Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-10-24

quite unknown to Stuart's men except
as they made it's acquaintance at long
range. Both OF these regiments had
rowing commissions that day, for they
were deployed as skirmishers at the
outset Davies men in their fight skirt
ed the edge Of the field along the creek,
then bore of to the northeast, followed
by some Of Hampton's feetest troopers.
The Spencer rifles kept the pursuing
Johnnies at respectable distance, but
they managed to swoop down upon
Clusters headquarters wagons, bag
gage and papers. One battalion of the
Fifth under Major CLARK fought val
tantly to stem the rush of Hampton's
troopers, but it was finally cut off at
the creek and captured. Before sur
rendering these men gave a good &C.
count OF their repeating rifles, and in
the end Stuart lost more than he gained
by meeting this sturdy battalion. They
fought against hope at the river bank
and when resistance was no longer
possible threw their guns into the wa
ter to keep the enemy from securing
the valuable trophies.
After Davies troopers had passed by
on the edge of the field, Pennington's
guns had recrossed and Custer was re-
luctantly drawing back his whole COM
mand, Alger stood on the west bank as
breakwater for the onrushing tide.
Fighting step by step as he fell back,
he at last reached the river where it
was 50 deep the horses had to swim.
The troopers reversed their seats in the
saddles and, like the Cossacks of the
car, sped their Spencer bullets in one
direction, while their horses bore them
swiftly away in another.
The glory Of the affair at Buckland be-
longs to Custer, even though he showed
his back to the enemy in the end.
Stuart and Lee had laid nice scheme
to bag Kflpatrick's entire division.
They would have done It, too, had Gus
ter been less of fighting character.
In the main the story of Kilpatrick's
hasco was hushed up in official cir
cles. Custer made no mention Of the
stampede Of the brigade which rode out
so boldly after the retreating Confed-
crates and came flying back too excited
to stop and rally on Clusters line. But
that stampede was the chief cause of
Clusters retreat It isn't necessary to
take the word Of Clusters men for this.
A lieutenant Of Breathead's Confeder-
ate battery says that it was Impossible
to shake Clusters line until a cloud of
dust arose away to the front and
Davies troopers rushed back pellmell
with Hampton's eager fellows at their
heels. Then the game was up for
Custer, and he gave ground inch by
inch.
Fftz Lee was keenly disappointed tn
the result. Had Custer marched on
mile farther in the wake of Davies.
leaving gap for Lee to swing his en-
tire column In between Custer and
Broad run, the trap for Fitzpatrick
would have been complete and Fitz Lee
the hero Of the day.
Following upon this chance skirmish
General Meade pushed the whole Fed
eral army forward toward the Kappa
hammock and Robert q. Lee fell back
to the Rapidan, which he had left two
weeks before with the evident intention
OF planting his army at Manassas to
threaten Washington. This phase of
the war on the Potomac line in the
autumn of 1858 is called the campaign
of maneuver. 1t was bloodless, with
the exception Of few skirmishes. The
armies marched and countermarched,
fenced and threatened, but did not
come to battle, both leaders apparently
letting II dare not'' wait upon Il
would" GEORGE l.. KILMER.