Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-03-16
(Wntten for the Beaeon-)
fPaiiham- -Breathed Battery.
BY ii. Fl. MATHEWS.
The Great Cavalry Fights Of the War.
Feetrood Hill or Brandy Plains.
Jxae 8, 1868.
PART Z.
Continued

his sQuadrons becoming mixed up
with the 18th Va. cavalry on the
eastern slope Of the bill. while the
other two squadrons retired along
the crest of the hill near the Bar
bour House, in which direction they
were followed by the 1st New Jersey
regiment now holding the hill tenn
porarily. Col. Harmon, OF the 18th
Virginia, soon reformed his com
mand and aided by the two squad
rons Of the 35th Virginia Colonel
White) regained the hill for q short
time. Col. Harmon was severely
wounded In q hand to hand encount.
er with the officer leading the Fed
eral cavalry. Lieut.. Colonel Lige
White having reformed his squard-
rons swept around the west side of
the hill charging the 3 guns which
had been advanced to the foot of the
hill. This Federal battery was
Capt. ]. W. Martin s 9Th New York
Horse Artillery, one of the first
horse artillery batteries organized
on the Federal side. This battery
consisted of 6 3-inch rifles and was
fine battery and one that we were
well acquainted with having met it
before, especially at Kelly's Ford.
The support of this battery was
driven off by Col. White. The Col
onel in his report in speaking OF this
action says: There was no de-
mand made for the surrender of this
battery, nor offer to do so, until
nearly all the men with many of
their horses were either killed or
wounded" Col. White could not
however, retain possession of these
guns, being surrounded by o supe-
rior force and was compelled to cut
his way out with a heavy loss. The
horses being killed, prevented even
an attempt to bring of the captured
guns. Meantime, Gen. w. e. Jones
had withdrawn with the only regi-
ment he had left-the 11th Virginia
cavalry. The remaining regiments
had been detached by Gen. Stuart's
order and assigned to the different
points OF the field. The 9th Vir-
ginia was with Hampton the 7th
Virginia, with W. III. T. Lee, and
the 18th and 35th Virginia battalion
were already at Fleetwood Hill.
Hampton, in the meantime, had FORM
ed his four regiments into squadrons
and was awaiting the attack. The
artillery was in position, Breatbed
was gallopping from time to time to
each part Of the field, anxious and
more than willing to be first in at
the death. He was evidently afraid
that some of the other batteries
might get in ahead Of him, and was
determined TO prevent il il possible.
The men of the old battery felt his
anxiety and were ready to rush in
at the command. Hampton had sent
the 9th Virginia cavalry in his ad-
vance, and Stuart met the regiment
and ordered it to charge the enemy's
line on the right. In order that the
reader may get correct ideao of that
charge, / will reproduce Major
Flournoy's report:
II was ordered by Gen. Hampton
10 move quickly in the direction OF
Brandy Station road, and while en-
route was met by Gen. Stuart, who
ordered me TO cut OF 3 hundred Yam
KEGS who were near the Miller house.
/ moved across the railroad and in
stead Of three hundred, met what
prisoners reported as FIVE regiments
] charged with my regiment, now
reduced by casualties but was driv-
en- back. We had driven back the
whole force and had them in retreat,
when we were attacked In the rear
and forced back towards the Miller
house, where the enemy opened on
us with artillery. We charged and
took the battery, but were unable to
bold it. Having been charged by
| five times our numbers. we fell back
In confusion towards the hill in front
of the Miller house, where the men
rallied and reformed.
G. Z. FLorRNoY,
Major Comd'g 6 Va. cavalry.
-Ohicial Records, Vol. q, Part 2,
page 735.
It was at this point that Breathed
came on the field. Observing that
the 9th Virginia was being pressed
back towards Miller's Hill-east oI
Barbour's, q short distance-he
moved his section. on his own res
possibility TO the assistance Of the
9th Virginia. reaching the slope oil
the hill. just as the regiment was
forced back to that position. The
guns went into battery at once.
Breathed was in his second heaven,
rushing from piece to piece, cheer.
ing the mer and urging them TO FIRE