The National tribune., 1899-10-12
THE CHARGE AT MONTEREY.
1st Ohio Cav. Man Relates tho Circum-
stances of Thrilling Episode.

stances Of Thrilling Episode.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: 1t was
early in the morning of that eventful day,
July 4, 1868, when we moved out on the
extreme left of the battle-line at Gettysburg.
We were kept busy until nearly noon pre-
pairing rationS and caring for our horses,
and getting ready for another march. just
before we started the General announced
that we were ordered to the rear of tire
enemy, now their front, as they were be-
ginning their retreat toward the Potomac.
AS We marched out that afternoon ii
rained as though the skies We're weeping
over our slain. Gen. Custer with his Mich
igan Brigade joined us, and Col. Huey,
with the Second Brigade of our division,
came in behind us as we began to ascend
the mountain, and formed our rear-guard.
Stewart with his cavalry moved out of our
way as we passed through Emmitsburg
and closed in behind us and began skirmish-
ing with our rear-guard.
That was a night long to be remembered
by those in that command. The dark
mountain overshadowed the road, and a
deep ravine and precipice was on the other
side, down which the water rushed in a
torrent. On such a night, on such dan
gerouS mountain road, drenched by the
rain, it would have been dangerous for one
familiar with the road to have crossed that
mountain; but for division of cavalry
with wagons and artillery it was perilous,
not to mention the presence of the enemy.
When we came near the summit our ad-
vance was suddenly fired upon by infantry
and artillery, while far down the mountain
| could be heard the firing upon our rear
guard. Thus attacked in front ard real
| the column suddenly came to standstill in
| the darkness, hemmed in by the steep
| mountain and the deep ravine, and the
| situation for the time was anything but a
happy one.
= u, ell
of resource, and always cheerful in the
darkest hour; he dismounted his men and
began skirmishing with the enemy to gain
| the summit. Capt. Pennington asked the
General for some reliable troops to protect
his battery, as in the narrow road he was
! unable to reverse a gun or get one IN posi-
| ton. The General replied:
Here is my escort; they will stand by
you"
| A squadron of the Harris Lights, on theil
| gray horses, was then sent forward tC
| charge and clear the road, but when the
enemy opened on them with their artillery
they came back down the hill in great
| haste, crowding the escort back upon the
battery. This made the General very
angry. and he censured the escort for giving
way; but Capt. Pennington took their part
saying that but for the escort his battery
would have been run over.
An order was then sent back for the Isl
d.. u
single-file through the column, reaching
the front near midnight. In the meantime
| the General rode forward. and jumping his
horse over the low stone fence at the left oi
the road, began giving orders in loud
voice:
forward the battery! Prepare to charger'
On hearing this the enemy fell back to tine
| bridge over the ravine beyond the hotel.
| Col. Alger (our late Secretary of War,
says: arriving at the Monterey house al
1 the top of the mountain, my regiment, the
| 5th Mich. which was in the advance, had
| a sharp Skirmish with the enemy to gain the
summit. The 9Th Mich. then came up and
was ordered down the road to intercept the
enemy's wagon-train coming in on the
Gettysburg road. There was much firing
| for some time down there, when Gen. Xii,
patrick ordered me to dismount my men
and reinforce them.
"Dismounting, we went forward until we
came to bridge over a deep chasm, which
could only be seen by the flash of the enc
my's guns on the opposite side. did moi
know of the bridge until we came to it, and
being under a heavy fire ordered my men
| to lie down, while the 9th Mich. was massed
| in on the right of the road.
when sat SIZED that the bridge was safe
! to cross, | sent back word to the General
informing him Of the situation and asking
him to send forward mounted force. Mean.
while a man was shot at my side, and taking
| his gun ordered my regiment to follow me
across the bridge, which they did with q
cheer, and quickly filed in on the left of the
road. Just then the Generals body-guard
came down the road, and with cheer
charged upon the wagon-train, which was
perhaps 30 rods from our position, anG
passing through on the road from Gettys
burg TO HagerstOwn.
"rhe enemy was strongly posted on the
left OF the road in our front. and the mo
ment the mounted force had passed we
charged and drove them all back. Arriv
| ing at the junction of the roads. we founC
| that the road down the mountain had be
come congested by the mounted force
stopping the train as they pressed on dowI
the mountain in the most gallant manner
Although it was very dark, sent a detach
ment up the road to ascertain what was
coming, when a Colonel of a Mississippi regi
ment came up and asked who was in com.
mand here. | told him who | was, and
ordered him to dismount.
"a large number of prisoners were thus
captured coming in from Gettysburg, with
those the mounted cavalry captured. The
dash of that mounted force was most credit
able and very gallant. The 5th Mich.
also pressed forward as rapidly as possible
after crossing the bridge. and captured a
large number of prisoners"
When the request was sent back for a
mounted force there was sharp contention
between the General and the members of
his staff about sending forward the escort:
the members of his staff objecting to thus
making them a sacrifice for the command.
But the safety of the command depended on
breaking through this wagon guard, so the
Generals order was issued for the escort to
report to Gen. Custer.
We were then behind the barn of the
hotel. while the battery had come up ard
were taking position in front of the veranda,
with the guns trained on the wagons going
down the mountain.
We moved out on the road in column of
fours with the LIST Va. following. Gen.
Custer had reported that he did not think
we could capture the train, as it was de
Tended by both infantry and artillery; bI I
as he shook hands with Capt. Jones he
said: "Now, do your duty, and God bless
YOU"
The men were then ordered TO draw sabers
and prepare to charge. 1t was about 3G0
yards from the bridge to the tOll-gate at the
junction of the roads. The command t.
and such unearthly yelling was never heard
before echoing among those old mountains.
At the tollgate a wagon had collided
with the post of the gate, and threw the
wagon over, blockading our road; this
caused Jam and many horses to fall
Their artillery were so frightened that they
did not fire upon us. but the infantry poured
in a volley at short range from the stone
fence at the side of the road. We lost a
good many horses. and the Captains mare
was shot in five places. Scarcely man
| in the company but what was wounded OF
bruised in that midnight charge on Ewell s
wagOn-train.
Falling in with the mounted guards of
10 trpI those " h0 ec no rny l.lf he