The National tribune., 1893-09-14

Royal the cavalry in the advance had quite
a little skirmish, but soon ran the enemy
out in great haste and confusion, the YER
monters firing few bullets at them as
gentle persuaders to run faster. The in
fantry column leisurely followed and when
we of the rear-guard came along the people
living there had come out of their safe re-
treats, where they had taken refuge to es-
cape the flying missiles, and the ladies were
freely indulging in various expletives and
Indignantly expressing their venom with a
spit and sniff in the following style /:
You-all head-ones is the meanest, nastiest,
dog-gondest, most ornery cusses that ever
lived" ad fnitum, ad nauseam. 1t was
ever thus with the 1st VT. Cav; they would
shoot to get the enemy to run and then
shoot them for running.
The column moved steadily along up the
narrow, beautiful Luray Valley and to
Gaines's Crossroads, on the summit of the
Blue Ridge, and bivouaeked. The cavalry
went on picket front and rear. The force
of cavalry was so small that every able
bodied man was required to form a complete
Gordon around the infantry, besides the little
reserve posts. Thus absolutely no men
were left for reliefs pickets standing from
dark to daylight. No attack, however, was
made by the enemy, but a little scare was
occasioned by the discharge of gun, which
caused the writer to think, as he sat drows-
ing on his horse, that he had been fired upon
by bushwhacker.
The result was thorough rousing of the
pickets and an advance of the line. A
thorough search made for the guerrilla at
daylight availed nothing, and the conclusion
arrived at was that of accidental discharge
of gun by one of the videts ON a parallel
road.
As foraging in those days was strictly
forbidden, and we having the desire to
crafty ourselves in the way of feeding our
horses and ourselves literally, and at the
same time obey orders and please the officers,
had laid in supply of fac-simile Confederate
money. By this means we were enabled to
purchase corn for our horses and warm meals
for ourselves as opportunity presented it
SELF
On the 18th the march was resumed in
the direction of Culpeper Courthouse, where
the 5th had a skirmish. They charged
and drove the enemy through the town,
capturing Is men and a small amount of
supplies left at the railroad depot. The
enemy, in their haste to get away the train
which they were loading when we appeared
at the suburbs of the town and made that
sudden dash upon them, were obliged to
leave few things. They succeeded in get
ting the train off by margin Of about two
minutes.
Among other things captured was the c.
S. mail which had just arrived from Rich
mond. This was secured by w. G. Peck
ham, one of the foremost men in the charge,
who subsequently earned and received
First Lieutenant's commission for faithful,
meritorious service and bravery.
Among other Confederate property cap
tured at the depot was barrel of whisky.
All the Confederate property, including the
whisky, was stored in the Courthouse, and
a guard placed over it, the Provost-Mar
shals Office also being in the same room
with the barrel of whisky. Some of the
duty performed by the provost-guard was
to search the houses and other buildings for
arms, rebel soldiers, and contraband articles
They were successful in small way In
bringing to light a few small-arms and
few soldiers.
While we were on this duty Mcclellan
was moving his army by transports to
Alexandria, having made his retreat from
Richmond, and Gen. Lee was then preparing
to pay his attentions to Gen. Pope, then in
command of all the forces in and around
Culpeper.
Now, we had few boys who loved the
beverage above mentioned too dearly for
anything, aud would drink it without the
slightest provocation. Withal they were
exceedingly smart and shrewd in deyising
means TO obtain it; particularly so was one
little Irishman, whom will cali bini Mike
Maoney. His fertile BRAN soon found, in
spite of the guards placed over the precious
stuff that where there's win there's a
way."
Some of his pals raidsd the town for
pimlet or bit while he made an accurate |