The National tribune., 1896-04-30
"wAS / A COwARD7"
Dread Busaboo of the Black Horse CavaIr
that Scared Comrade.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / reckon
many of the members Of my company sus-
pected me of being coward. Well, / con-
TESS my actions at the time of our first en-
gagement at Rich Mountain, under Gen.
| Mcclellan, favored such an impression. L
didn't think myself coward, and the looks
and whispered remarks of the men stung
me. But it was funny.
We had marched over from Grafton to
charming valley threaded by the sweet
waters of mountain stream, where we en-
camped. There were about two full bri-
gades of troops, mostly Ohio and Indiana
| soldiers, and our army seemed to us, I'M
trained volunteers, to be immense.
| On our march we had gathered informa-
tion we supposed reliable from the citizens
that Gems. Garrett and Pegram had fortified
and occupied two almost impregnable
mountain passes, Laurel Hill and Rich
Mountain, with formidable rebel forces.
We had read in the papers of the Black
Horse Cavalry and Louisiana Tigers, and
had the by no means comforting notion that
they were demons incarnate.
But Mcclellan was our commander; Gen.
Lander, the brave Indian fighter, was with
us; Mai.-Gen. Carroll was at that time
Colonel of the sth Ohio, and he was Regu-
L
| been in the Mexican war, and, altogether,
when we considered the personnel of our
army and its numbers, we were confident of
carrying any pass, however strongly fortified
or garrisoned.
There was Rich Mountain right in our
| very faces. Several men of my company
had with me clandestinely made an exami-
nation of the enemy's works, hidden from
our camp by a forest of great oaks. We had
| seen the tents of the enemy, the fort on their
| front, the mounted cannon, the batteries OF
artillery; the felled forest trees in front OF
the earihworks with limbs sharpened so as
! TO form ali impossible barrier. Our stories
were told and retold in camp with all the
exaggeration usual in camp narrative, and
| the great problem for solution was, how will
1t be possible to pass the tangle of ielled
| forest trees with sharp-po:nted limbs in the
face Of fire from 10000 TO $4,000 muskets
and 100 cannon?
Before the day of battle it was pretty
| generally conceded that these figures were
an underestimate. The long-roll OCCASION
ally sounded, aud we all felt as we never
had felt before.
Lit wasn't in any respect similar to any
| feeling we had ever experienced at home,
surrounded by family and friends.
Fall I'M" "Rig ht dress!" A few such
words were spoken, little marching and
wheeling into line, and that little pleasant
valley was transformed by a military pa
geant into battles dread array" For two
days the movement ended with the forma-
ton of troops in lines.
"What can it mean" did our General
hesitate?" Impossible!" care more
troors expected?" "That's it," allow
4 hr,,, IN 10
certain annihlation!" were common re-
marks by the soldiers
On the day before the battle the move
ment WIS more extended. We were moved
across the farms up to the very edge of the
forrest that hid the enemy from view, and
there, by whispered commands, ordered to
encamp for the night. For the first time
we slept upon our arms" and what dreams
of heroic deeds we had that night have
never been written. Tomorrow would
witness deadly conflict between blue and
gray; or possibly, and many thought pr0ba-
bly,, we might be aroused for a night at
tack.
Comrade whispered to comrade the words
to be carried TO dear ones at home in the
event of falling on the field of battle plans
were discussed for mutual assistance and
defense in emergencies methods Of APP
proach 10 the enemy's works adopted and
rejected; plans of battle were laid. And
so the weary night wore on, while fitful
sleep pressed momentarily upon weary lids
as the full moon slid up and then down the
archway OF the skies.
Before the gray dawn had faded our
breakfast had been eaten and we had crept
into line on the one road that led into the
woods. There we stood, wondering how it
i I, a. IL. a
column and whether they would carry the
works" and so make it comparatively easy
and safe for US TO follow, or whether we
should be Obliged TO Chamber over piles of
fallen comrades who would be shot down in
order as they approached the dreaded in
trenchments.
While we halted, conjecturing, some of rs
actually joking, in whispers about the lend
men," morning dawned, and we found our
selves advancing, scarcely having heard
command uttered. Very softly, very steadily
without drum beat, we marched up the road
into the forest on that morning of battle.
Presently clear bugle-ca rang out down
the line, and at that instant our Major came
dashing down the road, swinging his sword
alof, his whole aspect beaming with wild
excitement. He shouted in shrill whisper:
Back, men! Fall back into the woods!n
Quickly as | could ! commanded: Halt!
Lett face-Forward, march! Get over that
log !"
Such n scramble! 1t was a great oak
which required some exertion TO climb over.
All along the line in subdued tones was
heard the exclamation: "The Black Horse
Cavalry"
Where our Major went or why he gave
the command / never knew. But after we
had remained clustered on both sides and
on top Of our log rampant few minutes, the
righteousness OF our position dawned upon
Us, and il was then and there that my sus-
pcons were aroused that some OF the mem
bers Of my company thought me coward
So strongly did the feeling take hold of
me that / sought several occasions afterward
TO give them a test of my meitle.
Well. that's all there was of the battle of
Rich Mountain so far as we were concerned
except TO soon after march into the aban-
doned works of the enemy, who had fed on
the approach of thanking force. led by the
brave Lander, around the mountain during
the night, and reaching their rear just as
morning dawned. We were not accustomed
to bugle-calls then, or We should not have
mistaken the call to halt Tor q call of the
Black Horse Cavalry TO charge down a mar
row mountain road upon the lend" of a
line-EBo.
-S>