The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-03

ana cavalry. Last hiSht thts oeN"~n~'
ambulances with scout of seventeen men
between this and Charlestown; severely
wounded sergeant OF Sixteenth Pennsyl-
vania Cavalry. / doubt II we should be
able to get any dispatches through with
out sending much larger body of cavalry
than can get hold of. ] have but small
force for such duty. and it is badly worn
down"
Edwards 10 Neill:
"Martinsburg-Wi Oct. ID.
1.-The train that left Martinsburg yester-
day arrived here last night. / have no
forces here TO escort IL 10 the front, ex-
cept 400 cavalry and 100 Of these cannot
be relied on, also, some struggling in
fantry, without organization. numbering
800 men. ! have detained the train here
on account Of insufticiency in men 10
properly guard II. A train OF its size to
20 through the country where 1t has TO
should have an escort Of at least 2.OOJ
men with It, Captain Blazer. OF the In
dependent Scouts comes In this morning
and reports Mosby's command lowering
in the ne.ghborhoOd Of Newtown, etc No
escort with dispatches can get through
with less than go cavalry"
ONLY MosBY.
Stevenson TO Secretary Stanton:
"Harpers Ferry. oct. LIST.
IneTe are 10 OTSdHlLtu lipDpo VI 'iA-
envy in Valley this side of Stanton. ex-
cept Mosby's suerillas.'
Nell to Stanton:
"Martinsburg. September Goth.
"AboIt 900 or 400 guer.llas are operating
between Winchester and Bunker Hill. l
do not consider my post safe unless
have stronger force 10 protect the large
amount OF Government property rapidly
accommodating here"
(These dispatches are selected examples
from a great number 10 illustrate the
character and effect of partisan opera
lions in Sheridan's rear. ;. Nj
On September 18th, four days before the
battle Of Winchester, | was severely
wounded, and carried, for safety, TO my
fathers home. near Lynchburg. Captain
William Chapman commanded during my
absence. On the day after / was wounded
100 of Sheridan's cavalry came over the
Blue Ridge a. night. expecting, by the
aid Of spy, 10 capture a good many Of
my men. 1t was commanded by General
George II. Chapman, OF Indianapolis. He
dd catch several and started back. Cap
tain Chapman followed IN pursuit Of the
General He did not 90 on his trail, but
took road running along the top Of the
Blue Ridge, I'm order to intercept him
before he got to the Shenandoah river
General Chapman had sent squadron on
in advance IN charge Of his prisoners
1t was an excessively hot day and they
had ridden all night. The General had
heard, too, Of my being wounded and
may have calculated that my command
was disorganized or would be less active
SO when they got into Suckers Gap all
laid down in the shade and went TO sleep
Captain Chapman soon came, like an
avalanche, plunsing down the mountain
side and was firing among the sleepers
before they were awake. They had not
expected an enemy TO come like bolt
from the sky, and the attack caused
general stampede All the prisoners were
recapturcd, and many Of the enemy were
killed, wounded and captured.
THE GENERALS REPORT.
General Chapman returned 10 camp,
sad but wiser. man. His report says:
About an hour had elapsed. and the
men had mostly fallen asleep, when they
were suddenly charged upon by a force
of from fifty to eighty Of the enemy.
and. being stampeded by the surprise,
number were killed wounded and cap
tured before ! reached the scene Of the
encounter with the main body They had
approached the Gap across the mountains
and charged down an easy slope anG
they retired by the same way, pursued for
two miles by my men. IL was near sun
down, and in the exhausted state OF men
and horses ! did not deem further pursuit
exDedient.
Captain Compson had captured twelve
OF the enemy. but they were rccaptured.
From citizens | asccrtained that Nosby
was wounded some time ago. and had
gone to Richmond. Judging from indlca.
tons, ! should estimate the force operat.
Ing under Mosby and his colleague at
from 200 TO 80. If they have any en-.
campment IL must be in the neghborhooi
and beyond Upperville"
II will be observed that General Chan.
man does not say that he was bushwhack.
ed His men were sent prisoners to Ricb-
mond.
LTssoN FOR SHERIDAN.
General Chapman's discontinue was q
lesson Sheridan did not forget. He learn
ed that there was still danger i'm the air.
W hen he marched up the Valley few
days afterwards, he was continually look
Ing behind; his rear seemed to give MIN
more trouble than his front
without securing the fruits of victory.
Sheridan October 9Th began his retrograde
movement, no doubt, much 10 Grants
chagrin. The following telegram shows
mat Grant was not contemplating such
an issue Of the campaign:
Grant to Halleck.
September 9th.
4 have said no more on the subject of
opening railroad communications vita
Sheridan, because, while he is moving. il
is hard TO say where he win want il. II
General Augur can protect the road 10
Rappahannock, however, l think it will
be advisable to open the road that far"
The opening of this railroad would
have been useless, unless Sheridan crossed
the Blue Ridge and operated on d new
line towards Lynchburg.
Foot note: The returns for August.
1864 show that Augur had present for
duty 1854 Wallace, commanding from
Monocdcy Junction 10 Baltimore. 500;
Couch, on the Susquehanna. 2,66S. present
for duty.'D
On the same day September 27th)
Grant again telegraphed Halleck
Il think the road towards sheridan
should be put in order as far as protec-
ton can be furnished for 1t. Washing
ton, being protected as much by troops
sent out on the road south as If the
same troops were in the city, can be
stripped considerably lower than would
be justifable to send the troops anywhere
else After reaching Manassas June
ton. l would like Sheridan 10 decide
which road should be opened. II he
moves. as | expected him, 10 Charlottes-
ville the road TO Culpeper would be the
one to repair.
on the 18th Halleck said TO Sheridan:
General Grant telegraphs that he eX-
poets you will be able to push forward
10 Stanton or Charlottesville. In mat
case you can best be supplied by the
Orange and Alexandria railroad, through
Culpeper. If not, the railroad to Front
Royal should be repaired"
on the same day Halleck informed
Meigs the quartermas,er-geneIa that
General Augur has been directed 10