The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-10-01
MAI. ESTES RAID.
Personal Recollectiens and Adventures q
| the Event.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: OF course
no man in the ranks can see and know
and remember for 40 years all that there
was to see, know and remember of any
campaign. Kilpatrick's command covered
large scope of country on the march
through Georgia, and was in many distant
places at once on occasions. viii re-
strict my story to what l saw and knew
and still remember.
When we were some 60 miles from Mil
len and equidistant from Waynesboro, late
in November, one morning about o'clock,
Mai. Estes, with 200 men, started for q
scout that took US to Waynesboro. Capt.
T. J. Lovelace with so men of Co. d, Sd
ky.-my company-waS a part Of that
expedition. We went as the crow flies, re-
CARELESS Of highways usually and stopped
but once to feed our horses and make cot.
fee for the riders. From citizens captured
we learned that Federal prisoners were
being removed from Millen.
About IA miles west Of Waynesboro
Maj. Estes halted the command, except
Capt Lovelace and his so men and Lieut..
Griffin with 20 scouts. These proceeded
to WaynesbOro, arriving about l a. m.
We tore up the railroad tracks and Capt.
Lovelace asked for two volunteers to re-
turn to Maj. Estes and report. Volunteers
w
gument got consent from my mind to tell
the Captain that l wasn't afraid (but I
was), and when A. B. Ratciiff, Of Co. A,
also volunteered felt better, for he was
the right sort 1t was a dams .rous ven
ture. Rebels were plenty, and We did not
know the country. We came up with q
WORKOUT, fatigued, wearied party Of rebels
but as it was dark, and we knew from q
colored boy who they were, while they
I. oh nfrrra
ride among them and push to the front.
then ride ahead. They paid no attentions
to us, of course supposing us to be Of their
their own party, as they were all strag'
Cling. They had % wagons and about
200 men. As we pushed ahead Of threl
men who rode together, one Of them said
who in - are they?" Another replied:
II don't know, an l don't care -"
That was pretty warm weather for the
cold end of November, and after feeling
for our hats to make sure that our briste
ling hair had not pushed them out of reach,
we thanked the gods of war that the rebels
were not more interested. and we mad0
more haste. We found Maj. Estes and re-
ported, and he marched at once to Waynes-
boro, we going along. of course. 1t was a.
NJ. when we arrived. We tore up more
railway track. and about noon left the
town and met Gen. Fitzpatrick with the
command, some four or five miles out
and went back to Waynesboro.
At Buckhead Church my company was
on the west Of the road, at the top Of
the hill, near the church. Rebel cavalry
charged, and we repulsed them. The fight
ing was with sabers and with dubbed car
bines; because, owing to the mix-up, one
could not shoot without danger to his
friends. l was ordered by Lieut.. McJ.
Davis, of my company, to take 10 men
and go back of the church to clear some
of the enemy out of the brush. We were
the last to cross the bridge before it was
torn up.
l have never seen any account of that
raid of Maj. Estes. l doubt if 200 men
ever made more successful raid, so far
into the enemy's country. We rode about
% hours, covering 1O4 miles and stopping
but twice to, feed our hOrses-JoHN B.
WILLIAMS. Sergeant, Co. D, Sd Ky. Cav,
Norman, Okla.