The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-11-10

tIcU1 IButudlly Ttptiliut IHtot
were no longer soldiers, but only men, with
arms in their hands, it is true, some of them
panic stricken and some as full of fight as
ever vet that brigade had ceased to be. Some
who fed toward the west escaped, but a
large number were made prisoners, credited
Of course to the Third Division.
Meantime, the rest of the Reserves came
on with their gallant comrades in the line-of-
battle. On receiving the fire on their left
flank, the command was wheeled to the left.
A very rough piece of ground had broken
their front, and this was the cause OF the ap-
parent confusion which is sometimes men
toned in this connection The change OF
front was made successfully, and then the
division went right over the rebel pits. II
Gen. Sheridan did any rallying" " of these
troops it wGs not visible to the naked eye.
The Pennsylvania Veteran Reserves have
honorable mention in the reports of this crti
cal battle. Gen. Gwyn says that "Col
Pattee displayed great courage and ability in
the manner in which he led the first line of.
battle-being constantly at the front, keeping
his command well in hand, and pushing the
enemy with greata vigor, capturing many
prisoners, wagonsy ambulances, and two
guns"
PURsUINGI LEE
The pursuit of Lees army began at once
Longstreet's Corps wB at Amelia Court
house, eight miles away on the morning Of
the 4th, and the balance of Lees army was
so near that it was all concentrated by the
next morning. Only the Fifth Corps and the
cavalry confronted his arny for an entire dav.
On the 9Th the Fifth Corps reached Sailors
Creek. after rapid march OF - miles. II
was not engaged In the fighting there. On
the 18th the Fifth corps occupied Prince Ed
ward Courthouse, Icrossing the Lynchbura
road at lticc's Station, making distance Ol
q miles. n
April 8 the corps made another long and
tedious march. The Lynchburg road was
crossed again about noon at Prospect Station.
From this point the march was obstructed
somewhat by the troops of Gen. Ord, who
made frequent halts for some cause. At 2 a.
H. a halt was made about two miles from
AppomattOx Station. The men were badly
worn out and suffering from lack Of provis-
ions. Few had tasted food all day, and
while many broke down under the fearful
strain, others held on with grim determine
ton, resolved to :" De in at the death"
At 4 a. m. the busle sounded and the men
were aroused, some of them from an almos
deathlike sleep OF extreme fatigue, to push
on to the closing scene of the National
drama.
Lees entire army had biyouacked near the
Courthouse the preceding evening, and this
morning they proposed to 81 brush away the
cavalry" and continue the retreat to Lynch
burg Had it not been for the hard march
of the day and night before made by the in
fantry he might have accomplished his pur-
pose
The cavalry became heavily engaged, and
was pushed back by the rebel infantry.
Ord men deplOyed north of the Lyncbbure
road, attacked, and Mt first were repulsed
with considerable loss.
Gen. Ayres, who was in advance, led his
division to the sound of the firing Pattee's
, command was ut the rear of the division
Gen. Ayres ordered him forward to skirmish
while he formed the rest of the division il
two lines of battle.
The men forgot their aches and blisters
the fever of WEAKNESS and hunger as they
double-quicled toward the front. Pattes
gave the command to deploy, and the line
stretched out toward the Lynchburg road
| facing little north of east. At the same
time Pattee gallOped to the front to see how
matters were going beyond the fringe of tree:
in which his line deployed. He found the
cavalry slowly yielding before the enemy
and without waiting he ordered his men for
ward.
The opposing force was a skirmish-lint
| followed by line-ofbattle, while artillery
was planted on the ridge west of the town
| The skirmish-line did not obstruct the ad
vance for moment; but as rise of ground
was surmounted, across the field beyond
stretched a line-of- battle with the stars and
bars floating deiiantly over it, while the
guns thundered from the ridge beyond.
Pattee thinned the more exposed right o.
his line, and pressed forward to get the right
flank of the enemy. The line-of-battle be-
gan to wrigsle like a. beaten snake; and
soon, not rapidly, yet not in good order, il
| disappeared over the ridge. The battery
continued to fire until the left Of the com
mand charged down the road against them
when they finally, joined the discounted
infantry in a hurried retreat through the
| town.
GOODsFIGHTIN0.
Gen. Gwyn speaks of Col. Pattee in rela
tion to this affair as follows: He attacked
and scattered the epemy's skirmishers, and
| then drove line-oE battle from two positions
captured a timber, and would have doubtless
taken two guns, with little support near,
had not a flag of truce appeared in his front
which compelled him to order halt"
Gen. Ayres says: 81" IN the case of Brevet
Col Joseph B. Pattee, Lieutenant Colonel,
190th Pa, have already recommended him
for the brevet Of Brigadier-General for his
good conduct under my own observation,
particularly on the 9th instant"
| The halt was made near the village, and
| although the flag had came in, trouble wa:
not yet ended. Some rebels north of the
road and town opened fire. and number OF
the boys advanced and drove them away.
There was probably firing also from some OF
the houses of the town, as Pattee in his re-
port speaks of this. BY this fire young
cavalryman was killed. To this day his
name is unknown.
The casualties of the command in this at
tack cannot be given, and the reports are
probably incomplete. Lieut.. W. NJ. Slater,
19lst, was seriously wounded, but there is
no indication Of this in the report.
The Pennsylvania Veteran Reserves with
their victorious comrades gladly turned their
faces toward home and peace, careless of
fame or glory, satisfied that the great con-
Uict had ended rioht