The National tribune., 1899-07-27
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
CAPTURED AT LOvEJOY STATION.
Sd Ky. Cav. Trooper Tells How His Regiment Made
Gallant Charge and Took ia Som. Coed Things.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / have
been a reader OF The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
for the last 10 or Is years, and am free to
say | enjoy the old boys ''write-ups" of
their experiences. / went the whole round,
from Nov. 8, 1861. TO July Is, 1865. / re-
enlisted in the early part OF ga. and served
through the war i'll tine same company and
regiment, and saw some pretty hard serv-
ice. | was Il boy 16 years old when | went
into Co. ID, Sd Ky. Cav, and we did our part
in putting down the rebellion.
l must say that some of the boys surely
write from hearsay, as | saw Comrade
Jesse B. Ditty, Co. Z, 9th Pa. Cav, a while
ago referred to the two rebel guns captured
at Lovejoy Station by Cos. G, A, T., +, c,
and X. 9th Pa. Cav. The comrade surely
did not witness that affair as | did, or he
would know more about it. Coils. Gordon
and Murray were neither present when the
charge was made, as the order was given
by Fitzpatrick in person TO Lieut.-Col.
King. in command of the Sd Ky. Cav. who
ordered and led the charge, and captured
the two guns and 81 prisoners. If any
other part of the command made any charge
it was at some different point-not where
the two guns were captured, for was there
and heard the order given and the exact
words used by Fitzpatrick.
We We're grazing along in the morning
near the head of the column, and some
SklrmiSnerS i'll front of us were firing pretty
S!ldE l. ne TtUtlS fldl lIle cannon
on a rise west of the railroad Just north of
the station. They had fired several shots
that came rattling through the brush
some of them uncomfortably near us. NY
| regiment formed on the left or east side of
| the road, which ran parallel with the rail
| road, and We're not more than 600 or 700
| yards from the guns. We halted in the
| open woods, and Fitzpatrick rode down the
| line from the west, and Just as he was
passing King two shots were fired from the
rebel guns, and both shots struck in the
| trees just over our heads, creating some
excitement among the horses as well as the
| men. Col. King was on his horse almost
| i'll front of my company, and not more than
20 or 80 feet from him, when Gen. Kill
patrick said to him:
King. how would you like to go for
| those feliows?"
| Col. King said:
Il am at your command, General"
| We'll, lead off your regiment and 20
down that road like - for a few min
ut}S"
| No sooner said than the orders to lead off
| by fourS, then trot, draw sabers, then
| charge, were given, and when we got Just
| opposite the place where the two guns had
| fired their last two shots they hooked lIp
| tlc.r teams and were crossing the railroad
| 10 the east to get in the wagon road, so they
could go south. We overhaulcd them, and
continued our charge, not stopping to dis
mount the prisoners until We got two and a
half miles through the rebel lines; then we
halted and dsmounted the prisoners, 81 in
number.
Col. King had the rebel Lieutenant show
US how to place the two captured guns so
We could use them if necessary, and we re-
maIned there one nour and a half before any
part Of the command came up. When it
did come Gen. Fitzpatrick was at the head,
and compiimented us for our success. He
had the word nassau Hpuyr, linz 10 nI,
the Sd KY. Cav, which was done in good
style as far as we could hear the men vel
in the rear.
These are the two guns the comrade
refers to; so if any Of the 9th Pa. Cav took
part in that charge it was the haf-dozen
the skirmish line, and fell in with us, as we
were the only part of the column that
charged down the road that day.
] hope that If any Of the Sd Ky. boys see
this, and remember the situation, they will
correct me if | am not right, for would
not, under any consideration, claim any
honor that another comrade was entitled to;
but many are living who took part in that
days work, and can testify to the truth of
my statement in this case
If any comrade claims that his regiment
captured or took part in capturing the two
cannon at Lovejoy Station, Ga, l would
like to have him describe the part they
performed. / am sure some of the 10th
Ohio Cav. remember this incident, as they
were the first regiment to come to our as
sistance after the charge. and when we had
the guns placed in position at the forks of
the road, at which time Gen. Fitzpatrick
gave the order to cheer the Sd KY. Cav. for
their success.
will say in reference to Coils. Murray and
Gordon that they were always ready to lead
their comrades in any place they were ordered
togo; but on this special occasion neither of
them was at that immediate point when
Gen. Fitzpatrick gave the order to Col. Bob
King. who led that charge made by the Sd
KY. Cav, and captured the two guns from
Gen. Wheeler's command
/ hope if any of the boys of other regi-
ments want to claim that honor they will
explain the situation, as these were the
only two guns captured on the start Of the
Sherman march to the sea at that point,
and the same two guns that We kept with
our brigade and had men detailed from the
regiments to use them clear through until
the surrender at Durham, N. C.-JOHN b.
WILLIAMS. Sergeant, Co. d, Sd KY. Cav,