The National tribune., 1894-06-21
THE CHA SEURS.
Lively Doings in the Valley and on the
Peninsula.

| Peninsula.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Well do
remember the skirmishes during the Fall of
| 81 in Virginia above the Chain Bridge; also,
| McClellan's move towards Centervlle, and
our return; also, the trip on the Peninsula;
| Yorktown; the hot fight at Williamsburg,
and the fight around Richmond how Gen.
Casey's troops were forced back from their
breastworks by the Confederate troops.
The 1st U. S. Chasseurs were sent across
the railroad TO reinforce the 31st Pa. aud
BIady's battery. After Casey and Couch
had been driven back we were north and
rear of the Contederates. picking up pris-
oners.
At this time a man rode over to us
from the enemy's lines and told us we would
all be captured. The boys were inclined to
give him the laugh. He said he was only
doing bis duty also, that the woods to our
right and front were full of Southern troops,
which we soon found to be fact. This
man again rode back into the enemy's lines.
The question has always been in my mind,
VINO was he? He at least showed us where
his sympathies lay. We then, on double
quick, fell back through strip of woods !;
Brady's battery near the railroad, with the
31st Pa and Chasseurs behind an old rail fence
and woods in front The enemy massed, and
amid deadly fire of shell and canister and
musketry charged, and would have capt
ured our battery but for the timely arrival
of a portion of Summers Corps, which
turned the tide of battle here After the
Chasseurs found the 1st Mimi. forming be-
hind them they felt safe, az these two regi-
ments had seen service together before.
Our infantry reserved their fire until the
enemy were within few rods of our line-of-
battle. The rebel loss was terrible; the
ground was covered with their dead and
wounded. They made noble fight This
was their first repulse and defeat that day.
The next day our troops retOok the ground
lost the day before, but the loss on both
sides was heavy.
NY memory will ever follow the marches
and battles of the Army of the Potomac
Malvern Hill, Manassas, South Mountain
Antietam, Fredericksburg-unde Burnside
and Hooker. The Chasseurs were the second
regiment TO cross the river below Fredericks-
burg and its skirmishers the last to recross
after the fight under Burnside.
After the Pennsylvania Reserves had made
their fatal charge the writer was with the
troops who relieved this command. The
means of the dying and the appeals of the
wounded in front of us was enough TO touch
the hardest heart.
During Rockers Charlottesville fight the
Sixth Corps was below Fredericksburg. At
night about 10 or II o'clock, the Chasseurs
were deployed as skirmishers, and advanced
to drive the Confederates out of the city.
We met with such resistance we concluded
TO wait for daylight. The writer and Is or
90 men were with the Chasseur colors on
the Richmond turnpike. We ran against
their reserve pickets, who were behind a
| barricade across the road. They had us at
a disadvantage, and we had to either be
shot down or run to the rear or front
We gave them a vOlley, fixed bayonets,
and with genuine Yankee yell charged
them from their position. They then with
drew their forces from the city back into
| their Entertainments on the flights, probably
| thinking the balance of our troops were at
our heels.
We kept hid in the city until morning
between the two lines, not daring TO show
ourselves to either side, and expecting 10 be
captured by the Johnnes, but came nearer
being shot the next morning by our own
troops before we could make them believe
we belonged to the Cbasseurs.
History tells how Marye's flights were
captured at the point of the bayonet by the
troops under our old Col. Shaler. The Cen
erals memory will ever be fresh in the minds
of the surviving soldiers in that charge by
the daring and courage he displayed riding
along the line, and with his presence en-
couraged the boys charging the enemy's
works. The next morning found the Sixth
Corps silently recrossing the Rappahannock,
where we all breathed freer as we could tell
by the distant boom, boOm!" to our right
and rear that Gen. Hooker had run against
| a snag at Charlottesville.
The writer was with the Sixth Corps at
Gettysburg, Wilderness, SpotsyIvania, Cold
Harbor, Petersburg, against Early's raid on
Washington, Cedar Creek but space will
not permit making mention of incidents
during these hard-fought battles. Where
are the Chasseurs now Pr. w. METCALF,
! Co. K LIST u. S. Chasseurs, Clyde O..