The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-10-05

&~syG. York cavalry was
$ hanging around
E the camps on the ,
TG&x ~ YEN Potomac, now at
~ ~ Washington,
again at Harper's Ferry and for IA brief
iime at Winchester, waiting for some
thing to turn up. Not that they could
not find employment, but the kind Of
tered was not to their liking. They had
enlisted in 1861 for cavalry service, but
the government had failed to put them
Oh horseback. 1t had armed thelN with
sabers, and these they chung to as a
badge Of distinction and an earnest OF
the future. During the winter months
aud between the hours Of labor on the
Qualifications the men practiced handling
the savage weapons until they became
axpert. IL that way if in 10 other they
hoped to win the favor Of the authOrl-
.ieS. Finally, in July, the horses anne
and with them a leader worthy Of a reg
lment ambitious TO carve Il name with
4he sword. An officer of the Fifth Unit
ed States cavalry, Benjamin 4. Davis,
was appointed colonel. Davis had ser-eG
IN the toughest cavalry school i'll the
world, on the plains Of New Mexico,
against the Apaches. He was a southern
er by birth and stuck to the flag from
principle; hence there would be no
child's play about the warfare he would
wage upon his old friends. For a man
N such a case there is nothing to do but
win or die in trying. Davis had good
stuff to work on in the Eighth New
York. The men were villagers from the
agricultural counties of the northwest
ern part of the state. Bred to life III the
farm they had grown weary Of the mo-
notonous routine and longed for new
worlds to conquer. The wal and Davis
gave them a chance.
Among the cadets at West Point and
in the regular army Davis had been
known as "Grimes."
With their new colonel. their fresh
horses, splendid bays and blacks match
I'D in companies, and their sabers bright,
the New Workers set out again for Har
per's Ferry ready for battle. After
diminishing with the enemy ON the Vir-
xinia shore they were ordered one day
TO pitch their tents inside the lines OF
the post, and the next that they knew
the place was surrounded by Stonewal]
jackson, and the commandment, Colonel
Dixon S. Miles, refused to fight or to
svacuate. Fighting mad before, the boys
patted their good steeds upon their sleek
tanks and murmured, "What are we
here for but to strike or gallop away
ready to strike some other day?' Davis
and a brother officer of the same name
colonel Of the Twelfth Illinois, laiG
their heads together and devised {
scheme to put their horsef1esh to goo(
use and save their men from the clutche
Of Stonewall. After a volume Of talk
interspersed with hot words, Miles CAV
the order for the cavalry to move out. l
started at dark on the evening o
Sept. IA, about 10 hours befor
Miles surrendered the place without
blow. The attempt to escape from Han
per's Ferry at that hour was a bold one
The Confederates lined the Nirgini
and Maryland shores north and south
Jackson meant to end the business nez
day, for he had other work, on hanc
The way out, if any, would be acros
Maryland, hut the main arlny OF Lie
was at that moment stretching its lint
parallel with the river from Sout
Mountain to Sharpsburg, really const
tuting a second line to be passed. N
ono in Harper's Ferry could tell whe1
the nearest Union troops were to be IN
with, so it was taking "A plunge i'll tt
dark. Aud the darkness it was tn;
made the plunge successful. The colum
crossed the Potomac on II pontOOn DrldS
yiding in twos with the Davises at tt
head Of the leading files.
Once on the Maryland shore the hors
were spurred to a gallop and off WEI
the cavalcade a la Gilpin. Striking Il
Sharpsburg road, the horsemen dash'
ahead in the darkness. riding parall
30 the line of Longstreet's Confedera
corps. which. pivoted ON the river
Harper's Ferry, vas shutting to, like
gate. At times the bivouac fires of Il
enemy glowed by the roadside, and mo
han once the riders galloped betwe'
lhe pockets and the sleeping camps. !
,i,o end Of a few miles the head Of CT
amn struck u barricade in the road. b
Brushed it away in u ~twinkling, cuttil
down some of its guard and carryil
others along ~ prisoners. Farther alol
Confederate train Of 100 wagons "
encountered, moving under 4 caval
escort. By assuming disgui
"(arimaa' Davis trioked tho he
sea,oassr into turning of the road. a
-,1 a.. o-o foIlnvgad suit. Calling