The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1899-02-02
pLEAS0NTON's lcAvALRY
Plenty of Brisk Work for Ready Yankee
Fighters.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In October
1862. Pleasonton's Cavalry had crossed the
Potomac at Berlin, fire miles below Harrer's
Ferry, and first struck the Johnnies at a little
place called Fillemont The Sth Pa. Cav.
was fighting them I'M little woods near q
schoolhouse, and they were too heavy for
them, and our regiment sd Md. Cav. was
sent in to help them. WedismOunted at the
foot of q hill on which our battery was placed,
left our horses in some bushes, then advanced
| right-oblique one-fourth to one-half mile,
then went into the edge of the woods with
their thin line.
We were armed at that time with a
carbine that was mighty good for one or
two Shots the third thick metal shell gen
orally stuck in the gun. We gave the
| Johnnies two rounds and made them bounce,
| but then our fire slackened, and they COM
menced to flank us.
| AS was trying to get the second she'll out
of my gun with lay teeth | saw reb watch
| ing the next tree to me, where one of the 9Th
Pa. was He had just loaded l said to
| him: Look out, or that reb will get you. "
mo, he won't he said and stuck his head
out, and the reb took him square in the mid
die of the forehead
Then we had to 60. As DR.. Cannon says,
we only hit the high places The rebs had
run battery down through the woods and
| turned 1t loose down q country lane we had
to cross. The .JOhnnies came right behind,
yelling Halt Halt f" and it looked as if
every stone i'll that lane was bouncing, from
the caseshot they were throwing. One burst
just as | came to the lane, and | saw piece
cut the top OF the cap of one of my company,
who was just in front of me.
When | got to my horse the blood was
gushing from my mouth and nose. This was
the first run had had on foot since ] was
wounded near Middletown. Nd, the day
before South Mountain, and the run affected
some of my old internal injuries. Someone
helped me On my horse l should like to
know who it was.
| | remember Col Gregg with his red
whiskers, leading US in to the support Of his
men.
We staid that night at Fillemont, and the
next morning at daylight were drawn up on
the edge of the same field we had run
through the night before. We stood tt
horse, bnt bluer looking lot of boys never
saw. The report was that the infantry
would be up to back us, but not doughboy
had shown up.
| All at once n fine band rode out on the
point ny the battery and played the = Mock
ing-bird." We had orders to mount and
charge, and the way We yelled and charged
with that music in our cars was sight
] never saw such n change in mems feelings
rs that band made as they played among
the guns OF the battery and the men stand
ing to their guns
We thought achievements had come, and
we bounced those Jonnies out of the woods
Many of the old cavalry boys will remember
the 9th REGULAR Cav. Bandlthat morning.
The rebs fell back to the next ridge about
half mile, and we were just formed by the
schoolhouse and ordered to charge the battery
which was in sight. Just as we were starting
Gen. Pleasonton came up with section OF
artillery and made usstop.s He ran the guns
into the schoohouse yard, jumped down and
sighted the gun himself. The first shot
blew up a rebel caisson.
Away we went. As we were going up the
bluff to the battery my horse went lame;
it threw the column partly in confusion /
found bullet in the hind leg above the
ankle.lont and got itaoiIt. / led him up to
where the rebel batteries had stood, and saw
the havoc that one shot had done; it had
killed a lot OF the horses and men
waited It'll our led horses came up and
gave my animal to my darky cook to lead
most of the boys of our regiment kept