The National tribune., 1900-08-23

DENT"
.boofing it toward the Capital without our
breakfast, but in the city. as we were on
the move, we were well supplied WIN
bread and butter and other catables by
citizens who thronged the way with bas-
kets.
I'VE went out past Crystal Spring.
When we were about mile from Fort
| Stevens squad of mounted men came
dashing down from the city. The ad-
| vance guard shouted to us, Give the road
for the President The President and
others were in Il carriage. Five minutes
later an order came to us to dOuble-quick.
We got to the fort between 10 o'clock and
noon. When in the road east of the fort
we saw, some 200 yards in front, heavy
skirmsh line. l supposed this was our
| men, We passed the fort and filed to the
left into the breastworks, but soon after
we saw the line in our front we concluded
| they were the enemy, as they were pop
| ping it to us lively.
I'VE dropped our blankets and rations,
and sent the .Johnnies our best compli-
| ments. By the time we commenced fir
ing the rebels were within 100 yards of
our line. They held their ground few
minutes; then their reinfOrcements came
I'D on the run, yelling, Get out of there,
you invalid corps But five minutes later
they were all going back on a run and we
| after them.
|
thckly-timbered ravine. The Johnnies
went into this timber, and we stopped at
fence 30 rods back. We stayed there
by this fence and skirmished until about
| 6 o'clock, when a regiment of the Sixth
Corps came down and joined to our right,
and we moved to the left little. (Report
said that brigade of the Sixth Corps
had arrived at the fortD
"SOon after the Johnnies got back to
the wood there were two charges of grape
shot fired from the fort, and the most of
each charge struck the fence we were
| skirmishing at. Later we were told there
was not man in the fort at the time who
had ever fired cannon.
"Soon after we got to the fort some
from my company were IN there, and SAID
| there were not a dozen soldiers in it. The
President and some 80 or 40 citizens were
almost all"
Now, then, we dismounted cavalry
fought at the fort at least six hours be-
fore any part of the Sixth Corps was
within supporting distance, and i firmly
believe that had we been 30 minutes later
the rebels would have taken the fort, per-
haps without shot, and might have gone
on to the Capital with but little resistance.
My division (Gregg's Second was at
Fort Stevens, and ! understood that the
First and Third Divisions were at the fort
on the right and Fort Pennsylvania on our
left. don't know where the 1,5OO mount
ed men were VINO calIlc out Oh the 1llu.
"l3th-Brisk skirmishing kept up all
! night and to-day. The President was at
the fort again to-day. There were several
houses in front of us being used by rebel
sharpshooters. About noon | spread my
pup-tent on the fence in front of the
breastworks, and sat in its shade to write
in my diary. Soon a ball whizZed by close
to my head. A minute later one struck
the fence within foot of me. l looked
? I'D to see where these shots were coming
2 FROM Soon another ball struck the ground
foot in front of NE and plowed through
and stopped directly under where l sat
| Yes, | drew in the TANKS and retreatet
!, in good order. l later went and dug III
: that ball and kept it for 20 years, and a:
| looked at it even then my nerves trem
bed to think what might have been. Abou
, ) p. m. the balance of the Sixth Corps ar
n rived and moved down and formed on th'
S right front of the fort and lay down. Thel
the guns in the fort opened on the enemy
y Some 90 shots were fired, and when th
r smoke raised little we could see on th
Il high ground less than three-quarters of ,
mile away several Thousand Johnnies il
e line and moving toward the fort. Thel
n the Sixth Corps got up and put in thei
q work with a vengeance, but then that wa
It a way they had. l think those hours iron
6 to o'clock were the noisiest l eve
7. heard.
e The next day at noon our cavalry over
10 took their column near the Potomac il
s. full retreat. On the 18th the houses abov
a referred to in front Of forts were fired b.
y shells from Fort Stevens. Lincoln was i
e the fort at the time and report said h
" ordered them burned. Some claim the rel
els used artillery in this engagement.
S positively know the enemy did not fire
lie cannon shot during the time they wer
er threatening the fort. Yes, Comrade Mar
IS gan, 1921 Pa, we got there several hour
I, ahead of you, but you got there with bot
s. feet later; in fact, in time for the big fir,
he works.-A. G. JACOBS Sergeant, Co. /
e. 9th Ohio Cav, Edgar, Neb.