The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-12
LAST DAYS0F
JEB STUART
Some Difference Of Opinion
Among Those Who Were
Near yellow Tavern.
THE WITS or WAR TIMES
De Leon Tells Of the Men WHO
Could Not be Serious
Always.

Editor Of The Times-Dispatcll:
sir,-,trhere appeared In The Times
Dispatch Confederate column May II.
1914. what plrports 10 be General Jeh
stuart's last purpose and an account
Of the manner In which he received h.s
mortal wound. This account Is signed
by William q. Poirdexter.s6f Rockbrlage
county. Va. Had the author or this ar
ticie given some attention to dates and
distances HIS article would have escaped
those errors which t@Iow write to cor
rect. 3l III
General Stuarfs first Information con-
corning the movement Of General Sheri-
dams force was received on the morn
Sing Of May ., 1854. mean by this that
General Sheridans march from the
army of General Grant west OF Spotsyl-f
yanis courthouse to the vicinity OF Ham
iiton's Crossing. on the r., r. & 2. r.
r was known to General Stuart, but
q furnished nothing out Of the usual, SO
far as TO indicate any purpose beyond
that OF blazing a route for General
Grants infantry and artillery II was
&only when General Sheridan moved rap
s,dlv along the Telegraph Road south
ward that General stuart recognized at
q oncc that his objective point was Rich-
& rns{lt General Stuart was about ten
railes from General r. o. Lee, from
whom he at once sought, In personal
Interview. the order to pursue the
equipment he then had no accurate In
formation Before leaving General Fitz
Lees division of cavalry he directed
General W.ckham TO "pursue rapidly
and attack vigorously the cavalry OF
the enemy, then supposed to be a small
fading party. probably commanded by
General Fitzpatrick. "A
I This was May 9th, and General Stuart
on his return to General Fitz Lees COM
nnand, had covered all OF twenty miles,
and this, too. was before any start was
made to follow sheridan's force except
the brigade commanded by General
Wickham. Stuart started at once with
the brigades of Ionlax and Gordon, and
about 10 o'clock at night came in touch
with the rear guard of General Wick
hams brigade. which had been march
ing and fighting nearly all day. There
had been several severe conflicts ne.
tween General Wickham's forces and
those of General Sheridan. and 1t was
discovered that the force commanded by
the latter was much larger than the
early morning estimates indicated.
The writer, Who Was then employed
with General ETell's corps. was notified
about / o'clock to report at once to Gem
eral Stuart. So carefully concealed were
. the numbers and character Of what was
then thought to he a raiding force. that
nothing whatever seemed to be known
by any one along the long line occupied
by General Lees army or on the route
z taken by General Sheridan. Reaching
the rear guard OF our cavalry about III
o'clock tho night of lue 9th OF May, l
learned that a large force OF cavalry
ond artillery, commanded by General
Sheridan In person. was In our inlmedi-'
alto front
General Stuart gave me instructions.
and told me impresslyely that his pur-
paso was, IL possible, to throw his force
HATH ha
manded by General Sheridan and tho
Notifications surrounding Richmond'
After this interview with our beloved
chief every move and every act OF his
pointed to tile Accomplishment Of this
one purpose.
From thorough knowledge of the
country, including It's by-roads and
streams, and travelling as rapidly as tho
darkness OF the night and the absence OF
well defined roads would permit, I was
enabled 10 reach a point affording the
necessary conceament to myself and
horse on tho road In advance OF tho
enemy Knowing that the three hrigades
with General stuart numbered only about
), l[n effective men, ! was amazed TO dis
cover that about 10000 mounted men and
seven batteries of artillery constituted
the force launched around Negrofoot, IN
Hanover about noon, and camped 1oi
the night near Goodall's old tavern Mas
l0,n The camp, the only one between
Beaver Dam and tho Chickahominy, wa
carefully protected By double guards
and furnished no opening for surprise
~ any kind. Al Beaver Dam, Gordon I
Brigade was ordered 10 follow General
sf.eridan's force, hut mot to attack I'M
less there was an effort to retrace his
steps in the direction OF the army OF
General Grant
General stuart, with Wickhanl's and
Lomax's brigades, camped about one
mile north OF South Anna River on The
night OF the 10Th of Many The distance
between tho two camps was about
twelve miles, and General Fitz Lee pro,
tested against going any further on ae'
count of the thoroughly wornout condi-
lion OF both men and horses. As soot
ms the writer and one or two others re-
prted 10 General stuart about 10 O'Clock
ri night, he issued an order To Genera
Isitz Lee 10 move out along the Tele
grapl, ROAD a. O'Clock a ", FearlnF
MAJ some one rn!ght oYersleep hinisel
ana the nsoyament=might berdelayod, ~
eent Major Mcclellan 10 General Lees
beadauarIers, with instructions NOS u
,Ieep. but 10 see tliat both brigadfs were
moving, by / o'clock as dreeted'
General stuart expressed his pnrpos
tl,en 10 iaterIs,se between Sheridan an'
Vi 1,fSbtnond n iI Cost every horse in Ill