd Colts revolver aud
presenting it 10 me, said: Keep this aud urac-
rec with ituutil you end how i shoots" After
ward, in company with Jos. ~ Jackson, q Lieu
tenant On kcarny's sjaH, and who became a
Brigadlor-GeneIal before the close 81 the war
] pactced ID an apple orchard in rear of
keauys headquarters until j became quite
proficient
Az one timo during that Fall we had re-
serve picket post az house we called the Tor
Tu Mansion. in passing By this post one day
ono oi thC soldiers invited me 10 Cismount and
have some corn, OF which they had q quantity
already cooked. Accepting the invitation, j
Joined them After eating as much as ] cared
f0T, j began looking over a lot Of papers, with
which the yard was s,Iewn, and discovered
document reading like this as near as ! re-
member:
FoET I.EAyEywoHTH July 1871.
Received OF Lieut.. -- TcTitt A. q. a., c.
horses.
phil KEaHNY
Frsi Lieutenant, Com'dE - Co.. Ist Dragons.
When returned 10 headquarters ] laid il
upan DIS desk. AitcT reading ID DE said 10 me,
Where on earth did you get thislp After
hearing my account be- asked if knew any of
ffrss !. ] -ft
years before and wanted 10 know II knew If
any ot the family were in the ncighhorhood
d mentioned hrs. Gardner who lived near
Cloud Mills, and also q man by the name al
leritt, who lived inside our lines on Holmes
Ron, below BaIcT0its Mil, and be renewed his
acquaintance.
Early u the Fall Of 1851. for a short time. il
was q part Of my duty 90 visit our pickcts who
won't OUT by entire companies and siaii a week
% q time, % Inquire 81 The mon II they had on
that day received everything ID the shape Of
Tatigus they were entitled 10. Don't ask tic
officers hCt sec tic men pTivuely and find out"
were kcluy's orders. At FIRST there were
numerous complaints, which speedily became
Tower aud fewer until one day two Of the rcgi-
menis ihc men said. had everything: IN Tic
other Nc mau j asked said they bad had every
tnIg bat their mO.as-cs, and that was not
worth mentioning and if ] were you j should
say nothing Or thr General aboutit ] reported
exactly what the mau said. "HumpA! not
worth reporting + 3D. Nou ride over 10 Lieut..
- with my compliments aud say want 10
see him. tUrpl Cannon, uflerward Colonel 81
thc 4utl y. T., who was "a clerk u KearHv's
Office altcTHsgd said Doe never heard q man pct
such scoring. How Is this Lieutenant.
with good raads and plenty 0f transportation.
viii uot over S. z miles hauling. my men can't
pei what they arc entitled to- This must moi
happen again"
When kcarHy Grt came 10 as the three
regiments were not cHmped near each other.
tie 81 CO. Taylor, was near Clouds Mills:
the 21 Col. Mclean 40 K9ach's Mil. and Tic
lst COL Morrison somewhere else. DE issued
an oldcr .hat tAg lst and "a should proceed 10
tAe place whore tue 81 was. After wc had our
tents pitched number Of us s.rollod over 10
whore hcrng hcaaguaftor Tents wcrc pitched
hoping Oh get q sight oi him. IlC was not visi-
Die uud after waiting quite a time wc had
started % 20 lack. when see heard thc music OF
bras. band down tHc Ll.tIc Eiycr pike 10.
ward Alexandria. knowing iLat Che Isl repi-
mcui WIS d. come from that way we waited
Soon they turned into q farm road leading uu
toward lhu Generals headquarters, aud bel
came 0ut Of bis tent and stood at "a bend in The
road When about 80 feet from Kcarny three
meh struggled from ihr ranks and with ciubbcd
mu.Ec's approached "a peach tree that stood
within icw icei ~ him aud began knocking
some band. uot fully grown peaches on. It was
sMdN io watch hlm, and see the different
expire. IONS ihAt swept over his face: at FIRST
mcFeluIiy CAS- though hc could not believe
what lu aW, lAuu that was succeeded ~ iu-
ultuatgn, aud at gst byIagc. llc commenced
usluH scrptural language IN vigorous manner.
cd HH# H|# q "...H I..H