The National tribune., 1895-05-02
GEN. ELI LONG.
The Hero of Bovejoy's, and His Record-A
Glimpse of Wilder's Lightning Brigade.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the
issue of April Col r. II. G. Minty, Brevet
Major General, publishes one of his regi-
mental orders taken from the Louisville
Courier of Nov %, 1864. The following
compliment 10 the Second Cavalry Division,
Military Division of the Mississippi, will
also be found in the same paper:
I'VE had the pleasure yesterday of meet
ing with Brig.-Gen. Eli Long, who has been
assigned TO command of Gen. Garrard's old
division, and having reorganized it is now
having it remounted and fully equipped for
q move TO the front again. The division
formerly consisted of three brigades, but has
now been reduced to two, by the consOlida-
ton of the two cavalry bTigades, minus the
4th u. s. Cav, which has been taken for Gen
Wilson's escort.
1.-THE Wilder Brigade of Mounted Infantry
consists Of four very strong regiments, and
will form the First Brigade, commanded by
Col. A. o. Miller. The Second Brigade, of
five small cavalry regiments, will be COM
manded by Col X. Fl. G. Mintv. The Chi
cago Board of Trade Battery, under Capt.
Robinson, will still remain attached to the
Division. The strength of the division will
be about 5000
"Gen. Eli Long is a native Kentuckian.
present Captain in The LIST u. S. Cav, to
which regiment he was assigned upon gradu-
alton from West Point He was appointed
to the Colonelcy of the 4th Ohio Cav. Feb.
3d. 1868, by the Governor of Ohio, upon the
recommendation of Gen. RI seerans, and was
shortly after assigned to the command of a
brigade.
" In this position he soon distinguished
himself, making most gallant charge of his
whole brigade upon Wheeer's forces at
Pennington, Tenn, Oct. z, 1862 in support
f Wilder's Brigade, which bad thrown itself
fpon the center of the enemy's line broken
and taken the guns. when Longs Brigade
Numbered down on the flank, and these two
gallant brigades effected the discontinue of
Wheeler's entire command. For this action
Col. Long was brevetted Major in the
Regular Army, and Dec. 3, 1862. was bre-
Fetted a Lieutenant-Colonel for his gallant
and meritorious services at the defense of
Knoxville, he having been selected by Gen.
Grant over all the other cavalry brigade
commanders TO take picked force from the
Second Cavalry Division to carry the news
of Sherman's advance to Burnside's be-
leaguered troops.
But his most brilliant achievement was
at Loveioy's Station last August, when he
saved Kilpatricks command from capture
by large force of rebel cavalry and in
fantry by which it was surrounded. Gen.
Fitzpatrick on his raid to cut the railroads
south Of atlanta had the brigade of Coils.
Long and Minty lot Garrard's Division) in
addition to his own division. Having cut
the West Point Railroad he proceeded over
TO the Macon Railroad at Lovejoy's, when
he found himself enveloped in the meshes
Of large force of infantry which had been
sent down from Atlanta, and all the rebel
cavalry which had been accommodating on his
front and flank
Ia this dilemma surrounded on all sides
by the enemy, who were pushing at every
point, Col Long suggested TO Gen. Kill
patrick to hurl his entire command upon
one point OF the ,nemy's line and break mis-
way out The suggestion was at once
adopted, and the point Of the enemyis line
selected TO be forced was on the McDonough
road, which was held by rebel cavalry bri-
gade with a battery. Col. Long was directed