Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-02-25

IN the cavalry butn Ia any Obuot AHo'
The cavalry In both the Federal and
Confederate armies did not suffer from
home sickness, owing to the monotony
OF their lives; and / think the troopers
Of the West enjoyed more Of that var
iety, that is said TO be thu spice OF lie,
than did those of the East.
belonged to John Morgan's COM
mand, and I am willing to bear the
charge OF vanity it may bring on me,
by asserting that in no place and in no
army were there soldiers who were kept
more continually on the move or who
did more promiscuous hustling than
ourselves.
Now, that my memory Is stirred 10
retrospection, believes l could NIL a
good-sIzed book with the "reminiscences
OF individual deeds Of daring that came
under my own notice, during four years
OF fighting; nor would these descriptions
be confined TO the men who, like my
self, wore the grey and gave their last
efforts to the establishment OF q South
ern republic.
In the spring Of 1862, we werein cen
trail Tennessee, doing our level best 20
keep the railroads, leading north, In
need Of repair, and making II unsafe II
not impossible to navigate the Cumber-
land, when we were joined by Captain
George St. Leger Grenfel. Grenfel was
an Englishman, who had read In his
own country Of Morgan's exploits, and
who determined to come out and join
fortunes with him.
was still In my teens, but never
| before or since have 1 met more pic
turesaue, daring, or ideal soldier OF for
tune than this same George st. Leger
Grenfel. He had been in the English,
Turkish and Chinese service, and
short time before joining US, he had
served in South Africa, in the Cape
Mounted Rifles. He was captured on
our raid into Ohio, got mixed up in the
Fort Douglas conspiracy az Chicago, In
1864, was tried and sentenced to the
Dry Tortugas for life, and was drowned
while trying to escape after the war.
Being trained soldier, in the prime
OF life, about forty, and full Of dash
and energy, General Morgan-then a
colonel commanding brigade-was glad
to meet him, and appointed him his
adiutant-general. With full beard, OF
medium height, raW-boned, grey-eysd,
! strong as a bull and alert as tiger,
Colonel Grenfel soon made his presence
felt in our brigade. His conspicuous
courage and seeming indifference to
danger, made him favorite with the
troopers of tn Blue Grass Country, who
at first did not take kindly to the rigid
discipline he sought in vain to enforce
or to the arrogant bearing, that might
have passed with ordinary enlisted
men, but which would not down with
Young gentlemen, who outside OF mat
tiers military, regarded themselves as
the peers OF his master, the Prince OF
Wales.
In August, September and October,
1862, we were back with Bragg in Ken
lucky, where we hoped we should re-
main, but found IL too hot to do so. We
| Kentuckians were sent here, there and
everywhere, so that some did not have
a chance to visit their friends. In
early September we were ordered north
to threaten CoYingtOn, and make things
as unpleasant as possible for thas Yam
KEGS along the Ohio.
On the way, we struck CynthiaDa,
between Lexington aud Covington and
here, to our surprise, we backed up
against a lot of Union Kentuckians,
under the command OF General Land
run.
We supposed there were only few
companies present and that we could
ride over them rough shod, but they
turned out to be quite as many as our
selves and just as eager for a fight
The rattle of musketry always trans
formed the impassive Colonel into a
! demon, and the roar of artillery intox-
icated him, but he never lost his head.
| l was standing bride in hand near the
| Colonel, when our advance came clat-
tering back, reporting yankees In
front till you can't restl!" On the in
slant, Colonel Grenfe leaped into the
saddle, and shouted: mount men, and
follow me!'
obeyed him, supposing the hundreds
OF men about would follow our example,
but backward glance, as we neared
the enemy's rife pits, showed there
were less than fifty riders In the charge.
We jumped the pits and broke up the
men In blue, but they quickly rallied
and formed behind us. We dashed on,
but it was to find a stronger line in re
serve, and artillery to the left.
The enemy was shouting "Surren-
derl" with uncomplimentary remarks
as TO our ancestry added, and the only
possible avenue of escape was over a
! high rail fence 10 the right.
Again shouting, Follow mel" Gren-
fel led his horse.to the fence, but it was
too high to leap. Quick as fash, and
under terrific fire, he flung himsef
from the saddle tore down q PANEL,
and called TO US to go through. We
were quick to obey and make for our
own lines. The Colonel's horse was
killed, but when he joined us, he wiped
mis- bald brow and said coolly; "Ah,
my lads, that was devilish nawsty
place."
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