The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
A A OF THE A
TIE HERO ON THE WHITE HORSE At
FORT HASKELL.

search for tho Record or tho Fathers
death ana ITS sudden Accidental Reward.
Our meeting was purely accidental. Neither
knew OF the existence OF tho other up to that
timc. Henry w. Grady was IN the company OF
Gen. Gordon, with whom / had an appointment
for the purpose Of comparing notes Of the battle
Of Fort Stedman. one OF the most stirring events
Of tho siege Of Petersburg. Gen. Gordon had
commanded the Confederate forco engaged In
that affair, Although a very humble partici-
pant on tho Federal side, I wab in n position to
know some of the important details which Gen.
Gordon, and, as / afterward found, Mr.. Grady
also, was anxious to learn.
Gen. Gordon told how he had obtained permits
sion from his chieftain, Robert h. Lee, to make
q night attack upon Grants lines near tho APP
pomattox River, on tho eastern front of Peters
burg. 1t was one of the boldcst affairs Of tho
kind during the whole war. Gordon selected q
dnrl; and foggy night for tho enterprise, and,
with q force Of IL, 900 men, captured Fort Sted.
man and several adjoining batteries at the first
blow, making n breach half a mile wide in the
Federal trenches and turning the guns Of the
Federal nrtillerists upon their reserve camps.
His attempt to capture Fort Haskell, a strong
redoubt about eighty rods from Fort Stedman
failed, and failure at that point baked his whole
enterprise. That failure had always bcen
q mystery TO Gen. Gordon. and 1t was the one
phase OF the baltic which I was asked TO make
clear. It had been a sine qua non In his plan of
action to have Fort Haskell surprised by a small
party OF desperate men, who were to dash
through the breach at Fort Stedman on tho
heels Of the captors Of that work, pass around to
the rear of Fort Haskell, and enter 1t by a sally
port, where there was but one sentry on duty.
This party of 100 men was misled by the guide,
and marched up to the front Of Fort Haskell, In
nfaad of TIM RAW Trlaea aopnatinnpa dactda
great affairs, and this affair was decided
by an erratio timepiece. The watch of
the sergeant Of the night guard, in whose
keeping lay tho destiny Of our little fort
for the time being, happened to be too
fast, and he had aroused tho garrison by sound
ing reveille much before the usual hour. Conse-
ouently tho Federal rihemen and artillersts
were alert when Gordon's storming party APP
pcared in front of tho fort and came in contact
with the pickets, who spread the alarm, with the
result that the hapless Confederates were
allowed to march almost up to the muzzles OF
che guns. A couple of volleys OF canister and
bullets annihilated the band. After that several
attempts by other parties sent out by Gordon
from Fort Stcdman to silence Fort Haskell were
repulsed with great slaughter. The fate OF that
first storming party was a mystery which Gen.
Gordon wished to have explained. Many other
interesting points of the battle were talked over,
Mr.. Grady being a most attentive listener. much
TO my surprise, for at that time-it was in the
G~evcnties-young men were not attracted by
war stories.
Gen. Gordon was obliged to bring our inter
view to a close in order to keep an engagement
elsewhere, and again to my surprise Mr.. Grady
fingered and pressed me for further details of
the battle around Fort Haskell. He said that in
concert with Gen. Gordon he had used every ef-
fort to find living participants among the veter-
ans Of the South who had taken part in the
struggle around that fort, but that it appeared
that mono had survived tho stirring campaign Of
which the Fort Stedmans ortie was the opening
battle, Five Forks the pivotal one, and Apo
mattox the sequel. His interest in the affair was
DO keen that at first I concluded that 1t was the
only battle he knew much about, even at second
hand, and that he was something of nm enthusl-
asst upon that subject. He had upon bis tongues
end the full particulars of tho storming and
capture Of Fort Stedman and the batteries, and
found in me a most attentive listener. But I
was able to surprise him. just as I had surprised
Gen. Gordon, by an incident OF tho attack upon
Fort Haskell. 1 said to him that there was one
hero among Gordon's men who deserved a monu-
ment for his gallantry that morning, and that 1t
would give me great pleasure to take part in
erecting one as a tribute to American valor. II
mean the rider OF the white horse said ], look
Ing Mr.. Grady calmly in the face. puzzled
TO note that I touched upon something
wholly new to him, for the Confederate
white horseman Of that day was among the most
vivid recollections Of myself and my comrades.
1t seemed strange to me that a Southerner as
we'll Informed as Mr.. Grady had proved to be
upon that picturesque battle should not catch
at once upon this reference. I felt at the out.
set that It was like carrying Goals 10 Newcastle
to pour into The ears Of a Southerner an account
nj n HAAA ~ SntNN nNn h .
field. tho bravest I had ever seen. and I supposed
one q the best known in the enemS's camps
ed. and 1 told the story as Il had been the sole
witness, Sale, I: Il mean that Major who rode
st Wai dsH R9 r o %S.n np Sui iGG,h a ssiw sSeIls the Mere aif sG
ing like han, and finally led a small forlorn hope
t 70 SILENCE our fort and save E line Of retreat e, 70.
Mr. Grady heard this recital with unfeigned
'H %You air %%d SG1s'n4 from what Gen. Gordon
said here to me and has EXPLAINED to you before
the s9tsr on ss sRrt f%T'R Bs .. morning q vss, oG TsS.r q h SPm1
drawn up around the breach he had made undei
cover of night, and his little force hemmed IN
front. To advance was impossible. To retreat
even oyer the sixty rods Of space that inter
lay. and their own works, must cost him at least
the half OF his surviving battalions.
bearing lnsr upon %ai Fort oa's ste edhS gun and II that a9r Was ss n ts,
and parapct OF Fort Stedman. behind which thu
remnined there this gun could do them llttli
harm. but when they attempted to get back Il
their own works they passed directly. under tn,
hre OF q gun In tho angle OF our fort. which
raked the ground ahead Of them with spherica
Sasene terrible missile At that range, ALMOST a.
shooters. back in their old lines, kept up a Ar
without effect. Our gunners we're Germans, ant
Isjer. stood upon he hssqu sttitaaas sld glass i
hand, with head and shoulders above the para
pet. and directed every discharge of the gun
Ny, company was stationed around that angle
and after fighting ~sayagely for some time tn,
Major suddenly told his runners to cease, ant
called out to the rlnemen who were nearest tn,
emhrasure: Shoot the maj on tho white horse!
J. was summoned away, at that time by dutie
elsewhere. but | returned a few moments after
ward to find the piece again in action, tn
Ma'rr ct h post, and Just rs l reached tn
spot the Sergeant OF our company, crouch
ing so as to keep his head below tho para
pet. moved back from the opening OF the EN-
brasuro, and, handing me bis rifle. spid: Here
that man on the white horse had q repptn
tion for workmanship, and, seiZing the rife
advanced close to the emhrasurc, where ! coul
take aim with my head somewhat sheltered an
mn, no bn ~ nI by tho Naah nf IN. onVnop In ri