The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-18
AN INTERESTING WAR INCIDENT.
gecollections CT g Famous Ride
Around McClellan's Army.


In recent issue of the MORNING NEWS
Won copied a paragraph from one of your
exchanges entitled, San Engineers Heroic
Deed giving q short account OF the gal
lantry of an engineer controlling train on
the York River railroad and his brave dash
at distractions on the track during the
tieze of Richmond in the summer of '62.
This excerpt calls up memories Of three
decades ago. and as the account was so
short and somewhat erroneous. with your
permission will extend and correct it.
Col then private) John l.. Mosby had
penetrated Gen. McClellan's lines and care
fully examined the situation of bis army,
then successfully made his way back to
Gen. "Jeb" Stuart's headquarters. He then
gave careful details of his successful scout
into and in the rear of the federal army
and showed Gen. Stuart the possibility of a
successful attack upon the flank and rear of
the federal right wing.
This so favorably impressed Stuart that
he laid the matter, together with his plans,
before Gen. Lee who, after careful in
vestigation, instructed Gen. Stuart to select
body of picked troopers aud undertake
the expedition. The Ninth Virginia
cavalry had the advance, the JEFF Davis
Legion the rear of this column. On June
IL 1862, Stuart rendezvoused his CONS
/ of his famous horse artillery and cautiously
/ and quietly worked his way around the ex-
treme right of the fede, al army and
| bivouacked for the night.
Dawn Of June Is found his troopers In
/ the saddle and quietly moving down upon
| the rear Of McCelan's extreme right. 1t
was not long before his plckets were devel-
| oped and quickly pressed back upon their
4 reserves.
These fell back until they had taken a
IA k.-fN I'D IL "A
Il by dense swamp. The bridges crossing
tnis creek had been torn up after the pas
sage of the federal horse. It was fourd i'm
practicable to attack in front, yet celebrity
was TO be the prime factor of the expedition
Aided by fully competent scouts and guides,
3 other crossings we're soon utilized and it
was not long before the regulars found their
position untenable and fell back t. the open
ground near their camp at Old Church
where they made stubborn resistance.
Az is wel-known saber contests are
quickly decided aud Maj. Royals regulars
could not long withstand the impact of
# Stuart's horse and were soon dispersed many
"a being captured. Stuart's loss was In the
81 death of the gallant Latane, who fell gal
lantly leading squadron Of the Ninth Vir-
GINA cavalry.
The regulars who escaped being captured
pushed for their main force. conveying the
information that the confederates were upon
So their rear and flank.
Stuart did not pause, but pushed on to
M TunsIalPs Stat on on the York River all
road, where he hoped, by a sudden dash. to
surprise the post and inzure its capture. The
venture was successful, but the prize was
not of much value ia stores or prisoners.
81 When the confederate column arrived at
# the station the noise of the approaching
train, alluded to in IAN Engineers Heroic
FL Deed" was plainly heard. The conteder-
stes had neither time nor tools to effect the
est nf Z n
native was TO throw as hastily as poss BILE
such obstacles as were at hand upon the
track. These were old crosstieo and not
'felled trees" as stated in the first mea-
Fl toned story.
Not an iota Of detraction from the cool
nerve and courage Of this heroic eugi leer is
here implied, for his was brave act. Little
time for action was permitted under such
b circumstances, and action must he prompt
and effective; and taking his life in his hand
this courageous engineer pulled the throttle
81 of his engine wide open aud dashed at the
distractions. aud fortunately for him
knocked them off and successfully rushed
past the captured station, on down to the
river and there gave the alarm.
Stuarts position was now exceedingly
critical, with his small command Of 1000
horse and three guns he had penetrated
many miles in rear OF and in close proximity
81 to McClellan's army of over 100. 900 meu.
# Failure to capture the train had sent in
nj formation Of his location to the troops at
the landings on the York river the disper-
Sob of Maj. Royals regulars had sent
SD speedy reports to the main line Of the right
wing, and common sense showed Stuart
that to regain neutral territory by the route
y be had come meant interception by largely
S. superior forces.
The York river to tho north OF him,
McClellan's army to the east and southeast,
the James and Chickahominy rivers to the
south and af of IN a nj nh
server, would seem like veriJable trap the
% confederates were now in.
Action, decisive action, must be adopted.
Taking road running literally with the
a proongation of the federal line he pushed
on, encountering many supply wagons
loaded with stores from McCiellan's depots
OF supply on the York river for his army.
These, with their guards. fell easy captures
to the troopers. The teams were detached.
wagons and contents fred and teams aud
prisoners started with the rapidly moving
column.
Daylight found the troopers near New
Kent Court House. Turning abruptly it
headed for the long bridge over the Chicka-
Homlny. To the great disappointment IF
stuart, the federals had removed the pom
toon bridge and the river was impossible.
zen. then colonel w. H. T. Lee ess Ayed
the crossing by squirting his horse into the
stream and both were nearly lost in the
river, demonstrating the impracticability of
that route. The next move was for Jones'
bridge, still further down the river. This
bridge had been sawed from it's abutments
when Johnston reiterated up the peninsula
and had not been rebuilt by Mcclellan. The
HVer at this point was narrow but deep
and swift. About quarter of mile from
Inc bridge was large abandoned Tobacco o
oarn: This was quickly battered down and
The sills lifted by willing hsnds and trans
ported down TO the Chickehomlpy.
In the meantime most of tie horses had
Deen swum across while part of the COM
maud, together with the artillery, were
sent sufficiently well to the rear to defend
the horse swimmers and bridge builders
from any sudden attack. Baron van Brock.
tne gallant Prussian nobleman serving on
Htuarts staff, guided fully $50 Of the horses
across the river. Without tools, the work
VI constructing this improvised bridge was
hoW. From 6o'clock a. m. until 3 O'clock
y m: the men labored adjusting the sleepers
ana hooring the bridge with the weather
boarding of the barn, and when the sun
was three hours west Of the meridian, the
artillery, pickets aud troops had all crossed
tha hrfd H..