Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1897-08-03
Defeat and Capture of Capt. Blazer.
TFrom Harpcr's Weckly.l

General Sheridan was assigned by
General Grant to the command of the
| Union forces in the Shenandoah
Valley. 1 had begun operations il
that region in February, 1868, with 6
detail of about dozen cavalry, and
with this small body as a nucleus
my command had gradually increas,
ed to five companies numbering some
two hundred and fifty or three hun.
dred men. The places of rendezvous
were along the eastern base of the
Blue Ridge, from which detachments
would be sent to strike at several
points at the same time. In this way
the enemy was always kept confused
as to our plans, and when they pre-
pare d for an attack at one point,
thev generally received it at another.
The primary object of partisan
war should be to neutralizeas large
a portion as possible of the ememy's
force by keeping up continuous
alarm for the safety of his communi-
cations and his line of supply.
Every man detached from the front
to guard the rear of an invading
army is so much subtraeted from its
aggressive strength. The army has
to guard every point, while the
partisan can select any one for attack.
AS my command grew in numbers,
my attention was largely given to
planning and directing enterprises
under charge of my most trusted
Iieutenants. There were two in
whom L placed the most implicit
confidence, and for that reason they
were rarely accompanied by me on
an expedition, but generally went in
command they were William Chap
m an and Adolphus Richards-com-
monty known as Dolly Richards. By
thus giving free scope to their talents,
untrammelled by my presence, L
was, as General Lee once said to me i.
able TO multiply myself many times.
Near the close of the war / was made
n colonel, Chapman, became my
lieutenant colonel, and Richards my
major. Richards had an elder
brother, Tom, who was n brave
soldier, but had an unfortunate habit
of getting wounded, and thus the
younger got ahead in the line of
promotion. Tom was lying in prison
while Dolly was winning his spurs.
TO avoid the continuous drain on
his strength, caused by the incessant
annoyance of the partisan corps in
his rear, Sheridan determined TO
detail picked body or men whose
special duty should be to look after
us. If this force should attract our
attention away from his army and
draw us in pursuit, the diversion
would effect almost as much by
neutralizing as if it had destroyed
us. The Eighth Corps, under Cen
eral Crook, had lately come from
campaigning in West Virginia, and
was now under Sheridan in the Shen-
andoah Valley.
President Mckinley was on Crook s
staff, and Rutherford B. Hayes, who
was afterwards President of the
United States, was colonel of one of
his regiments. Crook had been
greatly annoyed in the wild and
mountainous region of West Virginia
by irregular bands, and had organi-
zed body of hundred men selected
from different regiments for the
purpose of pursuing and suppressIng
them. They were put under the
command of Captain Blazer, who
had once been in charge of a steam
boat on the Ohio, and who had won
considerable reputation by his bold
ness and success. Ia the Eighth
Corps it was regarded as being as
great q badge of distinction to belong
to Blazers band as to wear the cross
of the Legion of Honor. Crook had
brought the chosen band with him in
tn expectation of their winning
fresh laurels in the valley. They
were exempt from all the drudgery
and ignoble dnties that fall to the
common lot of soldier. To scout,
to fight, to watch and to guard the
army from surprises, was all that was
expected of them. The following
despatch from Sheridan shows the
confident hopes with which he ac-
cepted their service:
HEADQuARrERsMIDDL IDDLEM1LITARrDIv1sroN
CHARLES Town, August 90, 1864.
M1jor-- General @. O. Augiu', Commanding
Department, Washington
have one hundred men who VIII take the
contract to clean ont Mosby's gang. ] want
one hundred Spencer rifles. Send them
to mt if they can be found in Washington.
There is no news here. The enemy are about
Winchester; they have not gone towards the
Potomac. although left the road open.
[Siguedl P. a SHERIDAN,
Major-General Commanding.
Endorsement
Approved. BY order of the Secretary of
War. c. A. DANA,
Assistant Secretary of War.
Notwithstanding the fact that
Blazer was brave and active parti-
san, 1 never allowed him to divert
my attention from my objective
point, which was Sheridan army.
To harass and impede the operations
of the main body of the enemy was
the end 1 sought to accomplish, and
/ did not intend to be led off in pur-
suit of secondary object. l would
not 90 around chasing q shadow
when there was an army of fifty
thousand men surrounding me. If
l had done so, ,thenBlazer' command
would have been an offset to mine.
OF course, if at any time our paths
had crossed the collision would have
come, and somebody would have
been hurt. Blazer was brave COM
mander, but at the same time wary