The National tribune., 1906-01-18

to take the field, and, to our delight,
on the morning of June we received
orders to prepare three days cooked
rations for our haversacks. From this
notice We knew that a rapid movement
was in store for US, but being well
trained to obey orders we asked no
questions, but made our preparations.
At nightfall a quiet order was given
tc harness up, hitch in, and saddle up.
No bugle alarms were sounded, but in
the twilight We took our place in COL
unin of cavalry and marched westward
almost parallel with the Rappahannock
River. We halted at midnight, and lay
quiet in camp until dusk on the even
Ing OF June 8, when we commenced our
westward march again, halting after
midnight. This time we did not unhitch
or unsaddle, but lay quietly waiting for
the coming morning. We were now told
that at break of day we were to attack
Gen. j. E. b. Stuart's Confederate Cav
airy Corps and break up an intended
raid North, for which he was about
ready to start. Our Cavalry Corps
with horse artillery, was commanded by
Gen. Alfred Pleasonton. The hours of
waiting seemed long, and we were all
anxious to hear the first shot Of the
rebel picket, for We did not want to kill
him on his beat without giving him a
chance to fight for his life
In the gray of the morning, about 4
a. m. and while the fog hung low over
the river, our cavalry advance dashed
across the river at Beverly Ford, and
the fight was on. The rebel picket fired
and retired, but we could tell from the
incessant rattle of the carbines that our
advance had struck the reserve picket
guard, and Immediately the rebel
trumpeters sounded the general alarm
and at once followed 1t up with boots
and saddles" Our attack was almost
q complete surprise and we accom-
plished our mission by preventing
Stuart's raid.
After the cavalry had cleared the
way our battery was rushed to the front
and not a minute too soon for the
enemy's artillery We're furnishing our
cavalrymen quite severely; but when we
came in-battery we gave them some
thing else to think about. The storm
center Of the fight was near a large
brick house about mile or more back
from the river. There was charges and
eounter-charges around 1T. first Union
victory, then a Confederate, but our
men were continually driving them
back upon their main army near Gull
pepper Court House. AS the day wore
on we were reinforced by regiment OF
infantry, and Kilpatricks Division OF
Cavalry and horse batteries joined In
the fight, which made the fighting more
furious. This division crossed the river
higher up at Kelly's Ford. They were
late coming into action or our victory
Of the early morning would have been
much more complete; but when they
got in TO the fight they did some splen.
did fighting. though our Confederate
host seemed to have men and ammuni-
ton enough to keep us all busy until
We got ready TO return to our own side
OF the river.
Late i'm the afternoon, coming from
direction of
long lines of infantry marching to the
relief of their defeated cavalry brothers
The sun cleaning along their thousand:
OF sloping gun-barrels admonished u.
that our task was ended, for 1t was no
long until they appeared on our from
and their cavalry worked towards oul
tanks. This was about p. m. Their
commenced one of the prettiest ant
most orderly retreats / ever witnessed
during my entire service from 1861 Il
1865. A battery of artillery with in
1antry supports was sent back across
the river at Beverly Ford to cover oul
retreat. My battery left the field b,
sections in eschelon, firing and retiring
The cavalry skirmishers mounted hel,
the enemy back until our infantry lin,
would drop back about 500 yards; the,
the troopers would fall back: and so I
continued until we were all back on tn,
north bank Of the river again, ant
when the sun went down that evenin,
all was quiet along the Rappahan
mock but when the moon and star
came out that night they looked down
upon over 1000 dead and wounded mel
rs the result of that bloody days en-
counter. Thus ended the first grea
cavalry battle of the civil war, an,
there was no longer any prize Offered
TO any one finding "a dead cavalry
man." for on that day among the blu
and the gray they fell like Autumn
leaves before the blast. In my batter,
We had several men wounded with frar
ments Of shell and shrapnel and Mai
robertson, our commander, had thre,
horses shot from under him.-Rober
Esktldson, NJ. D., First Sergeant Co
Eeb