The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-15
MIDNIGHT
CHARGE
Jeb Stuart Proposed to Advance
on the Encmy's Camp at
the Yellow Tavern.
MADE A RECONNAISSANCE
But He T ound Federal Pickcts
Wide Observation-Disclosures
and Anecdotes of the War.

and Anecdotes of the War.
While the article following deals, in
part. with tie mitch controversial point
Il as to how job Stuart received his death
wound far more interesting question
is discussed by its author. That Is. with
respect to a charge Stuart desired to
make upon the cnemys camp on the
night, or morning, rather. preceding tho
battle of Yellow Tavern. Tho advcn-
5 lures of General Stuart made in scout,
designed TO locate the enemy. the
cavalry sergeant describes as follows:
/ was a member of Company G, First
Virginia cavalry, and will commence my
story by relating what happened the
night before the killing Of Stuart. | will
show that he expected the general en-
gagement to come off the next day, and
also that lie knew the odds against him
would be very heavy.
Tho general conceived the idea of
charging The cncmy's camp that night
Our camps were not very far apart
About - o'clock at night. my captain.
c. +. Jordan, came to me and walked me
up and said that General Stuart had sent
for me, and wanted me 10 report to him
at once, mounted.
i..5l ! asked lne captain WllaL lHc SeucIul
wanted. The captain said he did not
: know. As he wanted me to come mount
4 ed, l supposed he was going to send me
81 off on q scout or wanted me to go with
him to reconnoitcr, as had done before, so
! was'partcular, about loading my pistol
and carbine with fresh cartridges. re-
ported to him as quickly as possible. As
] rode up to his tent | could see him
sitting in there by himself. lie had a
!ght, lie could see no one else about.
his horse was near by AS stopped III
front of his tent, | said: Here ! am
General ready for orders" He came out
and said Sergeant. | want you with
me tonight. I'm going to charge the
enemy's camp (TIe always addressed
me as Sergeant" as / was n sergeant
IN my company. Wait here and will be
ready directly to start He had notified
all of the different commands TO meet and
form al certain place. He very soon
came out of his tent and mounted his
horse, very pretty gray or cream colored
mare. which he priced very much. Some
friend of his had made him present of
her.
was riding n fine gray horse myself
which had recently bought.
We started off and he went straight to
where the command was already formed
by fours. We took our positions at the
head Of it and he gave the command.
Forward an! off we started all per-
fectly quiet, n6spne talking, as / suppose
trey had been Ordered to keep quiet.
Whether the men knew what the Generals
Intentions were or not | do not know.
We had one niece of artillery with lis
and after going a short distance across
a field, then into n piece of woods n little
distance. lie halted the comyland and told
them to remain there unti hc returned. N
lie then said, Sergeant, wo will ride on.
after going little ways, he said, II want
70 find position to place that gun"
Cmeaning that piece of artillery We
lad not gone over three or four hundred
yards before'we were halted by picket.
1t was dark or getting so and we did not
Zee them until we were halted in twenty
feet of them or nearer.
! asked the general, IN a very low tone,
III IL was; not our pickett We had |
come unon them so soon after starting,
lie said: No: they are Yankecs:'' and |
Just az he replied, they fired volley at |
us Seven shots we counted successive
shots, very close together, and we could |
see seven men
our horses wheeled to the right into
some pushes They were badly frighten-
cd 1he general said: Sergeant, are
YOU hurt2" | replied; "No' H.. ars
you?" No he said, "hut am afraid
my lorse U.s." l said my horse does moi
jump like he was hurt, and we had then
turned and were going back the way we
t.'ilHc' Hc seicFal salu- sergeant, that |.
firing has just spoiled my fun" We made
a miraculous escape, They were SO close
10 us, suppose they were asleep. and
did not hear US until we got right on |
them. | suppose II was near 2 O'Clock
then. We went back to the command,
The general said: "NVc will wait where
we are until day begins 10 break, and
win fire from here into their camp" |
The piokets were firing around their |
camp and We could hear them giving |
orders.
When day began TO break we could |
SO them moving out, and the general
commenced firing into their camp with |
That gun, as fast as possible, and 1t got
away from there in q hurry, From that
tiTne on we had some skirmshng until
The general engagement commenced. near
yellow Tavern, The general kept me busy
that Gay carrying orders IT was the
hardest and hottest days work / ever
did was one OF The hardest fought
battles during the war. ! was told by one
OF our commanding ofticcrs-One who was
IN position 10 know-that we fought
about five 10 one against us, we did not
have over 1850 men IN action, il that
number; about twenty-five or twenty
three hundred all told
Ifiiz Lees division did the fighting.
did Tho hardest days work and mad
more narrow eBcap pes than | eyer had ON
any battlefield during The war. was in
most OF them. i WAS carrying orders for
General Stuart the whole day in every
wilA.n z hairs breadth of being killed
hialstlt very much. When went with