The National tribune., 1897-05-06
CHvALRY'S BOLD MOVE.
More About the Dash Sheridan Made q
Richmond.

OA NUN OVAN @uV1
/! More About the Dash Sheridan Made ut
Richmond.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In my last,
of April Is, failed to mention that we
started on the Richmond raid with two days
rations and after II days returned with
filled haversacks, lots of tobacco, and some
canteens of Virginia applejack. Our col
| umn was enlarged by many contrabands,
who, in their haste and eagerness to get to
Yankee land, followed us, mounted on mules,
carts and former masters carry-alls.
Sheridan's cavalry on that famous RAID
| around Richmond in May, 1864, was for
| midable force of $4,000 splendidly-mounted
| men, Invested of all membranes, taking
| only q few ambulances, battery or two OF
! light artillery, no baggage-wagons, and sufh-
cient blacksmith FORCES on wheels to shoe
our horses. No more beautiful sight could
| be imagined than Sheridan's troopers on the
| march, four horses abreast, while on the
| right and left, at distance of 200 or 800
yards, in single file, goose fashion, moved the
| fankers These cavalry TANKS are the length
| of an army on the march. The writer was
tanker during the day.
One night while passing through an old
woman's yard about sunup, heard her be-
| moaning the destruction Of her garden by
the Yanks. We ventured to inquire how
long they had been passing.
Laws sake! Since yesterday mornin',
| an yo' hain't all done gone yit. Whar yo'
all gwine said she.
To Richmond to capture JEFF Davis" we
| answered.
"Wall, reckon yo' all be thar when yo'
git thar"
She was typical Virginian, and had no
love for Yanks. Near Charles City Court
| house we found a Unionist, named jesse
Winnimax, and his family. He was in hid
| ing to keep out of the rebel army, and his
/ family suffered many indignities for their
disloyalty to the South. After our victory
at Hanover, where our Captain was wounded
and my mess-mate killed, we remained all
| night in line-of-battle, mounted, the horses
having been brought up under cover OF dark
ness by "No. As"
At daybreak, June /, 1854, we charged
the mounted Confeds, driving them to Ash
land Station, only seven miles from Rich
! mond, where we destroyed by fire the sta
| tion-h house and Confederate stores Our
carnival was interrupted by their infantry
suddenly banging into u.s. We beat hasty
retreat, and halted on the I'd long enough 10
bury our dead of the 31st, after which we
marched all night in the rain, arriving on
the morning Of June at Old Churchtown,
on the road from Richmond to White House
Landing.
Behind great intrenchments filled with
infantry we were given time to unsaddle,
feed, cook, and sleep until toward night,
when we galloped off to the right, and were
ordered to prepare to fight on foot
We soon put to flight some Graybacks
in strip of woods, after which we mounted
and formed in ne-of-battle, joining infantry
on DR.. Tallowis plantation, a position in
which we remained for 4S hours, ready at
any moment to rspel flank movement OF
Lees army, while Gen. Grant was pouring hot
shot into them at Meadow Bottom and Cold
Harbor, where the Confederates were routed
with great loss.
On the early morning of June 10 our regi-
men was sent out through the earthworks,
behind which lay thousands of colored
troops, and were placed in pine woods as
reserve pickets. Artillery and musketry
were belching in thunderous tones on our
right, with an occasional crack crack on
the left, while in our front all seemed quiet.
Just at noon, while men and horses were
eating bite, and everything seemed per-
fectly safe, dash was made by the enemys
cavalry. Like magic they seemed to come
from all sides with their internal yell.
Haversacks and Hose-bags flew in all direc
| tions as the rebs came charging into US
The surprise was SO sudden and complete
that Lieut.. Henry j. BlOugh, our company
commander, barely saved himself by quickly
crawling to hiding place in thicket, from
which he saw his fine horse captured by q
reb.
In the slashing of sabers and run for life
which followed, several Of our company were
hit and wounded. Jim Lape and John A.
Smith were captured, and never retained.
Serg't Adam Poorbaugh was severely
wounded, but managed to ride on and tumble
from his horse inside the breastworks.
In our run up tho road and through the
thick, hot dust, Yanks and Johnnies got 80
promiscuously mixed up that many came
| inside the breastworks and were captured.
One big fellow galloped alongside the writer
and asked: what side you belong?" My
| answer, Your side" seemed to satisfy him.
| His mistake was soon discovered when once
inside the breastworks.
We were reinforced by our brigade, and
| Immediately started back on the gallop,
putting the Johnnies to fight and again
occupying the pines, from which Lieut..
Blough came forth. From this time on
brides remained On horses heads instead Of
nose-bags. The Lieutenant, when the sur
prise came, had been eating dinner, propped
up against q pine tree, while his horse,
Mouse" had had on a nose-bag full of oats.
1t was laughable to see Blough frantically
trying TO catch that horse, and the Johnnies
trying to catch him too. Blough fell, when
he realized that discretion was the better
part Of valor, and crawled into the thicket
to escape capture. Be it known, however, no
drawer man straddled horse than the
| Flying Datchman," as the chunky German
Lieutenant was called. He was later pro-
NOTED Captain, and finally captured, with
the major part Of our regiment, in the Valley,
of which / will tell later on.-W. A. RoD-
GERS, First Sergeant, Co. K, 18th Pa. Cav,
601 Lung Ave-, Pittsburg, Pa.
WHAT GEN. judah THOUGHT.
| Why the Union Troops We're Apathetic as
to Morgan's Progress.