The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-03
number of escaped. led and riderless
horses, passed me.
Men Were Panic Stricken.

tN%N1NN~
Men Were Panic Stricken.
l was ordered to surrender; two of the
enemy in advance endeavoring to beat
me off my horse with their pistols. | sue
ceeded in again passing a number of the
men, and tried to rally them, but it was
impossible; they were panic-stricken; one
of my own men, as / presented my UNI
loaded revolver at the head of another,
trying to stop him, ran between us and
knocked that out of my hand. Again the
rear of the command, now reduced to
about twenty -four men, and about sixty
horses and mules, passed me and | was
unarmed and alone in the rear. / passed
several of the men and endeavored to
persuade them of the weakness of the
enemy, their unloaded pistols, ETC., but
it was fruitless; commands and persua-
sions were disregarded. l suffered terri
bly, from physical pain, and could do
little to stop them by physical force 1
reached the river; my horse fell several
times In it; but at last. l got across.
Captain Martindale forced most of the
men across to halt and form here, and
cover the crossing of the few who had
reached the river Captain Martindale'
myself, two scouts and twelve men were
over. We waited to see if more would
come; but none came; eight had crossed
and arrived at camp before us. l was
placed in a sleigh and arrived at camp
4;30 p. m. this day Goth. The loss
isl officer, Lieutenant Nesmith. wound
ed; Captain Duff and Lieutenant Baker
corps staff, and seventy-eght men miss
ing. l returned to camp by way of Ber-
ryville. / have omitted to state that
a party under Lieutenant Baker of corps
headquarters captured the quartermas-
ters camp of Mosby's command There
was no property but one wagon and one
ambulance, two horses and six mules in
1t. We brought the horses and mules
along, but they, with the rest, were
lost in the flight
Major Gibson puts all the blame for his
rout on Captain Snow of the Twenty
first New York cavalry, who had crossed
the mountain with 40 men, but did not
come to his support. He seems to think
that with a reinforcement of a hum
bred men, he could have defeated Rich
ards with his thirty-eight. Although he
says he got back to camp in sleigh
it must not be inferred that he was
drawn by reindeer in the royal style of
the Christmas King. Captain Duff was
wounded and captured; he was taken to
a house and cared for until he was able
to go home. When | read Captain Hus-
ted's interview, l asked you to get from
captain DulI Il statement dts W MS TREAT
ment by my men. / did not know he
was dead. | sent you newspaper clip
pings with letters from members of the
Fourteenth Pennsylvania cavalry, whose
opinions of us differ widely from Cap
tain Husted's. One was written twenty
years ago by Captain Duff to one of my
men, Charlie Dear, who captured him.
1t was published at the time The 9TH
e is from j. j. Frazier, company K,
Fourteenth Pennsylvania cavalry. to a
member of my command He had been
invited to a reunion at Berryville last
August 1t is dated at Clarion, Pa,
August 10, 1904 He says: 81 met Frank
Angelo when he was a prisoner of war
and stood guard over him. He was cap
tured by my old captain David X DUN
November IA, 1864. near Wildwood, Va. (;
and l would be glad to meet him again
when we did not need to have a guard
over him. Charles Fl. Dear is another
of your command | would like to meet,
or account that Captain Duff had a
very high regard for him after they met
In the fight at Paris (Gap) February IL.
1e) 1865 as a soldier and a gentleman
I hope the old boys will have a pleas
ant reunion at Berryville. August 70,
1904. am sorry that l cannot be with
vou'' etc. also sent you to read
letter from Captain Duff's son to Charlie
Dear. inviting Charlie to visit his fam
ily. Richards attacked just as the the
enemy's column was passing Mount
Carmel church on the top of the noun
tain, which then had on crown of
srow The church still stands, and will
a1wavs be associated with Richards
name. and the Fourteenth PENNSYLVANIA
cavalry. 1t only lacks the genius of
Burns to make it as famous as Kirk
Alloway. the haunt Of the witches, the