Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-11-11
War Renaissance.

fort to save the Baltimore Light
Artillery from capture at the bat
tie of Yellow Tavern is far from
clear, but that he greatly imperiled
his personal safety in an effort to
do so is beyond doubt.
The writer participated in that
engagement as a member of the
Clarke Cavalry Company ID of the
Sixth Virginia. and was an eye
witness to the splendid courage
displayed by the Baltimore Light
Artillery there and to its narrow
escape from capture by the brigade
of General Custer.
The battle occurred about a mile
north of the junction of the Tele-
graph and Old Mountain roads:
the former extends from Freder-
icksburg 10 Yellow Tavern. the
latter from GOrdonsvilIe to the
same point, and. uniting there, they
merge into the Brook turnpike.
General Sheridan, with his. force
of 1000 men, had left the vicinity
of fredericksburg on May ). 1864.
marching by the Telegraph road.
with Richmond apparently his OBJ
Jective point. General Stuart
started in pursuit on the morning
of the 9th with Fitz Lee division.
consisting of the brigades of Gen
erals Lomax, Wickham and Cor
don. For some reason. probably
to accomplish the destruction Of
the Virginia Central railroad.
Sheridan left the Telegraph road.
passed southwark to the Old Noun
tain road and marched by it to
Yellow Tavern. This left open to
General Stuart the interior and
slightly shorter route 70 that point.
an advantage he quickly availed
himself of. Sending Gordon. with
ms brigade, TO harass Sheridan's
rear, he pushed on with Lees di-
vision with the purpose of inter-
cepting his antagonist at Yellow
Tavern and covering Richmond.
On the night of the 10th he bivou-
acked for few hours at Hanover
junction. BY two o'clock of the
morning of the 11th his men were
in the saddle, with Lomax's brigade
in the lead, and 10y marching with
the greatest expedition he reached
Yellow Tavern with that brigade
about ii O'Clock a. m. of that day.
at least two hours in advance of
the enemy. General Gordon had
already begun to press Sheridan'S
rear, and the booming of his guns
could be distinctly heard.
BY l O'Clock Sheridan'S scouts
appeared and General Stuart began
preparations to receive his attack.
He moved northward along the
Telegraph road a distance of about
a mile from Yellow Tavern. Here
he dismounted all of Lomax's
brigade, except the Clarke cavalry.
and placed it in a cut in the road.
There were present for duty of
this brigade about 500 men: the
Clar Ike cavalry had been largely
reduced in numbers by details for
picketing and scouting and had
present in this engagement about
10 or Is men. They were deploy-
ed on horseback about 200 yards
to the east of and in the rear of the
dismounted men. The Baltimore
Light Artillery was posted on the
right of the diSmounted men. two
of its guns on the road and two on
an elevation to the east of it.
General Sheridan lost about two
hours in preparing for the attack.
and it was probably , O'Clock in
the afternoon when he advanced
on the brigade of General Lomax
and the battery above mentioned.
This he did In two lines of battle.
certainly not less than 5000 strong.
As great as was the disparity in
numbers, the thin gray line. ="
aided by the battery, held its
ground for an hour, fighting with
the greatest courage and determi-
nation and holding the foe in check:
but there is a limit TO what the
bravest can accomplish, and at last
the line, fearfully reduced by deaths
and wounds, reluctantly withdrew
from the position it had SO gIori-
Ously held and passed back of the
little line of mounted men mention
ed above. This left the battery
unsupported, and General Custer
at once advanced with his brigade
to charge and capture it. At this
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