The National tribune., 1900-08-30
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have TO Say
About Their Campaigns.
CAVALRY RUSHES.
Fighting Days or the Peninsula With Sheri-
dan, Gregg, Merritt and Custer.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / saw
service in both volunteer and regular
forces. | enlisted in 81 in the 1st Mimi,
whose fighting record stands at the head
of that of the fighting regiments. | served
with that regiment through the Peninsular
| campaign and until after the battles of
South Mountain and Antietam.
In October. go, the Secretary of War
issued a General Order that the regular
cavalry could recruit from the volunteer
| infantry and fill up their depleted ranks,
which. by the way, would hardly have
| furnished an escort to the Commanding
| General. But they were soon filled by
men whose records, think, will show were
as patriotic and full of fight as any in the
service, although at the time it was broad
ly insnuated that they Joined the cavalry
| to have n soft time and to get rid of fight
ing. / know that large proportion OF
| those that took advantage of that order
| were men who had those malarial diseases
contracted in the swamps of the PENN
| sula clinging to them, and which great
many who got through and did their coun-
try good service would if they had re-
mained in the infantry, have laid their
bones on Virginia's soil.
| What / wish to speak Of particularly is
| the part taken by the regular cavalry dur
ing the campaigns in Virginia, Maryland
and Pennsylvania. We see very little pub
lished of the regulars, but after '62 those
regiments in a majority of cases were filed
up from the volunteers. This is no dis
paragement to the old Regulars that had
been in the service for years before the
| war, for they always went where they
were ordered regardless of consequences,
and that the Regular officers as class
| were more cOnsiderate of the enlisted men
than the volunteer officers in looking out
| for their welfare.
How about the cavalry fight near War
renton in the Spring of '63; were they in
that? think | can show a scar made by
| n saber in that charge. How about Kel-
Iy's Ford, Uppcrville, Bristow Station, the
| fight on John Minor Botts's plantation,
Gettysburg, Failing Waters, the raid to
Charlottesville and Waynesboro? CThat
was during the Winter of 'G3-'G4.) Then
there was the reconnaissance to Rapdan
in the Spring of '65, under Sheridan. Then
they were through the Wilderness, to
Spottsylvania, fighting every day dis
mounted, and on the day before starting
on the raid to Richmond and the James
they were in it from the first peep Of day
till 10 at night, fighting infantry.
1 remember the last particularly, as l
! was picket post all night within 10 rods
of the rebel vidcts, and could distinctly
hear every move that was made by their
horses; l wasn't very sleepy that night.
The next day our squadron was escort to
Gen. Warren in his movement to the left.
We encountered the enemy with batteries
in position. l shall never forget how cool
ly Warren seated himself at the trunk Of
a tree and wrote his dispatches amidst the
shot and shell from the rebel batteries.
In the afternoon we were withdrawn,
Joined the balance of the regiment and
started on the raid to Richmond. AT dusk
I we charged on Beaver Dam Station, took
in the trains lying there, burned them,
and released over 300 Of our prisoners,
burned the station, filled with ratiOns,
| guns, etc, tore up the track and burned
the ties and twisted the rails.
Our next encounter was at Yellow Tav-
ern, where Stuart's cavalry was beautiful
" whipped, Stuart himself receiving his
death-wound. Before going farther l will
say that | witnessed Custer and his fam
Gus Michigan Brigade make the charge at
Yellow Tavern that put Stuart's forces to
rout, and capturing battery of artillery
The next morning long before light we
were passing through the suburbs of Rich.
mond, where we encountered numerous
torpedoes that had been planted by the
rebels. The horses stepping on some
caused them to explode, and a number OF
men and horses We're injured.
/ Arriving at the Chickahominy, We
found the bridge had been destroyed, with
the encmy's artillery in position on the op-
had good range of the bridge, and plant
ed shells all around the pioneers while
they were repairing the bridge. We were
inside of their works with Sheridan, sit
ting braccd up against one of their forts
taking in the situation. AS soon as the
bridge was passable we made q rush fol
the other side, where we were met by q
shower of bullets from the rebels.
A good many of our prisoners that We
released at Beaver Dam had secured arms
and ammunition, and went into the fight
with us. There was one young Lieuten
ant who had armed himself and was
chuck full of fight. In passing through &
small patch of bushes before entering NJ
open field he received a bullet in one OF
his thumbs Holding it up and looking a
it an instant and grinding his teeth. ID
EN-" he said, and started for them a
though he thought he was able to clean ou
the whole Confederacy alone.
We soon routed them. The horses were
brought over and we resumed oar marcl
for the James River. They harassed ou
rear guard some during the day. Alon,
in the afternoon they tried to flank us, bu
| got the worst Of it, as Custer had maneu
vered to get in their rear, and charged
, them about the same time Capt. Mcke,
charged with the 1st U. S. Cav. in front
was on the skirmish line when tn,
charge was made, and when they wer,
| driven out L SaW HeHu
quarters flag with, as 1 have Away:
thought, Fitzhugh Lee Mt the head of tn,
, column, for he took command after Stuar
was killed. l put in as many shots as
could at them while they were in sight
, Since Lees eminent and valuable services
: in Cuba in showing his devotion to th'
r Union l am happy to state that l am glat
that none of those shots took effect OIL
2 him.
We pursued our way to the James
, where we rested, drew rations and startet
I on our return via White House Landing
Arriving there, we found the bridge acrOs
the Pamunkey had been partially burned
a good many of the posts, stringcrs, cross
ties and nearly all of the planking. Lieut.
/ Ogden had charge of the repairing, an,
here was where the men who We're trans
|, ferred from the volunteers came in.
7 great part of them were lumber and rive
men, who, after the logs were cut an,
. rolled into the water, would mount sin
gle log and float down to the bridge, whel
9 n rope would be attached to an end an,
. hauled up and put in place. If remem
n Der rightly there was fighting going on il
: the rear while we were repairing tn
q bridge.
o Upon our return we found the army n
+ Cold HarbOr, camped that night and tn
next morning Merritts Division crossed a
s a ford of the TOlopOtotOmy, think it was
+ and the next day had sharp fight wit