The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-05-27
MID BULLET and SHELl.
The 18th Pa. Cav. Had Lively Work
in the Mine Run Fight.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: When the
Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan,
May 4, 1864, our regiment led the advance
from Germana Ford to Wilderness Tavern.
Here we enconnterediand drove the Confed-
crates to Mine Run that first night out.
In the afternoon of the next day we gall
loped to the right Of Mine Run, getting
| away, we thought, from danger; but we met
the advance OF the Confederate cavalry, under
Rosser The ball opened holly, and after a
round or two we knocked them out, and fol-
lowed up our victory by running them back
to Longstreet's infantry.
We then moved to the left on road which
intersected the one upon which we had adj
vanced. Gen. Wilson, our. division COM
mander, had ordered all but the 18th Pa.
| Cav to fall back. We were told to hold the
| ground at all hazards. Col. Brinton, our
commander, like Sheridan, was dasher, and
strictly obeyed orders.
We kept up a show of strength for nearly
half hour, as a Confederate division marched
past in haste on our left within sight toward
the only way of escape for us. The signal
was finally given, and off we galloped, in
| hopes of passing the threatened point before
it was too late. We were disappointed, how
ever, for when Maj Darlington struck the
junction with our battalion he found the
enemy in force and holding the ground.
Col Brinton ordered a charge. If ever a
set of boys got well peppered we did from a
| furious direct and cross-fre. The gray
backs were mounted and on foot, hidden
behind houses, sheds, and fences. The gal
lant Maj. Darlington fell severely wounded,
was captured, but survived, with the loss OF
a leg and was recaptured by Sheridans cav
airy few days later.
| Well does the writer remember the con-
fusion that took place after the second charge
into that nest of Johnnies. We were scat
tered pell-mell in our supreme effort to es-
cape capture. The enemy had opened on us
with grape and canister.
In our front the Confederates were liter
| ally swarmIng; the right-hand road was
crowded with them, while their batteries
| were belching hot shot into us on our left.
| Toward our forces was pine thicket, the
ground Of which was swampy, and through
it we went at breakneck dash, mud and
limbs of trees flying, in our gallop for liberty
The enemy, bent on our destruction, and
seeing we were cut of, began crossing by a
fright smart git" to the road on which we
i had come and formed in our rear. Our
capture now seemed inevitable. Our only
hope was through the pines, where we in
| u'oSii AhSAO "SAO 6""s
to the right, to the left of us, and truly 10
the rear of US. But, unlike the six Hun
dred," we were going the other way. I'M
agine, if you can, cavalry regiment tearing
through woods, underbrusb, over logs
fioundering through sWamp-, caps and cuss
words flying in all directions, and you have
| a faint idea OF our escape.
In this run for Hethe writer was given a
pud bath by being pitched heels over head
by the falling OF Ills horse; then, to add In
suit to injury, as be sgaloped along on two
legs he was knocked down by mounted
Johnny as a result of disobedience to the
command Halt, Yank!"
The lucid moments after that knock down
| that came alternately with darkness and
| light at the time were not of sufficient dura-
ton to determine whether he was mounted,
dismounted, captured, running, or dying
The sound of halt" however, has not
unto this day left my memory.
Fortunately our infantry battle-line came
up on the double-abick and turned the tide
of battle, aud still live to tell the tale.
Our regiment was received by the brigade
and division with rejoicings, as our comrades
had given us up to capture. The regiment
lost in this affair one officer and 39 men
killed, captured and missing. From Divis-
ion Headquarters bottle of Wine was sent
to our Colonel, on which was written: To
the 18th Pa. Cav, which knows how to fight
into and how to fight out of very hard
place."-W A. RODGERS, First Sergeant,
Co X 18th Pa CAV