The National tribune., 1904-05-19

wrapper of Colts revolver cartridges. and
outlines our destitute condition. cImped
near the mouth of Shoal Greek. waiting to
oppose the Confederate army. with no i'll
fnntry support within 100 miles.
The rank and file evidently knew what
we were there for: and right nobly they
filled the conditions. If YOU We're any
where between Florence. Ala. and Pu-
laski. Tenn. during those eventful days,
you probably found yourself looping the
loop at night. after fighting all day in
some of FORESTS and Hoods eccentric
yet onward strides. Sketches and histories
say much. yet not enough. in praise of
Capron's and Hatch's cavalry. in this i'm
portant work: but never mention CrOX
toms cavalry, Tile truth is. that brigade
bore. alone, the first sweeping advance of
Hoods army as ii emerged from the river
margined woods-where its advance
massPd as il left the boats used for trans
portatiOn from the small island to our
shore.
/ was in position to write very posi-
lively upon this subject. When Hood
crossing was first reported To our line by
courier from Florence. and that it was
in our front. Serg't Wash. foyt. of Co. ID.
Sth Iowa Cav. was sent into the woods.
OH foot with six men. with instructions to
crawl To the river and verify. | was the
one who brought back the report To our
brigade headquarters that. from our hiding
place. I'VE could see the boats load at an
Island make for our shore. and return
empty: but could not make ont the exact
landing place" and | returned To the Ser
geant with instructions To make a further
sneak and report the enemy's course after
landing. 1t was while attempting this
that things broke loose behind and all
around us. the first mighty onward
sweep OF Hoods advancing hosts struck
our unsupported cavalry firing line. who
from a habit they had got into. fought
we'll. though not wisely. | rode i'm many
headlong column charge with CroxtOn's
kentuckians and Jim Rrownlow's Ten
nesSeeans; and they We're demons under
the order: When your front strikes the
enemy, by regiments. OH right into line. y
They made stirring and beautiful scenes
but the climate was unhealthy. Such
fighters and such commanders no other
war ever produced. But General who
will not run when he solid infantry
advancing. eight ranks deep and extending
beyond both his tanks. is not my ideal of
cavalry commander. especially if / be-
long to his command. Croxton never left Il
position his brigade was placed i'm until he
WAS whipped out of it.
Cavalry commanders should figure on
situations. and when il is evident that the
advancing column has imperative orders
10 make the cavalry move then Withdraw
for to stnbbormly and hopeiessly rema i'm
means whole lot of trouble when the
mixing begins.
The Confederate cavalry were the orig
lnators of the Ong-distance dashng raid
system of warfare. and the world never
before saw an unsupported body of troops
hunting trouble within the enemy's lines
without anything 10 fall back on. and with
no studied and settled plan for progress
Forrest. Wheeler and Morgan produced
the plan and the MON forces caught Oh
and developed some giants in The system
Ten Grierson. now living ut Jacksonville
Ill. was the first Union officer to accomp-
lish long and what would formerly have
been considered hazardous fighting jour
ney lar into the enemys country
On Gen. Wilson's famous raid through,
Alabama Croxtons Brigade was sent
away from the main column to capture
Tuscaloosa. Ala, and could never get back
to Wilson, and became known as the
Lost Brigade" ! was one of its guides
or scouts. and | know that it roamed
alone, all over what was left of the
Southern Confederacy- ghting daily
dashing away TO the right or To the left
when resistance was stubborn, 10 bump
up against another lot of rebels and to
fight them upon the same plan. Yet i,
eyaded capture and never saw Union
soldier other than its own four regiments
until after the surrender at App0mattox
The civil war developed the greatest
cavalry soldiers the world has ever known
and upon no field was more honor due
and withheld, than to the unaided cavalr,
harassing Hoods advance.
A cavalryman defeated and on foot i.
the most forOrn creature on earth, in war
Our little band put in the rest of tn,
afternoon crawling through brush ant
lodging rebel squads and marching col
umns. We once lay almost between tw,
contending forces as the rebels swept ,
force of cavalry across ShOal Creek; bu
We were unable to make ourselves known
to our own trOops-and didn't feel lik,
making run after them through
shower OF bullets. We crawled into :
rocky nook and rested where we could dis
tlnctly hear the rebels talking above us
The Sergeant made out the line O
/ Union forces on the bluffs beyond tn
creek and was watching in the approach