The National tribune., 1899-02-16
FIGHTING THEN OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
ENTERING RALElcH.
An 8,h Ind. Cav. Man gHlis 60 Mind Some
Unmeniioned Incidents.

An 8.h Ind. Cav. Man gnlis 60 Mind Some
Unmentioned Incidents.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In YOU
issue of Dec. 20 Comrade Ditty, OF the 9th
Pa. Cav, takes the Major Of the 18th Pa.
Cav. to task for the statement that the Sec
ond Brigade'of Kilpatrick's Third Division)
Cavalry was the first to enter Raleigh N. G..
He tDitty) says it was the. First Brigade, and
not the Second Brigade. which was the first
to enter the city. Now, it was the Third
Brigade of Cavalry which had that honor Ii
was composed of the 5th KY, 9th, Ohio, is,
Ala. and 18th Pa Which entered first ]
know not but rs the 5th Ohio was left to
guard the city. 1 presume it was the first.
When we, the First Brigade-9th Pa, sth
Ind, I'd and Sd Ky.-passetl through Old
Glory was proudly floating fsom the Capitol
dome and the depot stores, full ofprovisiOns,
had been burned. We were h1lted in the
suburbs, as the 18th Pa. Cav, the advance Of
the Third Brigade, had gone but a few miles,
when they were brought to halt by the
rebels.
After waiting impatiently for time, and
no advance, Gen. Fitzpatrick turned to an
Aid and said: a. / want. an organized regi-
ment at the front. Send that 9th Ind. up. !"
And up and into the fight we went. As we
passed the 18th Pa. Cav. they condOled with
us that they could not advance, and we, not
fourth their number, could not drive the
Johnnies.
We soon found the rebs behind strong bar
ricades, and after skirmishing few moments
charged and drove them from one barricade
after another, until within sight Of Morris
town, when we were halted to allow the
command to come up just across the rail-
road, which passed around through the
hollow, we saw the town full Of rebel soldiers
and wagons. What splerdid chance for
artillery to drop shell in their midst.
Gen. Fitzpatrick ordered two pieces of the
Goth N. Y. Art to the werk. One of the I'd
KY. boys and ! rode to the edge of the hill to
see the fun; but man is born for disappoint-
ment, as the shells were dropped in the woods
beyond, sswhere no harm could be done. If
We had only had our Wisconsin battery there
would have been lively times in that crowd.
The 9Th Ind. Cav, seeing that 10 aid would
be received from the artillery, moved for
ward to the work in hand, forming on the
opposite side of the railroad near the depot,
opening fire on this mass Of human beings.
Then the artillery seemed to mistake Us for
the rebels; at least it seemed SO, as they
dropped shot uncomfortably near u.s.
AS the rear Of the rehsfrarmy moved out
the 9Th Ind. followed, skirmishing several
hours when darkness put stop to further
action that night. The next day flag of
truce passed through our lines from Gen.
Johnston. He soon surrendered
Now, l know there was lighting, for I
heard the bullets whistle and saw many
wounded, and had manga good shot at the
body of rebel. also know there was more
than one shot from the artillery. l was at
the front; perhaps the cerhrade was not, as
this was not the day for our brigade to take
the advance Perhaps Comrade Ditty's mis-
take was caused from the fact that the 9Th
Ind. had gone in to do the fighting Of the
18th Pa. and the 9th Pa, moving up to our
thus passing the 18th at the point
where they were stumped.p 1t was the
Third Brigade in advance. Ours should have
been the following day. 't~ 3at
The comrade must have forgotten where
we first heard of Gen. Lees surrender It
was the day before we entered Raleigh. the
92d ILL.,, Of the Second Brigade, being in adj
vance. and their advance guard having been
driven back, the regiment had been formed
for charge when the news of Lees Surrender
was received, and cheer rang from one end
of the division to the other, as the 92d III.
made an irresistible charge, driving every
thing before them. / remember these facts
we'll, and also have them in my diary kept
at the time.-LERoY S. FALLS. Co. A, 9Th
Ind. Cav, 1924 West Congress ST., Chicago,
Ill.