The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-04-21
ade-running port at Wilmington, n. c. As

! ade-runnlng port at wilmington, ". " 40
| this is the
END OF our EXPEDITION,
we are now to get bsck to our lines Let rs
see whether we do this.
As early as o'clock on the morning of the
| 26th we were again in the saddle From Roam
oke Station the column moved in northeast
erly direction to Wylliesburg; thence to Christ
! ianville; from thence we marched IN an east
| eriy direction until near midnight without
serious hindrance by the enemy. and blvou-
acked near Buckhorn Creek. Resumed our
march on the following morning before day
| light, and crossed the Meherrin River at Staf-
| ford Bridge; thence, taking more northerly
course, and continuing on until near midnight,
| halted for rest near Sturgeonvilie. On the
| morning on the 2Sth as soon as light, we were
again in the saddle, and resumed our march In
| a northerly course and crossed the Nottoway
| River at Double Bridges, our course now being
nearly north.
| But let it be remembered that the rebels
| were still on our fanks and rear, and straining
every nerve TO delay the rapdity of our march
| and close every avenue of escape. 1he column,
| with the 5th \. Y. in advance, struck heavy
| force of infantry and artillery at Stony creek
| Station, on the Weldon Railroad. This was
/ lust at dark on the 29th day OF june. All
night the battle ragged with great fury, as
| Judged from the amount of firing. l have yet
| to learn of any man being hurt on the skir-
mish-line. although we learned that the shot
! and shell that went so far above our heads dld
some damage in our rear besides creating a
| good deal of alarm for the safety of those In
| front.
Through all these days of destruction and
! long marches our loss Of horses was necesss-
| riy great, BY both fatigue and casualties. But
| these were replaced by fresh ones from the
| surrounding country, by men detailed for that
| purpose, and our ambulance train had been IN
! creased by
PRESSING INTO THE SERVICE
teams and carriages, in which were placed our
| sick and wounded, and our train of CONTRA
! bands had also increased to vast proportions.
But let us return 10 the skirmish-line. We
were doing our work dismounted, with our
| horses in safe place in the rear. Before day
| light, however we were relieved by the Second
| Brigade, who were as soon as it was light,
| charged upon by q heavy force of the enemy,
with fair prospect of being annihiiated.
! Though they fought bravely, they lost heavily,
mostly in captured, and the remainder were
1 thrown into confusion.
But we continued to move on towards Ream' s
| Station, where it was hoped and expected We
would meet the old Gag and assistance. as
| promised by Gen. Meade. Instead of friendly rs
| sistance we found 10 our dismay heavy force of
| the enemy's infantry. We were again ordered
| to iismount and deploy as skirmishers, and
ascertain the position and strength of the
enemy. Though we were hardly able to move
from fatigue or keep our eyes open. from the
| loss OF sleep, we soon learned that the enemy
was not only in sufficient force to dispute our
right of way, but were then manuyering to
| surround us.
| Orders then came for the skirmishers to lie
| down and hold our position. The boys were
| no sooner on the ground than they we're fast
asleep. With all the and rattle of muskery,
with all the horrors of the Southern prison
pens before them. it was not sufficient TO over
/ balance the demands of exhausted nature.
| Slowly saw the columns of gray closing around
/ Us. short distance III our rear could plainly
see that the ambulanees were parked and
| hospital flags placed over them Does this
! mean that we are to be surrendered to the
enemy or does it mean that we are TO be left
| as a sacrifice. that the balance OF the command
| may escape2 Where are our commanders?
| Why don't they do something? Why do they
not send us orders? Are we forgotten?
All these thoughts and many more OF like
nature passed through my mind in such light
ning-like rapidity that my brain seemed to be
on fire. At last these orders came from Col.
! Hammond: Bring your men back and take
| yonr horses"
| WITH ALL THE SPEED
that | Was capable of jumped from one sleep
! ing comrade to another. and with shake and
| the command " Get back and take your horses
| | ran without thought of sleeD or physical
| exhaustion. The air seemed full of mimic
| balls fired at close range, yet / ran on aud on
| to the end of the line untouched. thence across
the open field 10 the woods, where our horse;
| bad been left. On approaching the woods
| heard a call: Dick, Dick here's your horse u
On looking in the direction from which the
sound came, ! saw Serg't Waterhopse, who had
| evidently been watching me as came across
/ a. had nd tn q
horse seemed terribly excited, and was paving
and tearing mp the ground, while the small
| twiys that were being cut off by the minie-balls
| from the limbs Of the trees over their heads
were dropping fast around them.
While mounting my horse the Sergeant dis.
! appeared from nay sight, and | never saw him
| again. / made directly for the point where
saw Col. Hammond's flag when / was crossing
the field, and found bim with what men he
| could muster making gallant resistance to 6
| cavalry charge which was coming down the
| road.
THE CHARGE WAS REFUSED,
and time was gained. which gave large num-
! her OF our men opportunity to get III. and
thus postpone for time their trip to a South
ern resort.
Bondrye, in his history, says Of this affair
"The advance of the retreaLing column moved
| about a mile from the ambuiances, and there
| packed, and for rods in the woods On either
side, wherever a man could ride, was mass o.
human beings, with anxious tbrobbing hearts
About 3 o'clock p. N. Gen. Wilson passed
through the column, though il was difficult Il
make way for him, and soon he reached ths
front the entire column moved forward. What
followed cannot be described. Think of such q
force OF cavalry, at the utmost speed Of theil
horses, over a road with six inches of dust IL
places On one of the warmest. suitriest days
| There, too were the contrabands. mostly dis
mounted, men, women and children who knew
that to be captured was death, or worse thar
death"
Now, all this must have been true, or th'
Chaplain would not have written il. The 9Th n
| Y. Cav. was rear guard, and the fact that Col
| Hammond was in command sufficient
| guarantee that the work would be we'll done
| Although there was some confusion, every incl
OF ground was hotiy contested as far back a
| Stony Creek, at point five six miles from
| Rowanty. Our men were fist being dismounted
from the loss OF their horses and our dead anC
wounded had TO be left to the tender mercies o
the enemy.
Horace Greeley says in his American Con
! fict" that Wilson undoubtedly supposed
that Hancock or Warren would he at Ream'
Station,
| But WAS SADLY MISTAKEN,
for here was Mahone's and Finegan's infantr