Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-16
copyright, 1903, by G. L. Kilmer.l

and seemed very much at nome Oh
4 PENNSYLVANIA soil. The troopers ID
gray had galloped from the Potomac
during the night and their sudden
swoop into the heart of the Keystone
State was like bolt from clear sky.
! The last that the people Of the north
and the authorities in Washington
knew the enemy was beyond the Rap
DaLannock with Hooker's army master
of she situation.
Jenkins soldiers levied on the citi
zens for horses, cattle and store sup
plies. paying for all values i'll Confed'
crate scrip, worth nothing except as a
souvenir. Having some of his own
horses stolen, by way of retaliation
Jenkins demanded pay Of the authori-
ties, and it was promptly handed over
in Confederate money.
There had been Confederate raids
across the border before, even as far as
Chambersburg, but Jenkins GOODNESS
| had an ominous lock. Lincoln called
| for 10000 militia to defend the cities
| of the north, and it soon TRANSFERRED
that the raiders.had good backing. The
same day division Of Ewells infan-
| try crossed the Potomac at Williams
port, and there was fighting in the
| Shenandoah valley near the Potomac
with the rest of Ewell's corps.
Ewell marched his corps from TIC
Rappahannock, following the route
west Of the Blue Ridge to keep its
movement from the eyes Of the FEEDER
ais. At the same time Longstreets
corps slowly advanced east Of the Blue
Ridge to control the gaps leading
through it and guard Ewell from sur
| prise LongstrGet also had his move
| mcntS guarded by Jeb Stuart's cavalry,
which secuted farther east along the
slopes Of Bull Run mountains. Thus
| there were three columns of COnfcd-
crates forging their way to the north
while Hooker was still facing south
| ward and even planning TO cross the
| RappahannOck and dash for Richmond.
The great highway to the Potomac
through the Shenandoah valley had
not been left unguarded by the FEEDER
| ais, but an invasion by Lees whole
army had not been provided for. Cen
eral NIilroy lay at Winchester with a
| large force intrenched. The neighbour
ing post of Martinsburg also held Fed
eral garrison. In order to cut off Mil
roy from help General Imboden's Con-
federate cavalry passed around and de-
| stroyed the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road in his rear MilrOy was ordered
by his superiors to retreat to Harpers
Ferry, but lie preferred to stand his
| ground. Ewell first threatened Mar
tinsburg, and the Federal garrison
there marched to Winchester. Learn.
| ING from scouts that he was confront.
| cd by Ewell's whole corps, Milroy de-
| Cided. when too late, to retreat. one
division of Ewell's attacked him on
the 18th, and after desperate fight.
Ing. i'll which both sides made %ll-
liant charges, the COnfCderutcS broke
through the intrenchments and could
not be driven out.
Leaving one brigade to hold Milroy
In the net, Ewell struck out for the
Potomac to cut off the Federal retreat.
BY skillful marching Milroy got away
with 5000 men and left about 1000
prisoners. The road was open Tor
Lees traino and artillery. Meanwhile
Longstreet passed on from gap to gap.
drawing nearer the Potomac and saw
ing Ewell from attack in the rear
while Stuart, acting as i foil TOT
Longstreet, kept the Federal cavalry
at arms length.
| When Hooker discovered that Lees
troops were shifting camp and drawing
away from Fredericksburg, lie sent his
,wn cavalry under PleaSonton on the
| back track toward Washington TO
guard his rear and cover the capital.
Thus while Stuart marched along Bull
Run mountains PleasontOn was ued
Fast by his orders to the line just east
Il che mountains. But cavalry is never
.&ssYN2, idle, and some Federal scouts
tRtling pas. Aide gap on the 18th took
a notion OF seeing what lay the other
| side of the mountain. FitZ Lees Con-
federate brigade happened to have the
same curiosity on the other side OF the
| barrier at the same time. \ fight was
opened almost ON the run between the
Harris Light cavalry Of Kilpatrick's
brigade and the Fifth Virginia under
Colonel T. L. Rosser. On nearing the
town of Aide. which lies in front or
the gap on the east, Fitzpatrick saw the
gray troopers in the distance and sent
the Harris Light on q gallop through
the town to seize the low ridge over
which the road runs, close to the gap.
Rosser's line charged with drawn sa-
bers, driving the Harris Light back TO
the town. Rosser then posted sharp
shooters along the main road behind
some haystachs protected by rail barri-
cades. These sharpshooters chung to
the haystacks. pouring a terrible fire
upon kilpatrick's squadrons as they
rode past on the flank to attack the