Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-05-18
ENGINE AGAINST CAVALRY.
A Veterans "Reminiscences of the Cap
turc of Gen. EarIy's Confcd-
crntc Cavalry.

zone story brings another" said the
colonel, as related by the Chicago In
ter Ocean. 81 went down the other
night to the meeting If Encampment
No. 102 Union Veterans legion, held
in Memorial hall. There were present
men who had worn the blue as well
as men who had worn the gray, and it
was great night for stories. After
the addresses and the music and the
recitations had stirred the boys up we
could scarcely mention a general or
brigade or division or regiment.
without calling out story of stirring
incident or adventure or without
bringing to the front an anecdote.
"a member of the Fifth New York
cavalry, Clusters division, smiled at
some reference to Gen. Jubal Early and
said: Il was present at the capture
of the remnant of Gen. Early's confed-
crate army at Waynesboro in March,
1865 My most vivid recollections are
of the muddy roads between Waynes-
boro and Staunton. Early had
marched his army over the route, and
was followed by Gen. Sheridan's army
in pursuit, and the roads were u bed
of mortar from fence to fence, and
the fields on either side were almost
as impossible. Gen. Sheridan had
made a special detail of well-mounted
men to guard 1,s00 prisoners back
down the valley to Winchester, and 1
was with this detachment.
The people told us that Gen. I'M
boden would capture the prisoners be-
fore we reached Winchester, but neith-
er the guards nor the prisoners be-
lieved it. The latter were in the most
distressing and hopeless frame of
mind and we fell to comparing notes
as to where we had met them in previ-
Gus campaigns, and we soon cheered
them up and they seemed to us like
old friends.
"'At Roods Hall Flat, as we were
marching down the valley. Imboden.
who had been following us all the way.
practically surrounded us and took
possession of all the fords except one.
We availed ourselves of this ford,
which the rebel general had over
looked, got ar prisoners across the
river, and prepared to give Gen. I'm
boden reminder that Clusters cavalry
was still in the valley. When I'M
boden's men charged on us we held
our fire until they were less than 100
feet away. Then we let them have it,
made a counter charge, and drove
them back three-quarters of a mile.
Scarcely was the cavalryman's S
story well out of his mouth when an
other Union Veteran legion comrade
said: DO any of you boys know how
Gen. Early escaped after that battle
of Waynesboro, in March, 1865? When
old Jube saw the day was lost he
boarded freight train attached to an
old, wheezy, wood-burning engine on
the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, and,
Richmond. Sheridan in the meantime
had dispatched some cavalry to hold
the gap through which runs the rail-
road and under which is the big tun-
mel.
LAS this cavalry command neared
the west mouth of the tunnel, they
heard Early's train coming, and de-
ployed along the side of the road. AS
the train passed the boys pegged away
with their carbines, galloping along.
side. Family it got so hot that Early
climbed over the tender into the en-
gine cab. The cars were cut loose and
Early and his staff crouched on the
engine and escaped through the tun-
mel, simply by outrunning our cav