The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1896-08-26
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tween Richmond and Danville. That was
destroyed for 30 miles and stripped of all
equipment and stock. News of the raid
brought out from Petersburg oil the
mountei men in the field, while the mill
tia of the invaded territory also rushed to
arms. Every crossroad had its guard
with guns in position, and when the raid
ers turiIed on the hack track, the third
day of tleir ride, 1t was with poised sabers
and carfiines, ready for battle. The oppos-
ing squadrons of Fitz Lees and Hamp-
tons divisions lay squarely across the
pathway, but by skillfull maneuvering and
fighting during the day and marching at
night Wilson took his command back to
the lines at Petersburg.
In Shr-idan's battles In the Shenandoah
In September, 1864, Wilson commanded
his division and in October reported to
Sherman In the west. His cavalry corps,
in an cnibryotic state and poorly mounted
and equipped, held Forrest at arms length
during the march of the army northward
in Tennessee when Hood was racing with
1t for Nashville, and at the battle of Nash
vile the cavalry had a position In the line
of charging redOubts and breastworks In
unison with the infantry, duty never be-
fore assigned that arm on important fields
Wilson's Pursuit of Forrest.
After Thomas victory over Hood at
Nashville, Wilson vigorously pursued the
Confederate columns, including Forests
command. to and beyond the Tennessee,
and pickcted that river all the winter fol-
lowing so successfully that there wasn't
foray worthy the name north of its banks.
During the last days of March, 1865, Will
son took his squadrons in hand for grand
raid through Alabama and Georgia His
force was a heavy one, numbering $4,000
sabers, but 1t was comparatively a new
command which had been hurriedly formed
during the excitement of the Hood scare in
Tennessee the previous autumn. The
chief opponent to be encountered was Gen
eral Forrest, the one man in the saddle
who had never found his match as a raider
and fighting cavalryman. Forrest mus
tered but 1000 men, but these were the
pick of his veteran followers, the hardest
and best trained horseback soldiers in the
field
Wilson'S great expedition had for It's OBJ
feet, as planned at army headquarters. a
demonstrs ton in favor of the attack BIZ
another and q larger force upon the Con-
federate stronghold at Mobile. But the
gallant leader made the enterprise some
thing more than q mere parade of forces.
He turned 1t into fighting campaign,
which resulted in the destruction of For
rest at one swoop, the capture of selma
done by mounted charge upon breast
wOrks-aTd tho speedy conquest of central
Alabama and Georgia. Thus there was no
southwest open for an asylum for the Con-
federate government when driven out of
Richmond All this is well known his
tory perhaps but it Is fitting to recall 1t in
a sketch of our gallant young leaders. 1t
was achieved by one still in his twenties,
at just the age Napoleon had reached
when, with far less behind hinHtO warrant
it, he was appointed commander Of the
army of Italy. 1t should be noted als -
Wilson hal entered the army OF
younger than the average for comm
diers in the Federal ranks ard - years
younger than the average for commits
stoned officers, notwithstanding the fact
that there were hosts Of boys wearing
shoulder straps to bring the average down.
He was t. years younger than Forrest,
who was A. in 1865 and III his prime, and
II years below the average of the ten most
prominent Federal commanders.
The average age of the Federal officers
at date of Tluster upon commission was 30
and fraction. Among the noted leaders
who were Under the average other than
those already mentioned were Upton, u
rich DahlSren. FarnswOrth, the cavalry
man; Hold the Fort " Corse, Adelbert
Ames and Bayarl, the cavalry leader.
Upton was a fighter at %, eight years I'M
der the average. At % he distinguished
himself heading forlorn hopes in the Will
derness campaign. He led a brigade under
Wilson in the Alabama campaign at &c.
Dahlgren Logan at 10 and was noted for
gallantry at 90. He fell at 81 in the Kill
patrick raid to Richmond. General Farms
worth began at % and was "a when he
rode to his Heath in front of Round Top.
Corse Ames and Bayard were 26 when
I they entered the fighting ranks. Ames
personally led the division which stOrIned
the parapets, at Fort Fisher, q deed for
which history has thus far awarded him
scant credit Bayard was n most promis-
ing young officer when he was killed in
1862. At that early stage of cavalry fight
ing he bad made his mark as leader.
Colonel Ellsworth, the flag martyr of
Alexandria, and Colonel Robert SHAW
of Fort Wagner fnme, heroes glorifled by
their fall, both entered the service at "a.
If we fancy the war prolonged after
1865, Upton and Ames must be awarded
high places among the leaders of fighting
battalions. Upton made history with his
first regiment, the One Hundred and
Twenty-flrst New York. Noted for dash
and great personal courage, he found his
place at last in the cavalry and in that
branch of the service ended his war career
most brilliantly.