The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-08-09
LAST TO CROSS THE BRIDGE.

Co. l., 1th ONO Cav, RIPLEY, y.
LAST TO CROSS THE BRIDGE.
What Was Revealed by Little Foraging
at MONDAY Creek.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the
issue of March l | read Gen. Mnty's
account OF the Saber Brigade and its work
at MONDAY Creek.
Now. as l took a small part in that affair,
| would like to relate some of my expert
ence, although not of historic Importance.
This article viii serve to show how the iDdi-
vidual soldier often ran risks, especially the
cavalryman, for the sake of his pet horse,
and as The cavalry always moved i'll front Of
the army In a strange country among
strange people, it was really hazardous; but
a cavalryman does not like to ride a hungry
horse.
The primitive bridge spoken of by Gen.
Minty crossing Monday Creek was long
corduroy road crossing q long and very
swampy marsh about 400 yards wide
About the middle of this road was a bridge
across deep but not very broad creek.
On this bridge the rebels had barricade
of fence-raIls, and a picket was stationed
behind it when we arrived Oh the road and
high ground in front of the marsh. We
sklrmtshed some with them that evening,
but did not attempt to cross or drive them
from the Bird e. The next morning we
found that the enemy had left their barr-
cade and retreated out of sight.
After awhile some troops, battalion, /
think, of the 1ih Pa crossed the creek and
MY mesSmate a CORPORAL and / concluded
TO cross also in search of some corn for our
horses as we had no corn in camp thai
night. Our regiment, the 4th u. s. Cav,
had not been ordered to move yet, and III
fact it did not look like there would be any
fighting that day.
So the Corporal and crossed the creek,
but as soon as we were over we left the road
and struck into the woods on a trail nearly
in straight line with the corduroy crossing.
The troops turned to the left, following
the road that ran parallel with the marsh
We continued on our trail, | think, for an
hour, OF course moving forward carefully, as
We did not know what moment we might
run onto a rebel videt. At last we came to
a clearing of about 60 or 20 acres in quad
rangular shape, considerably longer than
broad, fenced in and surrounded by wo, Dis.
A dwelling-house stood in about the middle
of the field and large shed, which looked
like Clubhouse, in the opposite end of the
fed whence we came, it being the longest
measure Of the field.
We opened the fence.and rode up to the
dwelling, dsmounted and walked in. A
middle-age man met us, aud we told him we
wanted some corn for our horses. He seemed
TO have no objection to letting us have corn,
but said he had nothing but shelled corn in
the house; which he was bound TO admit as
sackful stood close by the door. He said
he did not like TO give us that, as he wanted
to take it to the mil; but if we would 20
with him to that shed III the end of the field
he would give Us ali the eaT-corn we wanted.
Luckily for us we preferred sheled corn,
and so told him, aud also that we only
wanted feed or two. Seeing there was no
chance to get us 10 go with him to The shed,
be consen cd to give US some Of his shelIed
corn.
When we had the corn in our forage bags
we stepped out to fasten them on the saddle
While doing this We noticed the swapping of
caps in the woods at the back of the house
at first only few and then in geat number
all along the fence on that side of the field.
AS sOOn as we had our corn secured, we
mounted and rode around the upper end of
the house to TecOnnoiter. The swapping
continued, and it became evident that The
woods Oh that SIDE Of the fed were full of
rebels. 1t seemed that they were cleaning
oiIN ieiIhS Aht'i guns.
While we were scanning the woods and
looking IN the direction of the shed in the
end Of the field, some rebel cavaIrymen came
out, mounted, from behind that very shed
where the kind hearted aud liberal gentle
man had offered 10 take us and give us all the
ear-corn we wanted. Undoubtedly his plan
was good, but fate decreed differently: no
doing of ours, however, because up TO the
time when we became aware Of the swapping
OF caps We had no idea of being in such
close proximity to a rebel e-of-battle;
which, of course, il must have been, because
videts would not have INDUCED in the snap
ping of caps while Oh post
The rebel cavalrymen halted in front of
the shed, looking straight at us and having
their guns resting across the saddles, but
they made no effort 10 shoot, although we
were in plain view and easy range and we
were even nearer TO those just outside the
fence on the western side of the field, and
some OF them must have seen US coming in
from the end OF the field and going up to the
house. But no attempt was made TO shoot
at us, even when we rode slowly from the
house on road, in the open field, running
toward the eastern side.
We opened the gate and rode through, clos
ing the gate after US, and took another look
at our friends by The shed. They were still
stTaddling their horses and looking after us.
Their strange conduct can be accounted for
by the fact that they did not want to make
any alarm; their time had not come yet, or
else they did not think we were Yankees as
many of their men wore the blue uniform.
The latter solution is probably the best
Outside of the gate was a smooth road,
coming from the upper corner of the field
and following the fence down to the gate,
then turning in an easterly direction through
the woods. We did not know anything
| about the roads in that country, but we
knew we had TO take our chances on the end
of the road running east, because the other
| end we were now sure ran toward Ander-
s0nVille by the shed where the ear-corn was,
and We did not want to 20 there.
| think hear some of the readers of THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE say "You stragglers
! you ought to have been captured anyhow
But if there are any among the readers who
call us stragglers, please give US credit for
not struggling to the rear out of danger
However, after that days hard fighting had