The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-09-24
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
ChasinH Price.

of Prices retreat from Little Rock, and his
narrow escape from capture by Gen. Powell
Clayton and Col. T. 8. Clarkson. He says:
"On the morning Of Sept. IL, 1853. We were
put under command Of Powell Clayton,
about 600 cavalry and some infantry, and q
few pieces Of artillery, under T. s. Clark
SON. Price retreated toward Benton. Mar
maduke commanded his rear division.
Prices army. all told, was about II. 200 men.
We had captured about all his army stores
At Little Rock.
1--WE pressed them two days The second,
just at shutdown, near Benton, they went
into camp for the night. / was assisting
Keys Danfortb, who was Acting Adjutant for
Gen. Powell Clayton, in advance Of our
forces. Clayton and Clarkson rode to the
left of the road, on . high knoll few rods
from the road.
"Danforth and followed. They took their
glasses and viewed the enemy's camp in the
valley below. could see with naked eye
their camps and fires, and Gen. Clayton
said to Clarkson, Get your guns in here and
plant them where we stand
It was done very quickly. The guns
opened upon a log house in the valley, about
half mile away. 1t was thought to be
Headquarters of the army for the night.
lucy uTcu DIISkIy lOI a iC mInugSos AOn
saw Gen. Clayto and GARRISON spring into
their saddles. We could see that the john
MES had started to retreat again, and Gen.
Clayton and Col. ClarksoD rode into tho
road and rode down the hill in the main
road ahead OF our main line. We saw ahead
of US to our right white house. In front
stood woman, with q pitcher and glass in
her hand The General and Colonel checked
hal II luffa 2 or tho ~
Can you tell me where are Marmaduke's
or Prices Headguart.rs?' She said point
ing her finger, There 90 Marmaduke and
Price. They have just drunk from this
pitcher
"Gens. Clayton and Clarkson drew their
revOivers, aud we charged. In less than
half minute we We're in the dust Of
their fleeing horses. We ran them plumb
into their command. The enemy were
around the log house, trying to get away
their wounded and dead. One minute
sooner Price and Marmaduke would have
met at the house face to face with Clayton
and GARRISON"
Setting Him Right.
Charles Porter, Co. E, 18th Vt, Grin
nell, Iowa, writes: 81 find in the issne of
Aug 81 communication from w. Fl. White,
Hath N. Y, criticising remark OF mine in
Picket Shot.
by reference to Campaigns of the Civil
War-The Shenandoah Valley in 1864 II
find that Comrade Whites regiment was a
part of the First Brigade, First Division,
Nineteenth Corps.
He sarcsstlcally refers me to the history
OF the United States and to Sheridan's re-
port of the battle of Cedar Creek. / have
been over this ground before with a MEM
Der of Comrade Whites brigade, and have
read both the history and Sheridans report.
There was nothing in what l wrote to
bear out the insinuati0u that thought
Getty's Division did all the fighting on that
bloody day.
"Pond, in THE Shenandoah in 1854,
says: This division, the Second-Getty's-
in the hard task of retiring slowly and
checking the enemy At every available
point, performed superb service, whose i'm
portance to the fortunes of the day cannot
be exaggerated. For, being on the extreme
left Of the infantry, near the pike, it bore
the brunt of the attacks
Speaking OF Early's attempts to dislodge
Getty, ne says: But. discouraged at length
bv the presence Of Union cavalry and by
Getty's gallant resistance. Early determined
to essay an attack from his other flank.
And later: The only parts of the army
which Sheridan found engaged were the
Second Division Of the Sixth Corps and the
cavalry
SHERIDAN in his report says: On arriving
at the front found Merritt's and Clusters
Divisions Of cavalry, under Torber,, and
Gen. Getty's Division, opposing the enemy !;
that the remaining two divisions
Of the Sixth Corps, VIII CHI were to the right
and rear of Getty about two miles, should
be ordered up and also that the Nine
,eenth Corps which was on the right and
rear of these two divisions, should be hur-
fied up before the enemy attacked Getty
He also says: At Cedar Creek Getiy's Di-
vision, and Merriits and Clusters Divisions
of cavalry, under Torbe.t, confronted the
enemy from the first attack in the morning
until the battle was decided which conclu-
siyely proves that what said in my former
communication is absolutely correct"
re T..A. T.~s,,