The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-30
FIGHTING THEM OVER,
What0ur Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOW sc NUTS WORKED.
serg't Knir- T lis How They Went About
&c irs- Information.

my. asst Tticle ! spoke 2hont returning
th me loaned by Maj. McCabe. of the
n Ii p Cav. 10 make a reconnaissance,
in winch we captured plenty of good
forage ana then inviting tile Major TO come
over and dine with us and partake of some OF
the delicacies we had captured. which he did,
he enjoying his square meal very much.
Soon after the Major left us discovered a
signal Gag working about mile and a half
AWAY through an opening IN the woods on
the other side of the river. which some of
the negroes told me was the Mattaponv. A
man was sent in to Headquarters with the
news shat were in position where we
could see signal station, with request that
a Signal officer be sent out. Mrs. Bouware
and the ovcrseer were both very hitter. and
Mrs. b. told ME she hoped her brother would
come back with force encuch to kill the
whole crowd of us, myself in particular. L
asked her WHY he did not stay while he was
there 10 which she delgned answer /
had gone TO the house TO see about getting
someone TO cook something for the Signal
officer when he came.
Mrs. Boulware's brother bad been on picket
at the house when we came tn ii. On NY way
back to where the boys were ] stopped al The
overseer's house TO let him know expected
to have meal prepared and the table SET IN
his hnnse lie was sitting in his front door,
= and as ] came 10 the gate distinctly heard
him trying 10 set his dog on me. ! opened the
very fierce. came for me- drew nay pistol and
fired The dog concluded he had business in
the house. 10 which he retired and crswled
under the he'd. where he died in short time.
i told the overseer that he WAS the one that
ought to have been shot instead of the dog.
when the Signal officer came he watched the
signals until lie said he had obtained good
deal of information in regard TO the movement
of troops. When l took him into the overseer's
house TO
GET SQUARE MEAL"
that gentleman Was as mild new milk, When
the Signal officer was starting hack,l told him
we would like TO stay here until the army moved;
to which be replied: a. / don't blame you l
would like to stay myself" When he returned
to Headquarters he gave glowing report, and
we received orders to stay where Were until
further orders.
About o'clock ] saw a train come in from
Richmond 10 GRiney's Station, and one of the
negro men told me that it was the mail train,
and ii came every day at the same hour. We
sent back word to Maj. McCabe that we wanted
him TO come ont the next day with leo men. at
a certain hour, we wanted to capture that
train. He came. We were little late 20 get
The train. but did get the mail and retired to
Boulware's plantation, as the 9th Va. Cav. came
over the Mattapony in too great numbers for
us
We went through the mail and found letter
from member of a flying artillery company
attached to "Jeb" Stuart's Headquarters, to a
young lady. If the writer had tried to give
Gen. Grant the Information Of what Sheridan
had done, and what success he had, it would
have been impossible for him 10 have done any
better. He told the young lady day and date
where they had met the Yankees, and how
they had got whipped; how his battery was
lest, ali owing 70 the cowardice of their cavalry,
and wound up by advising her never to marry
a cavalryman.
Col. George II. Sharpe teld me afterward that
Grant asked him how many scouts there were
that had got this information, and said that he
never had any Information while he was in the
West that would compare with what he had on
that campaign.
We were ordered that night TO fall in with
The advsnce-guard next morning One Of DR..
BouiTares slaves told Us that II we had got
there one DAY sooner we would have captured
a barrel OF whisky, instead OF the two gallon
demiiohn which we did find in the ice house
When tbe advance came out the next morning
was glad TO find they were the 5th \. Y Cav.
We fell III with the adv2nce-guard OF that
regiment. A Sergeant was in command of it.
] did not know his name at the time, and did
not know who he was until 2S years aIterRard,
and then learned his name in very singular
manner.
We kept along the road with but little delay,
the pickefs Of the 9th Va Cav. falling back as
a
leu TO the right from the one were on.
Part OF the 9Th Va. kept straight on toward
Bowling Green, and q squad OF them took the
TigEt-hamd road which led To Milford Station,
the Richmond & Fredericksburg Railroad
We followed the latter party. When we had
gotten about eco yards down tic latter road
the Confeders'es started on gallop aud we
soon heard the CHATTER of their horses hoofs
acress bridge As soon as they crossed four
OF them halted and dismouuted. One man
caught ali four horses by their brides, one
jumped behind tree with gun, while two
ran back and stopped down TO
Pull THE PLANKs FROM THE BRIDGE.
said TO the Sergeant: Do you see that red
headed fellow behind that tree taking aim ?
One Of US is going TO catch IT,"
:" If they get those psnks of they will play
- with US, he replied, and yelled "Charge!"
We both sprang forward the gun rang out, and
the Sergeant ted dead. j always thought. My
horse leaped the opening in the bridge, aud
saw two plsnks floating down stream.
As sOon az my horse struck the further bank
] threw myself from his back, ran down the
Etream, caught the plank aud inside OF five
minutes We had the plank replaced We
hardly had this done before we were ordered
back and took the other road, which led TO
Bowling GTeea.
few months since an article headed al
most Personal Encounter appeared in the
columns OF TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE. Ii was
written by friend OF mine who is an ex-C Con-
iederate soldier. lie imporluned me one night
to relate some OF MY experiences, and related
the incident Of the bridge. He looked at me
with astonishment fur few seconds, and then
said:
Dc you know what cavalry was in your
front that mornings"
fes, said /. . il was the 9th Va"
DO you know have heard that story from
the other side. Byrd Lewis was Captain Of the
MestEnoreiand company ia the 9Th Va. and he
told me the same story. / am going to bring
him around and Introduce you TO each other"
he did so. and one or two questions from each
convinced The other we were the same men
who confronted each other that May morning
Of 1863, al that bridge across the Mattapony in
Aoodlorc's Lane, Caroline Co.. Va ] expected
10 be the one shot, for The reason THAI ex-
peeted 70 be taken for plot," as was wear
Ing straw hat, and did not look much like a
Soldier. Lewis said lie WAS sorry 10 kaow he
had Killed man. and he had always had the
Impression that the one who jumped lis horse
across the opening was the one who was hart
a. ne Tell from lis horse and bush had pre-
vented has seeing what occurred On the other
side after he fired.
HE article above mentioned called ont
number OF communications from comrades of
the 9th \. Y. Cav, from which | learned the
name OF the Sergeant who fell by my side was
Sartoe anal received letter from his brother
who lived at Bgke Center. Pa who was too
young 10 be ia the army in 1864
After being ordered back On 70 Rorvl;pg