Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-02-23

by one or Mcorman : <|11e, and he
proceeded without dslIly - the rail-
road bridge. where welosnd : block
house and defachmenf II men un-
der Lieut.. W. 7. Gaz]f d The 9th
Va cavalry. TIE remainder Of she
9th and Breathedss ba<k<rx support
I'd these riiiemsn la th(l bhck house.
A party Of Gen. GreaE = ccmmand
was allowed 70 cross the river, the
detachment In the bI<lck house re-
firing 70 draw them o.. When part
Of the Federal cayalry ~ crossed.
the old reliable Oh Esrxlni4, nuder
Col. w. Fl. r. Lee, charged them,
forcing them back into the water In
great confusion. :
Breathed with two guns took po-
sition on the left OF the 9th Va cav
airy, accelerating the movemgnts of
the enemy very successfully hd sat
isfactory to ourselves IL not ,he ene-
my. Afterwards they brought Q
battery into position, which proved
to be Battery NJ End u. S. trtillery,
commanded by L. Alex. GIN. Pen
nington. (now q retired Big. Gene
raj living in New York city). one Of
the very best batteries ID the YAM
kee Army Corps. Wehal frequent
ly met this battery on maby q battle.
field in Maryland and Virginia. We
recognized each other whbn we came
into battery, as Gen. Pennington
stated to me in q letter dated'N. Y.
city, Feb. 10. 1902. He wrote:
IT never knew Breashed, as we
never got close enough tbgether for
an introduction. but l knew the bat
terry he commanded, and can testify
to its bulldog tenacity snd conspic-
uous gallantry. Ii always seemed
TO me the most prominept horse bat
terry on your side, and We men knew
it well. / am sorry that you have
so few survivors OF the little band
who made US SO uneasy 10 those days.
Yours truly,
"ALKx. G. NJ. PENNINGTON,
Late Capt. Battery NJ. End u.
IS. Horse Artillery, Brig. Gen.
Retired, u. S. a"
After long contest we forced bat.
terry M from the field, amid the cheers
of the 9th Va. cavalry and our rife.
men According - Federal reports
the battery sustained considerable
damage, having one eaisson blown
up and several men and horses killed
and wounded. The damage to OUT
battery was slight. That night Gen
Gregg sent q body Of cavalry up te
Beyerly's ford, but finding the Wig
liant Stuart had anticipated his move
ments. he retired 20 Morristown.
After q lapse Of over Il years, il
seems strange TO me that Stonemar
did not force some OF the fords, com
Ipelling Stuart to fall back upon Cul
peper G. 81. or the Rapidan river
He certainly had tho force to do so
but was evidently afraid to attach
Stuart in force, for fear of getting
another drubbing similar to the ons
he received near Second Manassas
After some very spicy correspondents
between Hooker, stoEeman and Presi
dent Lincoln, Stoneman was ct las
forced (by public sentiment) across tn
Rappahannock river by Hooker's imper
ative orders. This orasr win be found ID
the 0facial Records, Vol. 25, Series /
Part 1, Page 1O66. This order 10 wei
worth reading, showing how he wascom
PEELED to break camp. Lack ofspace pre-
vents ms from publishing IL. According
ly on the 18th Buford moved up to th
railroad bridge from Kelly ford, form
!, ing q Junction with tina balance of Gregg
command. Gregg moved mp to Beverl.
ford, where he eliested q crossing, suz
prising our piekets, but not capturing
! man. Gen. Stuart having to extend hi
tanks, it necessarily made his line yer,
thin one on our left. Gen. w. ii. r. Lee
who was near that point, being informe
Of this movement, immediately threw th
9th andn13th Va. cavalry and shank
section Of Breathed's hattsry across the
path. They met Gregg before his entiE
I command had crossed the river, drivin
them pellmell back into it, drownin
, come and capturing q 1t. and a men {
. the Bird Indiana cavalry. This ende
, that movement. 0nes again did th
great Stuart prove hin superior genera
ship against O larger foree.
, The determined resistanes Of two sma
, regiments Of icavalry and BEsathed's ior
: guns broke up their plans delaying a
Ineariy Il days the advance OF the Arm
: Of the Potomac, under the leadership
> fighting Jos Hooker, who swore by h
/ sword that he would march his arm
! through the streets of Richmond by Ma
1, 1858. ''Man proposes God disposes.
30 found out fighting Joe Hooker, Il
: jingo Of the Army Of tia Potomac.
; Gen. Stuart, realising thsimmense for
: in his sfront and their purpose oipenstra
Ing hss rear, recalled Fits Lee from sperr
{ vile TO Calpeper C. f., distant about
: miles. Stuart had, according to his .
port Of April 1st," 1000 men, all tol
onposed by q. 600 man. who were In n
!. immediate front. Stnart was eoverir