Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-05-26
- neriIish Nawstr Place, ;,


One popularity of all soldiers is that
they think their own arm Of the
service the most important, and that
its position in battle is more danger
Gus and its effect on contest more
decisive than those of the other
branches. The cavalry in both the
Federal and Confederate armies did
not suffer from home sickness because
of any monotony of their lives.
belonged to John Morgan's com
mand, writes I. II. Russell, in the New
York Advertiser. and 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.
In the spring of 1s62 we were in
Central Tennessee, doing our level
best to keep the railroads. leading
North, in need of repair, and making
it unsafe if not impossible to navigate
the Cumberland, when we were joined
/ by Captain George st. Leger GrenfeL
I 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.
I / was still in my teens, but never
! before or since have | met a more
picturesque, daring or ideal soldier of
/ fortune than this same George St.
I 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 cap
tured on our raid into Ohio, got mixed
up in the Fort Douglas conspiracy at
| Chicago in 1864. was tried and SEN
fenced to the Dry Tortugas for life
and was drowned while trying to
escape after the war.
Being a trained soldier, in the prime
of life, about 40, and full of dash and
energy, General Morgan then a
colonel commanding brigade-was
glad to meet him, and appointed him
his adjutant general. With a full
beard, of medium height, -boned,
gray-eyed, strong as bull and alert
as tiger Colonel Grenfel soon made
his presence felt in our brigade. His
conspicuous courage and seeming in
difference to danger made him favor
tie with the troopers.
In August, September and October
1852, we were back with Bragg il
Kentucky, where we hoped we should
remain, but found it too hot to do so
We Kentuckians were sent here
there and everywhere, so that some
did not have chance to visit their
friends. In early September we were
ordered North to threaten Covington
and make things as unpleasant as pos
sible for the Yankees along the Ohio
On the way we struck Cynthiana, be.
tween Lexington and Covington, anc
here, to our surprise, we backed NJ
against lot of Union Kentuckiani
under the command of General Ian
drum.
The rattle of musketry always trans
formed the impassive colonel into q
demon, and the roar of artillery intox
icated him, but he never lost his head
/ was standing, bride in hand, neal
the colonel, when our advance cam,
gathering back, reporting Yankees
in front till you can't rest" On the
instant, Colonel Grenfel leaped int,
the saddle and shouted: mount men
and follow me-"
obeyed him, supposing the hun
dreds of men about would follow on
example, but a backward glance as W.
neared the enemys rifle pits showed
there were less than fifty riders in thu
charge. We jumped The pits and brok'
up the men in blue. but they quickly
rallied and formed behind u.s. W.
dashed on, but it was to find a stronge
line in reserve and artillery to th'
left
The enemy was shouting 'surren