Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-02-02
WritteR for The Beacon.
Pelham m-Breathed Battery.
PART vi.


we were quietly encamped at Lee
town near Shepherstown. Gen. Stu
arts headquarters were a short dis
tance from our camp. Stuart and
Pelham we're in clover. A very
beautiful bevy Of girls, the family
Of Dir. A. g. DandridRs. we're living
there. The two gallants. the chief
Of cavalry and the young captain of
the horse artillery, were the lions of
the day.
I remember Pelham bringing the
ladies over to our camp, showing
the guns aud the men under his COM
maud. He seemed to be so proud
of them. From gun to gun he would
go, patting each piece as affection
ately as If they were animals. He
would tell them the history of each
gun-how at a certain place o par
ticular gun had wrought such ter
rible execution among the Yankees,
and so on to the end. No one knew
the record of these guns better than
our noble captain. It was a ques-
tion which he loved best, the guns
or the noble band of artillerymen
that manned them.
Early on the morning of the 9th of
October everything was astir. We
had received orders to cook three
days rations and be in readiness to
move at q moments notice. No one
knew our objective point except our
noble and greatly loved Stuart.
That evening 1900 cavalry en-
camped at Darksville, on the Mar
and Winchester pike, with
4 guns of the Pelham battery, Pei
ham in immediate command, and
Breathed and P. P. Johnston in com
mand of the two sections.
Six hundred picked men had been
selected from Hampton s, Fitz Lees
and Munford's commands. These
detachments were commanded by
Hampton, w. II. T. Lee Fitz Lee be-
ing sick) and Col. w. e. Jones, Num-
ford returning to his regiment, the
End va. cavalry. l left my horse at
the wagon camp, not wishing to tire
him out, las / then thought) on this
tedious expedition. For when Stu
art started out we never knew where
he would land US. My horse had
carried me safely through almost
two years of campaigns, from Gen.
treville, Va, Nov. 14th, to the pres
ent date, Oct. 8, 1862. 1 was very
much attached TO him, SO / rode a
mule that belonged to the battery,
thinking that he would be able to
stand the trip better than my faithful
steed. After the troops had assem-
bled at Darksville and just before
before boots and saddles were sound
ed, the following circular was read
to the men:
Soldiers, you are about to engage
In an enterprise which, toinsure sue
cess, imperatively demands at your
hands coolness, decision, bravery
and implicit obedience to orders
without question or cavil, and the
order and sobriety on the
march and in the camp. The desti-
nation and extent of this expedition
had better oe kept 70 myself than
known to you. Suffice it TO say, that
with the hearty cooperation OF Off
GERS and men / have not a doubt of
its success, a success which will re-
fleet credit in the highest degree
upon your arms. The orders which
are here published for your govern
ment are absolutely necessary and
must be rigidly enforced. The or
ders which win control your actions
are as follows: Each commander OF
o brigade TO detail ore-third of his
TO seize horses and other
Of citizens of the United
States subject to legal capture, while
the remainder of the command must
always be ready for action. Re
ceiptS must be given TO all non-com-
batants for every article taken, in
order that they might have recourse
upon the Federalauthorities at Wash
ington for damage. Individual plum
dering Is prohibited in the strongest
language. The arrest Of public func-
such as magistrates, post
masters and sheriffs, was ordered
that such persons might be held as
hostages for citizens of the Confed-
eracy who had been arrested and inn
prisoned. The seizure OF private
property was prohibited in the State
of Maryland.
[Signed.I 81. Z. B. SrrARr,
Major General. ;"
Many a trooper and artilleryman
in that command had ridden with
the great cavalier before. especially
around Mcclellan s army of the Po-
mac. They all felt that they could
safely follow where the gallant Stu
art led. Hampton took the lead from
Darksville. There being a signal
statiouon the Maryland side, Hedges
vile was approached after dark,
where we went into camp.
Gen. Hampton, with Lieut.. Fl. r
Philips. 10th Va. cavalry. person