The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-17
SOMEONE HAD BLUNDERED
,yrnlo.DO or CoNFKDKEA1fs
w,,,gFD BY CoNFEDKKATBs'
r,.pt,b,oud Howitrers md tho b'"'N
aer.e Troop wore Parties I" s'r'""-
f,n lneident-t sad Fourth ofJniS'


:, me virginia troops then lying near
FAIRFAX Courthouse. o,-
10 was not because this reno""ou
,yersary Of American independent
WED memories OF the blessings ''eS
once enjoyed under a common mas
Tor any regrets that they cou'u "o'
sisfcntlv. under existing cFou''s
celebrate It's advent Ii was lo'
md moro personal reason ', ,,oo.,rnioc on
t.e troops Ado '0'"
that fatctul ual. = ,,o,oral Beaure-
Y'be ADVANCED forces or Heno' a. Dnrtb-
80 u,Cre tncn quite Niose l. - ~ "a
an frontier. ana ai'hOusn ,,"nfns II mad
6een in the field for some ihV"e''' 60
pten 80 49,. feu. of the hardshlIs OF war
10 dIsappointmcnts had yet peeh eNPe1,
rlcnced. notmns h"u " o,tb tbo d.,I,
',,tt,S of military movements incident 10
f,, organiza uons OF raw leNles IN d ne"
and un,ried campa sh' Inc HYpes u VIC
son we're hign. lhey were Gay by uay,
,,o,os stronger III numbers and more
snd more confident in themselves lhey
so how ever. begun 20 feel the reantcs
~ the situation. II was apparent that
rro state OF preparation, ana COMPARE
.,ve duiet must soon have an END, and
,hat il could not be long before some
ming q Importance must take place be-
,oeen the Two armies. The outposts OF
,,s enemy were actually In sight. EN-
..ng reports and sudden alarms were 81
s~ast daily occurrence. thereby demand
Tx more active and ceaseless vigilance. At
tagth the Federal Videttes were DIS
covered at unexpected points. by the
seepess scouts OF the Confederate cavai-
~ IL WAS soon discovered what was the
1aIpose OF the enemy. He was silently,
aal as he supposed, Oecreuy enUenchlng
rs advance-gugrd, at point uncoo.
fo-,ably near the Confederate lines; and
o. became apparent TO the latter, that the
sooner ne was dislodged from this adj
Q hn har
Among the troops composing the adj
vance at Fairfax Courthouse, were sew
cral regiments OF South Carolina Voiun-
t-ers Kadfords cavalry from Bedford
county. Va; Capt. VIM. II. Payne's Black
r0rse troop from Fauquier. and the FIRST
Company Of Richmond Howitzers Cap;.
j. G. Shields Gen NJ. l.. Bonham, OF
South Carolina, commanded the brigade
TEE SIGRT OF IHK Thru.
The latter. whether OF his own sug-
Gestion. or by order OF the commandment
chief. we cannot say, determined 10 break
Up the plans Of the enemy. referred 70
above. AccoLdingiy, without any premo-
milton, the following order was received
on the night Of the Sd OF July, from
Gen. Bonham's headquarters.
Capt Shieds-You will quietly prepare
two Of your pieces to move Immediately
and without noise-mOVe them UP at u
o'clock precisely to Court House square,
and await further orders"
Upon arriving at the place designated
Captain Shields two pieces immedia tely
became part Of an expedition, composed
OF four companies of Kershaws Infantry,
one company Of cavalry under captain
Winston Radford. and the Black-Horse
troop under Captain William II. Payne,
the whole under Col. Kershaw with Lieut..
Col. Thomas T. Munford second I'm COM
mand. The object OF this expedition was
30 surprise and capture quite large
body Of the enemy said 20 be establish
ing themselves at n point much nearer
the Confederate lines than their regular
- established camp at Falls church.
IN the direction Of Alexandria. IL was
desirable that this move should be a
successful one but so far as the artillery
was concerned II was considered hazard
Gus I'm the exit enc by its com
mander. The country In that re-
cion vas for the most Part GOV
cred by underg-OWth and forests. through
which a rugged and narrow road often
confined in deep cuts over hills lead 10
casional openings and fields relieved this
state Of things. especially at POM
furthest from Fairfax courthouse. anc
nearer the enemy. The Confederate col
umn had moved out Of the village, anc
arriving at this place, the colonel com
handing halted. and having given direc
tons as 10 the position Of the troops
himself advanced with two companies o
infantry. a considerable distance in thu
direction q the enemys lines.
IN the meantime Captain Shields pro
CPele1 TO OlSpOSt MS dlllltlN III az
cordance with the views Of Col. Kershaw
who had left Lieut. Col. Thomas T
MunfOrd ia command. An extract iron
Captain Shields Official report suose
Qucntly made will explain the position
Of things at this time, Having deter
mined upon the kind Of ammunition L
be used my instructions 10 the Chle
OF the HCwitZer which now commande
the road. were. that If slirmishers &C
cupying the road on our LETT and IN al
vance should fire upon an approachin
eLemy, and the latter Should be ~
few in numbers. not 10 begin the attac
but reserve his fire for a column O
larger body, and then 10 open fire upo
him with case-shOt and afterwards cams
ter; the range being necessarily shoI
from the configuratiOn of the ground
This disposition having been so made a
10 the approach by the road upon Whlc
our line rested, ] placed the other slX
FOUNDER upon an eminence about ~ yMd
10 the right, and I'm reach Of the Howitzefs
with the double purpose of harraSslnS IN
enemy by Ranking fre. should ne nj
tempt 10 cross or occupy the He'u %
his left and Of following him up with
discharge Of canister. should he b.
forced 10 retire"
TIE CAVALRY.
THE cavalry support under Captai
Payne, Of the Black-HOrse troop, an
Captain Winston Radford, OF the BED
ford cavalry, occupied the ground inter
mediate between the two pieces IN
right of the squadron resting on n
Iiowitzer gun and facing TO the rear
the s,x-poOnder being q Ntle to .hei
left end front. These beius the d'spO
Fftioa OF tie forces. I remained In per
son near the centre Of the line, by m
Howitzer awaiting the change or events
At this tuncture my attention was al
trarted by a sudden and rapid fre
-nusketry by files from the wood on ou
left J. therefore, drew nearer 70 IN
position Of the HowtZers gun and IN
SANITY recognized TWO horsemen faPd
Is approaching under he ire from IN
wood They both passed entirely through
the lines, one Of them coming In c"rtac
with nv oWn, and the gun-carriag,
horses As he passed, he exclaimed
what does this mean and faNlns
gene some thirty yards, realed ana Iel
from his saddle.
Some Of my command Immediately RAJ
q his assistance when lie report I'd him
self a Black-HOrse trooper, ana desired
o. sec Eis captain. ! fastened = com
rnuuicate this untOWari circumstance tt
Cqutain Payne. In che meantime my
astonishment was increased by perceiV
t0c that the fire from tie wood On oui
!eft was confin led AMI came O5linUelS
10 th,. right passing through our reiks
and directly over the hetbS Of me can
roneers al the IL owit1sr fUn. as Sc q
as the firing had ceased, ana apr L =,
Ing that the cnemys attenuo1 tsi.cl % ~
30 nearl would row be attracted 70 oul
POSITION. and lest his skirmis Aers shcrl'
attack h | withdrew the siX-pounde'
~ The road in rear OF the HowltZer Eul
f,rssr cover ~ fne wood. 3'd fcpOrtt'
-he fact 10 Captain MunfOrd. Inc latter
having Informed me Of has order 70 hol'
the position occupied ] promptly re
placed the held-piece upon i'S lo'