The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-26

q OS0S
W. M ~ Ibut warfare on
IAn1AM MxW- Horseback isn't
IHSW WI w lall a frolic or a
jmatter OF spur
and dash. Merritt led the cavalry
corps Of the Army Of the Potomac
when it scored the highest results in
horseback fighting Of any campaign of
the war-that is, the rounding up of
Lee at Appomattox.
Wesley Merritt was a cadet at % and
q general at 81, He won seven bre-
vets and promotions for gallant and
meritorious" service during four years.
Some sort Of soldier stuff, If not the
theatrical sort, must be behind such q
career. AS captain and aid-de-camp
Merritt went into cavalry fighting of
the peninsula in 1862. He continued a
captain for a year and showed talent
which caused him to be selected as
beyond the yes Of his general. At
Beverly Ford, Va, June, 1863, he show
ed the kind Of personal valor which
might have made him a popular hero
had he itched for transient fame.
In the Beverly Ford combat Captain
Merritt held his troops, the SecNnd
United States cavalry, under fire to
which they could not reply for a long
time. Careful of his men, he changed
position often in order to a V them
from the enemy's shells. But when the
order came to let loose the regiment
dashed down the slope, with Merritt at
its head. Across q ravine and into a
regiment of the enemy the line flew.
Commands became mixed in the rush,
and with clouds of dust and smoke and
the steaming of heated horses all the
fighting had to be close handed. Sa-
ibers and pistols were the weapons.
Merritt cut and slashed with the best
of his troopers. Just as he had emp
tied his revolver into the general foe
he saw a Confederate colonel riding
full tilt upon one Of his own men.
Thrusting his saber at the breast o.
the colonel, he shouted, you are my
%prisoner!" The response was a swing
ing cut at his head, which he parted
and squared off for a duel on the spot.
But he was surrounded by enemies
and almost wholly separated from his
own command, and a lieutenant, see
ing the danger to his chief, forcibly
dragged him through a crowd of Stu
arts troops, who expected an easy
prize Of the lively Yankee captain.
Such was Merritt as a youthful fight
er. What the war made Of him can
best be told in the language of n who
served with him. AT the close Of the
war;" says General Rodenbough, "Mer.
rift was regarded as the general officer
par excellence. He was young and
overlooking with the vitality Of youth
Trained in the school Of the gallant
Buford, he was as dashing a cavalry
man as ever drew saber, yet as eau
tious and cool headed as Sheridan him
SELF"
Shortly after the battle at Beverly
Ford Merritt was promoted to the
rank Of brigadier general of volunteer:
and placed over the regular cavalry
brigade in Pleasonton's corps. Their
are two ex-Confederate cavalrymel
now living who could tell somethin.
about Merritt's fighting capacity
These are Fitz-Hugh Lee and Thoma
L. Rosser, both of whom donned tn
blue in 1898. Thus Lee and Rosser
too, had fought as captains or colonel
or something like that when Merritt
was winning his spurs skirmishin'
with Jeb Stuart's men in front Of Rich
mond or riding raids with Stonema,
behind Lees line of battle in tn
Charlottesville campaign. All thre
started out in the great campaign @
1854 at the head of divisions of noun
ed men. Rosser's troops were the frs
Confederates encountered by the Arm
of the Potomac in the WILDERNESS
region, May 5. Next day Merritt an
Fitz-Hugh Lees divisions fought 6
Todd's Tavern. on the flank of the il
fantry battlefield.
Sheridan's plan of fighting off oppo'
ing cavalry led to a campaign of har
riding rather than fighting. He starte
with his 10000 sabers on the highroa
to Richmond, expecting Stuart to TO
low him, which he promptly did. Ro
ser, however, was left behind to mas
the movement of the Army of Mort
ern Virginia. and, while he gave tt
enemy plenty to do in the way
scouting and diminishing, there W:
no real battle. Merritt led the colum
with Sheridan, and to Fitz-Hugh u
fell the task of getting between h DO
Federal raiders and Richmond. III
clash between them came at Yello
Tavern, IL miles from Richmond. Th
was an irregular fight, in which fir
one side and hen the other had Il
advantage. Merritt's division bore tt
brunt of 1t on one side and Fitz-Hut
Lees on the other. Stuart was kille
Fitz-Hugh Lee fell back to the gates
Richmond. Sheridan followed up al
attacked, but was attacked In tn
by some of the Richmond garriso
Merritt brought his division up on
run and saved %Sheridan's corps fro
defeat IL not destruction.
The affair at Yellow Tavern taug
the troopers of both sides that tn
Ia ooI Iojr~ Guort Try