Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-06-26
CONFEDERATE WAR RECORDS.
A CireumstantiaI Account of the Death OF
"Jeb'' Stuart, the Great Cavalry
Leader

iiers were under Gen. ]. E b. Stuart
the following account of his death may
| rove interesting. There have been
V lrious stories of the occurrence print
ed from time to time both North and
lSouth varying often in fact more than
lin detail. Our Augusta boys may
Therefore contrast this account with
their own observations or with those
they have heard This account was
first printed in the Towson Md Jour-
nal Of June 18th last.
Gen. ''Jeb'' Stuart reached Yellow
Tavern with Fitz Lees Division, Lomax
and Wickham' s Brigades. numbering
about 2,400 men, late on the morning
of May IL, 1864, and Maj McClelland
was sent to Richmond to communicate
with Gen Bragg. The two brigade;
were formed, faced tomeet the Yanks
under Sheridan, who were advancing
from the northwest on the Mountain
road Lomax was On the left across
Sheridan's 3 advance, whilst Wickham
was on the right, placed to give him a
| flank fire. The horse artillery was
commanded by the famous Maj, Jim
Breathed. of whom gallant ''Tom''
Munford, the usual commander of
| Wickham's Brigade, sald, "He was as
brave an officer and the hardest fight
ing soldier the war produced" and
was placed thus: (Breathed's S Battery,
by II. H. Matthews, not yet in print)
one of section of Hart's South Caro-
lima Battery on the right, three pieces
of Breathed's Battery, Ia battery of
Marylanders) 1st Lieut.. Danl Shanks,
Capt. p. p. Johnston, wounded at
Shady Grove on Sth), in the interval
between Lomax and Wickham the 9th
er piece under I'd Lieut.. j. w. Cos
grove on the extreme left. and Second
Maryland Battery, (the Baltimore
Light Capt. w. H. Griffin, On the left
at or about the fork of the Mountain
and Telegraph roads.
The Yanks consisted of two divisions
and one brigade. with the usual supply
of regular horse artillery. the very best
artillery in the Yankee army. Sheri-
dams force has been variously estimat
ed, but on May 14th, after the Yellow
Tavern and Meadow Bridge fight, he
ordered the Quartermaster to have
prepared at Harrison's g Landing, against
his return, rations for Il, 900 men and
IA 900 horses, and letter from Rear
Admiral 8. P. Lee, Federal Navy, to
its Secretary, Gideon Welles, dated
Flagship Malvern, near Bermuda Hun
dred, May IA. 1864, 8 p. M, states: "The
cavalry corps of Maj. Gen. Sheridan
has just arrived at Turkey Island, left
bank. The left with 1900 men, LOST
heavily On the way, and came from
Mechanicsville yesterday" From eth
er statement there was enormous odds
in men, as there were most especially
in munitions of war and better condi-
toned horses, against abOnt 3, 900 Con-
feds, counting Gordon's Brigade of
about 800 men.
LOlnax was attacked by Torbett's 8
Division, commanded by Brig Gen.
Wesley Merritt, of the Reserve Brigade,
which brigade, dismOunted, attacked
Lomax's centre, the Second Brigade.
Col. Thos. G. Devin, dismounted, his
left, (here Col. Henry G. Pate, Fifth
Virginia Cavalry, was killed) and the
First Brigade, Brig. -Gen. George A.
Custer, his right.
Wickham's Brigade was attacked
by Wilson's Division, First Brigade :;
Col. John B. Mcintosh, End Brigade;
Col George H. Chapman, supported
by one brigade of Gregg's Division
The other brigade of Gregg's Division
was having a sociable time with Cor
don's Brigade.
About 3 or p. m. Custer's Michigan
Brigade (the First mounted. being the
right of his line, the Fifth and Sixth,
dismounted, the left, supported by the
Seventh, in reserve, which came to
their help mounted, y attacked the right
of Lomax, driving back his line and
capturing one section of the Baltimore
Light. the battery Stuart had borrow
ed when be came through Hanover
Junction.
At the same time Custer charged
Lomax's right, Chapman charged
w ,ckham' s left with the Third Indiana
and Eighth New York, dismounted,
his left, and First Vermont, mounted,
his right about $50 yards to the left OF
Clusters line, which was about the in
terval between Lomax and Wickham
and it was after this charge that Gen
''Jeb" Stuart was mortally wounded.
According to Clusters report Gen
Stuart was wounded by Private Johr
A. Huff. sharpshooter, Company E
Fifth Michigan Cavalry, Clusters Bri
at Haw's Shop, On the 2Sth, and Col
: Alger, Fifth Michigan, in his repor
: has Gen. Stuart wounded ION the bill
back of the battery by Huff and car
ried off the field by his staff ''30 min
utes before those guns were captured.
These statements are more thar
doubtful, for Gen. Stuart was wounded
Oh the right, which was attacked b.
Wilson, whilst Custer attacked tn
} left.
In "Mohon," by Lieut.. Col. j. Este
Cooke. there is picture OF Capt. Gu
Dorsey catching Gen. Stuart whe
3 wounded, only Capt. Dorsey was no
mounted; he was fighting K dismount
ed. In the Campaigns of Stuart
Cavalry" by Maj. III. B. McClellant
!Stuart's chief OF staff. a history of Je
Stuart from birth To death that ShOui