Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-04-20

| "oEouS uctaAuS u nuisance. IL 0x-
tended our column to such an extent
that 70 took brigades to guard il.
Fitzpatrick had only Z miles 10 reach
Hanover while Stuart had 20 90 10.
encumbered with this immense train
Stuart reached Hanover on the
Both, striking the rear OF Farms
| worth's brigade, scattering the 18th
IA. and infiicting q loss of Sc mea
upon the regiment. This attack
was made by the End. N. c., but not
being properly supported did not
accomplish the result desired.
Hampton was In the rear Of the
wagon train and, Of course, was not
available; Cambliss was i'm the LEAD
with w. III. +. Lees brigade and
Breathed's battery. Gent. w. III.
Payne. who led the 2nd NJ. G. into
hanover, was captured In the town.
tn . letter no ne. dated Washington.
Jan. 10. 1904-only a short while
before he died-he gives the details
Of the fight in which he came out
second best. IT was q hand 10
hand fight, largely with the sabre.
| was wounded by a sabre, my horse
killed, and in crawling from under
the feet OF rushing horses, / fell into
q 'tan-vat' from which | escaped
only to be captured. 1t turned out.
mean our attack, to have been a
forlorn hope. A small regiment OF
N. G. cavalry had been ordered TO
drive Kilpatrick's division, which
we have left at Upperville, Va, out
OF the town. This division consist
ed OF Merritt's, Farnsworths and
Clusters brigade, too many for us
TO drive. So there was nothing to
but TO obey orders, as at 'Balaclava.'
The Carolinians behaved uobly.
Nearly all were killed or wounded.
Those of us who were left, were
taken into an orchard and laid out
until the division moved off. / was
taken over 10 Littlestownand turned
over to the 9th Corps"
Some years ago, l think about 3,
l noticed in the Baltimore .Swn an
article from q correspondent in Han.
over, calling attention to the fact
that monument would be unveiled
at Hanover in memory OF the cayal-
ry fight that took place in the streets
OF that town between Stuart and
Pleasanton. | answered this arti-
Gle, and as it bears on the engage
ment OF which am now writing, l
will reproduce IL.
Your correspondent states that
Stuart was at Union Mills with 5000
men. This is not correct. Stuart's
entire force consisted of Fitz Lees,
Hampton S and w. III. +. Lees bri-
gades, the last brigade being CON-
manded by Col. Chambliss, and
Breathed's Battery Of four 3-inch
rifles. All three of these brigades
were skeletons and did not exceed
1000 men each. The total strength
OF the command was $500 men, all
told. The only Confederate COM
mand that entered Hanover was the
End N. G. cavalry, under 1t. Col. w.
IL. Payne, OF the 4th Va. Your cor
respondent forgot to state that Stu
art was burdened with 146 captured
wagons and 400 prisoners, that had
been captured in Rockville the pre-
ceding day. There was nothing in
the front but Chambliss' small bri-
gade, and before anything could be
brought TO the assistance of the End
Va, Farnsworth rallied his regi-
ments, which had been routed, and
drove them from the town. Hamp-
ton was in the rear of the wagon
train, and but for that fact Farms
worth would have been wiped from
the face OF the earth. As it was the
game little End N. G, headed by that
superb soldier, 1t. Col. w. III. Payne,
routed the brigade OF Farnsworth
when they first came into the town,
but the Confederates were fred in
TO by the citizens Of the town from
their dwellings and barricades, and
Of course had TO give way against
such odds. l cannot see where the
comes in, unless IL would
be TO those gallant Confederates,
headed by the immortal Stuart, who
with three small brigades of cavalry
and a battery ofartillery, cucumber
ed by an immense train of wagons,
the ir terror Of the enemy's
country and resisted successfully
all forces sent there against them.
To these men should the monument
be erected and not TO Farnsworth q
Legion.
To return 70 my story. When the
N. @. regiment was driven back,
Breathed wheeled his guns 20 the
rear and galloped his battery back
70 a hill on the left Of road Coming
from Hanover) overlooking the town.
We had not long 10 wait before the
enemy threw out skirmishers, ad-
vancing through a wheat field out
side OF the town and 70 the right Of
the road. Immediately in front Of
these Yankee skirmishers was a
stream running through the meadow,
having banks about ten feet high.
We soon got the range of this stream
and threw over shells Ia such a way
that IL was made very uncomfortable
for those blue coats. Our position
was a grand one. We could see the
Yankees advance through the
shocks OF wheat and hesitate, and
then we would shell them in earnest.
Il was not long before they hugged
the mother earth and ceased firing
altogether. Hampton coming up,
threw line OF skirmishers out 20
our right next 70 the town, driving
them into the town. Fitz Lee NOV.
ing up from the Littletown road, en-
countered part Of Clusters brigade,
some prisoners. The
wagons, that everybody cursed,
were packed preparatory 20 burning,
but Custer's brigade, which had
been on Fitzpatrick s left, was after
wards moved over to the right, AID