Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-07

/
one OF the most magnificent sights
| that witnessed during the civil war was
| the grand cavalry parade which was held
near Brandy Station, Virginia. on June
I s. 1858. II was near or on the farm OF
John Minor Bolts in Culpepper county.
4 IL was composed of the cavalry divisions
commanded by General ]. +. B. Stuart.
General Robert Z. Lee and many of the
i infantry officers were present and wit
messed this grand military display. The
parade was held on a large plateau Of
ground on the south side and in close
proximity to the Orange and Alexandria
railroad. The highest point of ground
] was near the railroad, upon which had
1 been erected a tail pole, some % or 100
feet. from which noated the stars and
bars. While the cavalry divisions were
| forming General Lee, with his stan and
other officers OF the army, were seen 10
ride to where the flag was floating, and
sitting quietly on their horses awaiting
the formation Of each regiment as IL
/ quickly gaIloped into line in their front
IL was q perfect day; the sun shone out In
its splendor and reflected its rays upon
thousands OF drawn sabers as they flash
ed from their scabbards.
The cavalry was formed into a semi
circle, its concavtty facing General Lee
and his stan. My command was on the
extreme right of the line. Our horses
stood waiting, FESTIVE, champing their
bits. while the sound OF cannon made the
earth tremble beneath US. They seemed
to think that we were in line OF battle
and waiting for the sound Of the bugle.
1 found Il difhcult TO keep my horse quiet
he stood upon his hind legs, paving
the air In front and awaiting the touch
OF the spur-to charge. After the forma-
ton OF the different commands, each regi-
ment marched IN a walk around the cir
Gle with companies front-into-line. The
second time all Of the cavalry passed
around the circle in a gallop, while the
rebel yell rang out from one end OF the
line to the other. After this was over,
each regiment formed in line facing Gen
| eral Lee, and at a given signal, General
Lee removing his hat, started out on old
Traveller and galloped around the cir
/ Gle IN front OF the whole corps, while
cannons doomed and the yells OF the old
| Confederates were heard for miles around
the country.
/ I had never seen a more magnificent
j rider than General Lee. Traveller" seem
L ed In hne condition and bore his master
with ease and grace he never broke
/ from a lope until the circuit was complete.
I The Yankee cavalry had heard during
the day the firing from our artillery and
/ could not understand what 1t all meant.
/ So that night General Pleasanton with
/ his cavalry crossed the Rappahannock
\ and on the next morning, the 9Th OF
/ June. after surprising our pickets along
i the river, attacked our encampments,
1 when one of the most bloody cavalry
/ fights OF the war was enacted. The bat
Il tie OF Brandy Station and Fleetwood.
Il Stuart after a brave and stout resist
i ance, finally succeeded In driving them
back across the Rappahannock with a
considerable loss on both sides. In the
thickest of the fight was the brigades OF
Il Hampton, Jones and W. II. +. Lee, only
II a - nF Effw Irnfa hwfua6a Rnd
BY a succession of charges in front and
Il flank we swept the hill, captured the
artillery on the summit, and drove the
Yankees back in confusion. A part Of
my regiment. the Fourth Virginia, was
led by Captain w. ID. Farley, Of Stuart's
Il stan. and while supporting Lieutenant
/ Colonel Hampton. near Beckham's house,
he. Hampton, fell mortally wounded,
Colonel NJ. c. Buffers horse was killed
and he wounded in the leg; and the same
shell mortally wounded Captain Farley.
The c0lOrs Of the Tenth New York regi-
ment were captured. The union loss was
ST; the Confederates lost 575.
Soon after this Lees army marched
rapidly towards Maryland and Pennsyl-
/ vania- I had been home to secure a fresh
horse. and on leaving was accompanied
By a new recruit for my company. John
Ross who was with me when we ar
rived within q few miles of the Potomac
4 EANCE 0NGEAOOklnH 6DlllC OF int army We
stopped all night with an old gentleman
on the roadside who gave us shelter and
q pasture for our horses, but early in the
morning we found that our horses had
been stolen, hence we started back home
i intending TO remount ourselves and return
as quickly as possible to the army. Leav-
Il ing our baggage with the old gentleman,
we took our brides and started down the
turnpike towards home, rs miles south Of
US. We walked all day. passing long
lines Of infantry, artillery and long
wagon trains. I was particularly struck
with the morale OF our soldiers; they
were in fine spirits, and often guyed us
for being on foot, recognizing as they did
our yellow stripes on coat and caps, in
/ dicating that We belonged to the cavalry.
I never saw our wagon train in better
shape, each wagon had clean white can
vas covers with the names of the
brigades to which they belonged In large
black letters. About dark somewhere in
LoudOn county, met an old school
mate. think he was lieutenant and
was trying TO overtake his regiment.
He shared HIS rations with us his name
was Wallace Kilby, and understand that
he is now Judge Kilby, Of Suffolk Va
The boys all knew him at college by his
\ warm grasp OF the hand. The next day
we reached the edge OF Madison county,
having passed through Rappahannock
county; and stopped between Little Wash
/ ington and F. T. church. That immediate
1 section Of the foot of the Blue Ridge had
not suffered from the depredations Of
either army as much as the section lower
i down in Culpepper and Orange. The sun
1 was just going down, casting its long
4 shadows across clover fields and meadows
along ire roadside. The little clear
streams Of water from the mountain
sides not only quenehed our thirst. but
healed our sore feet. as we sat for hours
| bathing them in the cool waters. The
blackbirds flew along the streams from
our advance and occasionally a water
moccasin would poke his head out from
beneath some sheltering rock along the
creek, disturbed by our presence. Not
far distant down the road lived a rela-
| tive OF mine. and told Rose that we
must hurry on in order 10 get our names
| in the pot for supper. The thought of get
| ting a good supper and a nice bed to
| sleep in was refreshing and encouraging
10 a worn out and hungry soldier. These
were pleasures beyond comparison when
we thought OF our boys on the march
amid the hills and valleys OF Maryland
and Pennsylvania.
1 Pulling on our shoes and socks we
moved on slowly down the pike for two or
three miles. stopping at a large mansion
| surrounded by oak and hickory trees
| Walking towards well of water nearby
was hailed by a lady standing on the
veranda- She asked the news from Lees
army. I gave her what information ]