Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-12
A BRILLIANT COUP.
COL. CLRDWELLS THRILLING STORY.
The Greatest Cattle Raid Of the War-2, lS0
Bccves Driven From Coggin's Point
Into the Confederate Lines.

charleston Is. c. News and Courier)
After that fateful day. May IL. 1864.
when the bullet OF the enemy took from
the cavalry corps its great commander,
j. il. II. Stuart. at Yellow Tavern. that
man who Longstrcet said was the great
est cavalryman America ever saw; that
man upon whom Jackson threw his man.
tle, like Elijah OF old: that man upon
whom General Lee depended for eyes and
ears--General Lee did not have TO look
for his successor; no. he was close at
hand, and had carved his name with his
sabre high In the list OF the worlds
great soldiers, 1t was Wade Hampton
upon whom the mantle fell. and who
was worthier? We have heard and do
know of the achievements OF this COM
mand and that command. from the pens
OF officers and privates. and l am glad II
IS 80. l read everything of the kind
come across.
have read OF Stuart's great ride around
McClellan's army on the Chickahom!ny.
and IL was a wonderful performance. /
know II Is considered by military men as
an unique feat. 1 wish | were able TO
describe II. / recall the enthusiasm II
created and also remember the fate Of
the gallant I.atane. the only casualty.
1t is not of this that / would write. !
was not with the boys then. Ii Is OF
Hampton's great cattle raid" in Septem-
Der. 1854, that l propose TO write in my
own plain way. just as 1 remember IL.
and Just as i read OF it, now that ii Is
all over.
THE MISE EN- SCENE.
In the early part OF 1864 General Lees
army was facing General Grants at Pc
tersburg. and his infantry lines extended
from the AppomattoX on the east 10
about Dinwiddis Courthouse on the south.
west. South OF this the cavalry held the
lines j say held them, not as the In
fantry did. but patrolled them all the
way down to Stoney creek, and some.
times beyond. We were too few TO man
the lines. so we rode them one might here.
and tomorrow somewhere else on the
line. repeling from time to time 10y the
hardest kind of fighting the repeated at
tacks made upon the lines OF communica-
toni. e., the Weldon railroad and the
Boydton plank-road. The preservation OF
these meant tho life Of the army and OF
the country.
a QUESTION OF BREAD AND MEAT.
And this brings us to a question OF
tread and meat, and l tell you IL was AT
that time a very serious matter. My
comrades know how we were put to IL
FOR something TO eat. Sometimes we haa
bread such as it was), sometimes meat
sometimes neither. Men resorted TO all
sorts q. devices TO get square meal. III
perchance they met farmer they at once
cultivated HIM as a long-lost brother. ana
made all sorts Of excuses TO call; TOOK me
girls TO ride etc. and never lett without
.at.ag some meal. either dinner or sup
per. Our orderly sergeant. a frenchmah
oc many accomplish nents. is said TO nave
called On the Widow Hancock, in Din
widdie county. and. on taking his leave
aIso took her gray cat. ana his mess ATE
h-r in stew smothereu IN garlic the next
day 'They say So don't know. a
Frenchnlan has the reputation OF eating
anything.
GEN. HAMPTON PROPOSES A RAID.
Re that as il may. on the Sth OF sep
,emler q neral Hampton addres1ed
ulte To General Lee Informing him that
his scouts reported 10 him large hero
Of cattle grazing In the rear OF Grant
Amy. in the neighbOrhood OF Cosgiii
Peint. on James river, AID asking per
mission 20 take a force Of cavalry and
60 down ana drive out theTcattlc. The
General was. perhaps. eNungry himself.
on the 9Th General Ire replied that the
Only difficulty 81 Importance he saw was
ia getting lack with the cattle. Geherai
Lee sad he WAS not sufficiently ac-
- iftcd with the country TO say now
that could be effected. If embarrassed
with wagons ana cattle. ana auNIseu
General Hampton to take such CIR
emit as would allow ample space for ms
n,rk nicke;s to notify him OF danger.
He said that the Federal General tGr-ss'
Vas near the Weldon road, and that he
youl. move two brigades OF infantry
down the plank road behind General
bearing. who was on that road with MS
brigade Of cavalry.
on the 18th Lieutenant John +. Lam
moan OF Uampton's engineer corps, wrote
N,ior Mcclellan. Hampton's adjutant-
general. for a detail OF forty men and
tvo commissioned officers from Butler $
and ~ II. + Lees divisions. He would
furnish the detachment with tools; they
would be armed with pistols, ana would
serve during the expedition as a mount
engineer troop under his direction ne
d.sicnoted Lieutenant Johnson. Company
Tnurth South Carolina Cavalry, and
lieutenant Bauskett, Sixth South Caro-
Ina Cavalry. as suitable officers to take
charge OF the detail from General But
The detail from General W. II. +. Lee
Division was ordered to report TO Lieu
tenant +. Robertson at General w. ~
Iee's headquarters, and tools WOULD De
The men were 20 be selected from those
accustomed TO the use OF the axe.
uIrCI.ER SOUNDS BOOTS AND SAD
DIE"
on the morning of the l4th OF oepteih'
har 1894. long before daylight we were
aroused from our camp by the notes o.
the bugle sounding boots ana sanule'
and the command to which l belohgec
uh. Stuart Horse Artillery was orderec
oul hpnln0 tut
Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. We waited
seated on our horses, for q long tiIne-aI
waiting seems long-and while we waite'
We speculated upon where We were soiht
and what we were going lot. 30 i'''
40 soldiers know Of the intentions or theN
officers that some said we were going u
surprise and capture brigade or nesr'
troons and we began in a spirit OF hume
20 tell what we were going to DO VIII
Cur share of the negroes. We had no IN
fimation nor idea that beeves had an!
place in the picture at all.
General Hampton in his account says
ION the morning Of the 18th moved VIII
the division Of MajorGeneral w Ii. +
lee. the brigades Of Rosser and bearing
md a detachment of 100 men IRON
Young's and Dunnovants brigades unde
command Of Lieutenant-Colonel Miller
Sixth South Carolina Cavalry. ana moVe'
down the Rowanty creek TO WHIRLPOOL
bridge. on that stream, where the com
mand bvouacked that night"
The command left Wilkinson's bridS'
at an early hour on the 18th. and struci
out on a trail for Sycamore Church, II
Prince George county, point most cen
trail and nearest to the cattle, and I'M
place where the largest force Of the enemy
was camped. General Hampton's ide'
was that by dlsposing them here 1t mad
Il impossible for them TO concentrate an!
force In time TO interfere with the man
object OF the expedition. BY rapi'
march the command reached the Black
water. at Cooks bridge, which had bee'
destroyed. General Hampton knew ina
the bridge had been destroyed and pur
rosely selected this route. as the enem,
would not be likely to look for an attacl
from that quarter.
HOW THEY RRIDGED THE BLACK
WATER.
When we reached this bridge we wer
halted and dismounted TO await the ar
rangements being made by the pionee
people for US 10 cross. ! shall never Tor
how the bOys went out into the field