News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1896-06-04
Bnt Fitz Lee was no wild raider. He

But Fitz Lee was no wild raider. He
was at home in battle and master
hand there. The withdrawal of the Con-
federate army from South mountain
after a stunning defeat at the principal
passes was carried ON under the cavalry
protection of Fitz Lee He commanded
a brigade at that time. Posting his
horse batteries in the roads at Boons-
boro near the base of the mountain, he
shelled the head of column of the enemy
and at the proper time charged his
squadrons with splendid success. When
at last it became necessary to retreat be-
fore superior numbers, he led a series of
rapid charges with one battalion at
time. The charging battalion, after
closing with the enemy, would sweep to
the rear ON a circuit and the next one
i'll front of column charge and repeat
the tactics This action was the battle
of BOonsboro
The historian of Stuart's cavalry
credits Fitz Lee with having made the
first grand horseback charge Of the war
in the east. The affair was at Kelly's
ford, on the Rappahannock, in March,
1868. Lee was given the task of keeping
back from the ford Averell's division of
Federal cavalry The Confederate troop
ers numbered 500. After some skirmish-
ing the lines confronted across an open
field 500 Or 600 yards wide. Finding
Averell 10th to advance, Lee led i'll his
whole brigade on a horseback charge.
The charging squadrons were swept by
shell and canister as well as c1rbine
fire. The left wing of the brigade broke
at two fences, but the right pushed up
to AveTell's guns so close that the can
noneers abandoned them. Averell's
First Rhode Island cavalry, however,
rushed to the rescue of the guns and
drove off the Virginians after lively
hand to hand fight The charge failed,
and the chronicler says that year later
Lee would not have ventured such
rash movement
Various accounts have been printed of
the initial stages Of Stonewall Jackson's
master stroke at Charlottesville. The
chronicler whose narrative is drawn
upon for this article, Stuart's chief of
staff Major H. B. McClellan), gives
Fitz Lee chief part in it. He says that
Fitz Lee commanded the cavalry which
preceded Jackson's column. Reaching
the plank road, he halted his troopers to
wait for the infantry to come up and
improved the time by personal recon
noissance. Making an important dis
covery as to the weakness of Hooker S
right flank, he hurriedly rode back along
the line of march, met Stonewall and
conducted him to the point of Observa-
ton. This is what they saw in Fitz
Lees own words: "Below and but a
few hundred yards distant ran the Fed
eral line Of battle There was a line CT
defense, with abatis in front, and long
lines of arms stacked in rear. Two cam
non We're visible i'll the part Of the line
seen. The soldiers were in groups in the
rear, laughing chatting and smoking,
probably engaged here and there in
games of cards and other alnusemeuts
INDUCED in when feeling safe and await
ing orders. Immediately after hi9sur-
Vey CT the tempting situation jackson
ordered his troops to form lines for the
memorable charge.
In the combat on the right flank at
Gettysburg, recognized by all old troop