The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-01-14
APPRECIATED COURAGE.
Moved by Admiration, Enemy Refuse
to Fire on Lone Rider.

hONSu ny Aum11dIIOlj G1SIlIy RS1uoc
to Fire on Lone Rider.
youths Ccmpanion.) .rl
In the winter of 1864 Lees. army was
in camp along the Rapidan river. The
Union forces Under Meade occupied the
country across the river. General Mer-
rift was then a cavalry commander, and
the cavalry were always busy making
reconnaissance, although the severity
of the weather had suspended other
operations. General Merritt tells this
story:
One morning in February my division
of cavalry started with instructions to
discover the extent of the enemy's force
on the Rapidan without bringing on
general engagement. In due time we
found ourselves face to face with the
enemy, and the river between. A lively
skirmish with small arms began but
the result was insignificant. The enemy
declined to show force beyond what
was necessary to engage with our
skirmish line. The breastworks were
long and formidable but whether they
were occupied by few or many soldiers
our most ingenious plans failed to dis
cover.
1t was finally decided that the only
way to make the enemy show his force
was to try to cross the ford in our
front If this succeeded, the enemy
was to be driven out of his works If
possible: if not, he would drive us back
across the ford. probably with severe
loss to our troops. Reluctantly, under
these conditions, the division was
organized for the work.
Leading the advance guard, which
consisted of a squadron of cavalry, was
Captain Ash. His instructions con-
templated that only his advance guard
should cross. 1t was hoped that this
maneuver would draw the enemy from
behind the breastworks and cause him
to display his force. Ash advanced
with his squadron amid the stiffness
of death The skirmish firing was
hushed. and the silence which pre-
vailed showed that the enemy was in
tent on keeping us in ignorance of their
numbers, and determined to make us
pay heavily for information.
The anxiety was intense. We knew
that when the enemy opened fire at
short range our loss would be great
and that the advance guard must be
the first and greatest sufferers. Ash.
with his small command. moved on.
The works in front gloomy, silent, de-
nuded. seemed deserted The men
started to cross the ford, and Ash
pushed on ahead. He gained a point
of vantage where because of a turn in
the river he could see the interior of
the breastworks.
Just then the confederates opened
fire with a whitening volley. Suddenly
Ash commanded his squadron to re-
tire while he, bending forward on his
horses neck. rode at rapid gallop
along the river bank parallel to the
breastworks. followed, as he came OPP
posite each new part of the works, by
volley after volley.
There seemed no hope for him, and
we waited in intense anxiety. On he
kept. in spite of the storm of lead.
Then. as he reached a point where his
view of the confederate lines was still
more extended. he raised his hat and
waved it over his head. 1t was a
signal of triumph.
To our amazement, the confederates,
moved by admiration, ceased firing In
stead. they mounted on their breast
works as thick as they could stand,
and. throwing their hats into the air,
cheered him again and again.
ash refined up his horse, and, turning
toward the confederates, raised his hat
in graceful salute. Then he rode
leisurely into our own lines, amid the
cheers of both sides. He had accom-
plished the work without the loss of a
man, and had for himself seen, and