The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-15

| riding over the battlefield with him. He
| went over tho field very frequently ny
himself, and exposed himself very much.
| Tho last order took from 'lm that
| evening was TO General Wlckhan1, my
| acknowledgement. On my return TO him
| / found him alone, between and
o'clock (nearcr 8, | suppose, Judging by
tbo gum, some distance In front OF the
baltimore Light Infantry. lie dsmountcd
with his right arm through his bride
roin. holding his glasses to his eyes
with both hands looking across q field
nj ne edge of Il piece of woods soma
distance off, a half or three-quarters OF
a milo or more.
could see With the naked eye body
of mon mounted near tho woods, but
could not tell what they were about
When rode up to Stuart he took down
his glasses and turned his head and
saw who It was. He said to me: Ser
geant, they are preparing yonder to
charge this battery, and if don't have
q regiment mounted to meet them they
viii capture II. want you to go and
bring up the lead horses of the First
regiment"
! asked: Where are they. General? I
don't know where YOU had them Left
lIe pointed and said: "They are in
straight line from here, In this direc-
ton. about mile OFF, Go as fast as
your morse Gun curry YOU, Hllu set tlletil
here as quick as possible. will have
tho Jncn to meet them"
II will have them up In few minutes,
General" Iareplied. turned my horse.
and as / looked back / saw the general
looking again through his glasses, with
his right arm through his bride rein.
set out at full speed. and that was tho
gallant general.
went straight to the horses, without
any trouble. and was not over three
minutes getting there. My horse was
a good one and a fast one. found the
men that were holding the horses all
mounted and the horses turned the right
way, and | started them oft at once, as
fast as they could como back, In the
same track that I went. and met the
men coming to meet the horses, as the
general told mo he would have them
meet them, about thf1s hundred yards
from where ] left General Stuart, and |
am sure was not gone altogether over
fifteen minutes, ! left him by himself.
lie must have mounted his horse as soon
as I left him and ridden to where he
First regiment was in line Of battle. /
dismouuted and ordered tho men from
the field to meet the horses that they
might mount and meet the enemy,s
charge. TO save the Baltimore light ar
tlllery. That must have been tho time
when Mr.. oliver saw him riding alone
through tho woods towards them, and
took his position between him and an
other Maryland man OF Company X OF
| First Virginia regiment of cavalry. He
may have ordered all OF the companies
TO meet the horses before he got there,
as that company was on tho extreme
left, and when he got to Company *
found 1t was too late to order them,
and let them remain. The balance of the
regiment certainly met the horses. and
n hf ftolI hafl, ! In,
| was riding at the head Of the regl.
lncnt OF led horses, Company c, being
IN front, when We met the men, The
men had Just about finished mounting
and were ready to make the charge,
and l expected to see General Stuart
ride up every second. | intended to Join
him, but General Fitz Lee rode up right
in front of me and said: 1T is too late to
charge now. The enemy have made the
Charge and captured the Baltimore Light
Artillery, and General Stuart has been
Shot, | am afraid MORALLY Wounded
Tho men, some of them, called out "Eor
Gods sake. General. let US charge them,
anyhow. No It Is too late" General
Flt2 Lee replied, 1--WE are going to
retreat now, and want the regiment tc
cover our retreat"
never saw such a distressed looking
body OF men In my life as they looked
10 be, many Of them shedding tears
when they heard our gallant general was
shot, and tho first they knew of his
being shot, was when General Fitz Lee
told them with tears in his eyes lie
knew too well what Il shock such sad
news would be to the old First. He
knew what the men thought Of Stuart,
and what their beloved general thought
of them.
(For Fitzhugh Lees account of this
affair. SEQ his Life of General Lee
Editor OF Confederate Column.)
The regiment was General stuart's old
regiment. He was their first colonel He
drilled them thoroughly on foot and on
horseback. ! suppose II was one OF the
BEST drilled regiments In the whole
cavalry service, II not the best. He en-
doared himself to his men. and the men
themselves to him. Tho First
did cover the retreat and fought all
light, holding the enemy In check until
ye got to Mechanicsville tho next morn
ne There we met tho enemy again and
defeated them. Mr.. divers statement /,
have no doubt-or part OF it's COR ,
ect; the part about his own Company {
s. The other companies could easily
ave been ordered from the field to meet
Tho horses, without his knowing II, as
ne was stationed In the extreme left and
not in sight. Mr.. Dorsey's
statement also have. no doubt Is cor
rect, both could easily be to my mind.
] knew Company Is, and know General
Stuart thought very highly of 1t. 1t wuy
a gallant command and ! know 1t had
high regard for our beloved general
Stuart, These statements OF Mr. divers
and Mr.. Dorsey's, saw In tho issue OF
October 20, 1903, Of the Baltimore Sun,
General Stuart was no doubt seen giving
orders 70 the men of the First Virginia
Cavalry in line of battle to go to meet
their horses, 10 mount and make
,harge. to save the Baltimore Artillery.
lie did not get mounted in time to make
he charge. That action of General
stuart's may have been mistaken by
others for rallying his men to charge ia
ave the Baltimore Artillery
These statements are absolutely cor.
Get, ard can be substantiated My Cap
ain. c. H. Jordan, Will confirm many
IF them There haze been SO many
differences Of opinion as to how
stuart Was mortally wounded, and how
ne happened to be where he was, at
he time he was shot. ] being In a ,
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