The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-12-25

as the advance under Farley and Mosby,
which, when in mile of the station, dash
ed forward yet more rapidly. This body
of picked men separated into two, one
keeping the main road the other veering
to the south, so that the station was ap-
| preached on two sides simultaneously
| Not gun was fired. A squad of infantry
some dozen men--surrendered. Instant
| ly the telegraph wires were cut, and the
men began to obstruct the railroad by pill
ling on the track boxes, barrels. and what
ever they could lay hands on. The whis-
tie OF an engine was heard ut the west.
and at the same moment the right OF
Stuart's column came in view. the heads
and hats of the foremost files dancing and
bobbing in the dusty light toward the set
| ting sun. Dan Morgan had just found an
* and had made the first blows upon a
telegraph pole, which he knew how to
throw across the track on top of the heap
already piled, when the cavalry dis.nouIt-
cd aud began forming on both sides of the
railroad. The train was comins-it was
| i'll sight-there was no lessening of speed
it was within 80 yards. the engineer
in his cab. hand on throttle-lever. profile
ut his little window, staring straight be-
fore him. Halt, Halt. Halt many
voices shouted, but there was no halt, no
pause. no change except a burst Of speed
as the engine seemed to rush forward with
a leap; and the pile OF lumber on the
track was knocked into spIinters, and the
train dashed on, while carbine bullets
sang about the engineers head and among
the troops on the cars. The train had es-
capped.
The Federal cavalry and infantry were
gathering from almost every quarter; Stu
art set fire to everything that he could not
move, and resumed his march. making for
Jones's Bridge, low down on the Chiek;-
honiny. Black Greek was passed, and
| the bridge burned: it was night, but there
was bright moon, and the men, intoxi-
Gated with success, seemed yet for n while
| imperyiors to fatigue. At Talleysvlle the
advance guard was relieved. and our three
rebel acGuaintances rode IN the rear. Far
behind them, and away at the west, tn.
| sky glowed red with burning camps ana
wagons.
At daylight of the 18th Lieut. Jones
*Stuart was Cookies son-in-law.
| Christian. the guide of the column. was
| leading the way upon his own farm. on
| the banks of the Chckahominy, to a Dri-
| vate ford; the wafer was found too deep,
and the column turned down the stream
and, by using the timbers of large build
ing, repaired an abandoned bridge. The
first squadrons crossed on foot, holding the
brides of the horses. which were made to
swim the stream: then, both SIDES of the
river held securely, the work upon the
bridge continued until the artillery could
| cross.
While these events We're occurring III
the front Dan Morgan and his comrades
were in the rear guard. posted on com
handing hill more than half a mile from
the river.
Junior Morgan had met Gen. Cookies
column advancing; he had turned back
with it. acting as guide over the road
upon which he had just ridden. 1t was
now night. and the march was slow, yet
fast enough for Juniors tired horse. Gen.
Cooke directed the march to be made upon
the Linney place, in order to block the
road against Stuart's retreat. Warren's
Brigade of infantry had moved upon Old
Church, and Gen. Cooke, with the cavalry,
soon followed. The moon was very bright;
the men were confident Of catching the
rebels and responded to orders with alac-
rity. At Old Church a halt was made
until nearly daylight. and Morgan got a
little rest. AT 4 o'clock. almost the very
moment when Stuarts column reached the
Chickahominy, Cooke, fully IA miles
away, began to march upon the trail of
the COnfederates. Morgan was ordered to
ride forward and convey Cookies orders,
pressing the pursuit, to the most advanced
detachment of cavalry that he could find.
Junior reached Tunstall's at o'clock; it
was already in possession of our forces.
Here Morgan learned that Maj. Morris.
in command of squadron of the 9th
Pa, had taken the advance, and was sup
posed at this time to be near st. Peters
Church: Morgan rode on and overlook this
squadron, and found it almost worn out
by its exertions of the preceding day and
night. Receiving the orders, and just at
this time reinforced by about 100 men pre-
viously detached, Maj. Morris at once urg-
ed his tired horses and men on the road
to the south; at 1 o'clock Col. Rush rode
up and took command, the column then
being some three miles from the bridge
over which at that moment Stuart was
straining every nerve to move his artillery.
Rush's cavalry marched on.
Juniors horse was almost completely
exhausted when the advance guard of
Rush's sIuadrons came in sight of few
rebel cavalrymen deployed on a hill over
looking the Chickahominy Swamp in their
rear. The distance of 400 yards or more
separated the hostile parties. The Fed
erals were ordered to push on, and began
to ride straight down the road. The Con-
federate rear was commanded by Fitz-
hugh Lee; his duty imperatively required
the enemy's advance to be delayed until
Stuart'S column had crossed the bridge