The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-08-24

force numbered $50 men.
MY command was scarccl in they
/ position described when the Confed,
crate cavalry, dismountcd, and not
less than $500 strong attacked the
line occupied by the 4th Mich. The
assault was handsomely repulsed, and
| the regiment then retired to the second
| line, which tho enemy mode repeated
attempts to assault, but could not
| cross tho cottonfeld in tho face of the
| whitening fire that met them; they were
again and again driven back to the
shelter Of the woods.
A heavy mounted force now attack
cd and drove back the battalion of the
9TH ana the detachment of .hc 18th
Pa, thus uncovering the flank of my
dismounted line, which / ordered to
fall back to their horses and mount.
The Confederate cavalry followed
US on to the open ground, showing
three strong lines of mounted men, any
one of which outnunbered my com
mand. Gen. Wheeler's and Gen. Bed
iord's Brigades formed two lines direct
" in my front, and Gen. Wharto..'s
line at an angle of 45 degrees across
my left-iront.
Gen. Stanley, returning from Gen.
Rosecrans's headquarters, Mt this mo.
ment came on the field. After hearing
what had been done, and our then
exact situation. he said: "You look
after those fellows in front and I will
take care of this force" pointing to
Wharton's line.
Stanley took two companies from
the left of the 4th Mich, and was
about tO charge Wharton, when, sud,
denly halting, he said to the officer in
command: "Wait here and | will
bring you assistance" and galloping
across the field to the 18th Pa,
ordered that regiment to follow him.
must here explain. The 18th Pa.
was new regiment; its Colonel and
Lieutenant Colonel were not with that
portion then on the field. Two days
before, in an ll.iudged dash, il had
lost several officers killed. including
two gallant young Majors Ward and
Rosengarten-.and the men were some
what bewildered.
There was hesitation in obeying Gen.
Stanley's order, and | then witnessed
one of the most heroic scenes of the
war. Stanley, standing in his stirrups,
his soldierly figure erect, his saber
raised straight above his head, in o
voice distinctly heard above the noise
of battl>. exclaimed, "rhc man vino
does not follow me is -. coward -
and wheeling his horse dashed back to
the two companies of the 4th Mich.
The 18th followed tho 4th, and with a
ringing cheer this little band of heroes,
led by the gallant Stanley, charged
home into the center of Wharton's
Brigade and drove it from the field. n
Sergeant of the 18th Pa. bringing out a
stand of colors.
! sent the battalion of the 7th Pa to
support Stanley, but he did the work
without them. | charged the first
line in front Of me with the remaining
four companies of the 4th Mich, sup.
ported by the 5th Tenn, but the Con
federntes. not waiting to receive us,
broke and left the field on gallop.
Hastily correcting my formation |
charged the second line (Buford's),
but, following the example of Wheel
er's men, they also declined the ren.
contre and retired at the gallop.
AT this time tho 4th Mich. Cav. was
armed with Colts revolving rifles, and
did not carry sabers, for which, have
no doubt, the enemy in the dusk mis-.
took the bright barrels of our rifles.
pickete well to the front and
right, and held the field that night,
On Jan. /. 1868, Col. Cook, with the
Sd Tenn. Cav, reported to me, and on
the Cd Col. Pitkiss reported to me
with the 4th Tenn. With two regi-
ments on the picket-line held the
ground on Jan. 1, 3 and 3.
Jan. advanced to Wilkinson's
turnpike,and drove The enemy's caval-
ry beyond the position occupied by
/. McCook on the morning of Dec. 81.
Jan. 8 passed through Murircesboro
and pushed Bragg's rear-guard, con
sisting ofcavalry, infantry and artil,
lery, six miles beyond, on the Man
chester pike; and thus ended tho bat.
tie of Stone River.
The causaltles IN the brigade were
six officers and 1913 men killed and
wounded. We also lost 1873 horses
killed. We captured and turned over
1o2 prisoners.
Vale, in "Minty and Cavalry" page
116, after describing our fighting in
front of the right wing on Dec. 3i,says
"In these engagements the rebels lost
out of their cavalry 80 killed and 105
wounded.-R. II. G. MINTY, in Nation.
al Tribune, Washington, d. c.