The National tribune., 1899-12-21
POURING FORTH DESTRUCTION.
A Fierce Little scrimmage Which Saved
Two Union Guns.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: On the
morning of June 29, 1862, Co. II, Sd Pa.
Cav, We're ordered TO do picket duty near
Willis Church, on the Peninsula, Va.
Our army, under Mcclellan, was tlen
changing IFS base, moving over to Harrl-
sons Landing on the James. Upon our
arrival IN piece OF woods through which
the road we We're on passed, we found two
OF our guns i'll position posted behind a ran
fence Il few rods from the road and COM
pletely commanding it; this road led out
over the fields for at least half mile 10
another piece of timber, and was perfectly
straight and as level rs a railroad.
just then an order come 10 our company
| TO send detail of an officer and II men for
picket duty, and they proceeded out over
| the road that our guns commanded To the
| piece of timber beyond, to be there placed
| as viiets Lieut.. Wm. f.. Miller was the
officer in charge of the detail, and no better
| or braver man ever drew a saber, as he after
wards at tie battle of Gettysburg and
many other fields proved. The balance of
our company dsmOunted near the guns
and were feeding their horses.
About this time the detail had reached the
| timber beyond, where we heard a furious
cracking OF carbine5 and revolverS, and i'll
Il perfect cloud of dust could see the Con-
fCderateS charging our small detail in the
| road over which they had gone but a few
| minutes before, and yelling and shooting.
AL piilttI. Stlu u De an Alu OH SOHe
General S staff, came dashing in ahead Of
our detail, and yelled TO the officer left in
command of our company, telling him to
break or all would be captured. He was
partly taken at his word, as some of our
men retired farther into the woods, being
compelled to lead their horses, as many had
inSaddled and would not have time to
saddle up again before the charging
column would be upon them.
/ heard the officer commanding the two
guns say, Men, don't leave me-" and re-
maine1 where | was, and that is why | saw
what | am about 10 describe.
The rebels came on after our fleeing
vldet5. The officer commanding the guns
jumped upon the fence. His men were
ready TO fire, but he ordered them to hold,
saying, You now have range Of the blue
coats, our men Of course being i'll front Of
the. charging column. He bravely re-
mained in this position until the center of
the rebel column was fairly i'll range of his
guns, whist their front was only a short
distance from them, when he gave the
command to fire. The command was
promptly obeyed. 1t had a telling effect
upon the enemy, driving double charges of
canister right into their flank about the
cenier of their column, completely demoral-
iZing their whole force for a short time
Their front OF column attempted to retreat,
whist their rear, not fully understanding
The situation, tried to push forward, thereby
causing jam and tangle that lasted for
several minutes.
During this interval the guns continued
to pour charge after charge Of canister
into their ranks. Many of our company
having rallied by this time used their
carbines and revolvers to good effect. Soon,
however, Il retreat was commenced by the
enemy and having now reformed we
charged after them.
We found the road on which they were
during the engagement to be literally
streWn with killed and wounded men and
their horses. We were told that there were
400 of them in the charge, out of whi ch
number We counted 20 killed and mortally
wounded.
We had but one man killed; his name
was Cornelius Vanderbilt; two or three
others We're slightly wounded.
Shortly after the affair was over Gen.
Mcclellan happened along the way, and
after having learned all the particulars,
highly complimented the Sd Cav and the
artillery who were engaged in the fight.
| have been anxious ever since to learn
the name of the officer who commanded
those two guns that morning. / feel quite
certain that they belonged to Co. C. of a
Pennsylvania battery, and believe that the
officer III command of them was as cool and
nervy q man as ever served under our old
tag IN any war our country has ever had,
and one fully entitled TO a medal of honor
WHICH j DelleNe WOilu De conferred upon
him if tine authorities of our Government
knew Of the valor he displayed upon that
occasion. 1t was certainly through his
courage and coolness that we gained such
a complete victory that morning.
The charging column belonged to the 1st
y. c. Cav, and was led by a Ma jor, who was
killed near oIlr guns. Had the enemy
pushed ON little farther they would GER
tainly have captured our guns, as our force
present at that time was too weak to ifOld out
long against such superior numbers.
| will add that the road over which the |
enemy charged had fence on each side of |
it, so that they could not get away from
our fire, except by retreating back over the |
same route over which he had come.
Our victory was a complete one, but |
owing to the great battles that were fought |
mmcd ately before and after, in which the |
5rea lr portion of the armies was engaged |
Dnc like this, in which so few men We're en- |
gagged, was almost entirely forgotten
". II. BRICKER, Sd Pa. Cav, Beaver |
Falls. Pa.