Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-04-13
(Wnttem for tie Beaes.)
Pelham -Breathed Blltery.


A@-
ON the Way to Getsysharg, Pa.
| Engagements at AIdIe. Up-
perviile and NIsdsIlebarg.
After the great cavalrx fght at
Fleetwood Hill. June .. 1s63. Long
street with the 1st corps e infaniry
concentrated at Culpeper G. H.,
Va, near Mountain Rrn, bile old
Dick Ewell moved over INTO the
Valley of Va, capturing 1iilroy 8
command at Winchesfes 'une 13,
1863. The cavalry and horse artil-
ley remained in stats quo until
June 10. when they took up their
line Of march with Longstreet. keep
ing on his right flank. L0Igstreet
moved in the direction OF Sucker 8
Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Stuart had with him F'itz Lee, w.
Fl. f. Lee and Robertson's s brigades
of cavalry, Breathed, MEG Gregor and
Chew S battery of horse artillery, un-
der the command OF Frank Becham,
Major and chief Of artillery for Gen.
]. E. B. Stuart. Gen. Jones and
Hampton were left to guard the
fords on the Rappahannock River
until A. 2. Hills light division had
gotten well to the north. Stuart
did not come in contact with the
Federals until the evening of the
18th at Aldie. Fitz Lees brigade,
under Col. T. T. Munford, of the End
Va. cavalry, had been sent to take
possession Of the Gap in the Bull
Run Mountain at Aldie. In the
meantime Col. ]. r. Chambliss, with
w. FL. +. Lees brigade, was sent on
scouting expedition towards Thor
oughfare Gap. Robertson remained
at Rectorstown as a reserve for
Munford or Chambliss as occasion
might require. On the morning of
the 18th Col. Munford becoming
restless moved with the End and 3rd
Va, cavalry and his old stand by,
Breathed's battery, by way of Up
perville through Middleberg, and
having established his pickets at
Aldie, crossed over to the Smoker s
Gap road, proceeding with his two
regiments and Breathed's battery
to procure forage for his horses and
expecting to encsmp that night at
Aldie. In the meantime Col. w. c.
Wickham, with the 1st and 4th
Va. regiments of cavalry, the 9th
Va. also, had moved via Piedmont
through Middleberg with the inten-
tion of going into camp at Dover
Mills near Aldie. Col. T. L. Rosser.
of the 9th Va, arriving shortly after,
was directed by Wickham to pass
beyond Dover Mills and camp near
Aldie. In making this movement
Rosser ran into the enemy, who
were driving in Col. Munford s
pickets from the direction of Mr..
Franklin Carter's house. The Fed
eral cavalry engaged in this attack
was the End division, commanded
by our friend Gregg, whohad fought
so hard on the plains Of Brandy
June 9th. The attacking party con-
sisted of Gen. Kilpatrick's brigade,
End N. j., 1st Mass, 9Th Ohio, 4th
N. Y. and the 1st Maine cavalry
and Randol's battery Of horse ar
tillery. The remaining brigades of
Gregg were in supporting distance.
Rosser arrived just in time to save
Munford's pickets from capture.
Rosser charged with the saber,
driving them pell NELL back upon
their main body and threw out his
sharpshooters to the right of the
Snickerville road, under the CON-
mand of the gallant Captain r. B.
Boston. The remainder OF his small
regiment he held ready for their
support. Col. Munford In the mean
time arrived, and being Brigadier
commander in the absence of Gen.
Fitz Lee, he stationed 1t. William
Walton of the fighting End Va.
cavalry, with 15 picked men behind
a stone wall on the left of the Snick-
ersville road, just opposite the men
that Col. Rosser had posted. with
instructions to hold that position
until death" against any odds un-
til the End and 3rd Va. cavalry
could come up. Those of as who
knew the material that Tom Munford
was made out of can fully realize what
he meant when he gave 1t. Walton
those orders. He did not play with
words. On the contrary, he was
q man of few words. Like the great
Stonewall Jackson, he spoke only
when heoccasion might require, and
when he did speak he intended that
sorders should becarriedout 70 the
letter. Such was the noble soldier
and gentlemen that led the End Va.
cavalry on many body field OF bat
tie. In the meantime Breathed, with
his fearless Hornets and the old Isl