The National tribune., 1906-12-06
THE nth PA. CAV.
Scouting and Fighting Around suffolk.


Editor National Tribune: was
! pleased to read Comrade Wcavcr's let
ter in The National Tribune. / am al
ways pleased to hear from any Of the
old boys OF the 18th Pa. Cav, or about
| the old regiment. | have no doubt that
some of Co. was from place,
other than Lancaster County, and 4 few
of them may have been from Germany
but as Capt Herr and most Of the men
We're from Lancaster County. of course
the company was credited to that place
If Comrade Weaver had been with the
company when we captured the Rocket
Battery on the I'd of December, 1862,
he would have thought the reb$ ran
from the 11th and were good sprintcrs,
though Il goodly number of them. with
the Rocket Battery, came back with us
to Suffolk, and the heads of some of
the prisoners showed they had come in
contact with our SaberS.
At that little ruction Co. ] was
on picket, and when the balance of the
11th came within supporting distance,
Co. ]. led by the gallant Lieut..
afterwards Major) Roper, charged the
enemy and we were soon among them
with the saber. That was grand
saber charge, with good results. There
are exceptions to all rcles, and if the
11th had to get away from the John
foh it," Too many "Cornfeds." as We
used to call them. I have no doubt but
Comrade Weaver was a good soldier.
and in following his Genera! and
Colonel, who never asked their soldiers
to go where they would not lead, even
if it was through mud and brush,
proved his mettle rs one of the lit tn.
/ will write little screed about y
scout that preceded the battle of Kel-
of that fight. Word was brought to
Gen. Peck, commanding officer at Suf-
folk, that Gen. Pryor (Confed), with his
command. was on a foraging expedition
between Franklin, on the Blackwater,
and Suffolk. where our forces were sta
toned. Col. Spear was ordered to send
out detachment of the 11th Pa. Cav. |
to find the whereabouts of Pryor. About
half the regiment, under command of
Col. StetZel, was ordered out on scout. |
We started out on the South Quay road |
at dusk of evening, Co. G in advance, |
about 90 men under command of LieCt. |
GOntZ of Co. G. as advance guard, eight |
of US in extreme advance. Col. StetZci |
said he intended to charge through the |
enemy's camp and come back 10 Suf>
folk by way of the SomertOn road. |
The advance guard was ordered to
move on steadily until fired on by the
picket, and then charge,
being supported by the balance of the
The Johnny on picket was
a brave fellow. He challenged the ad-
vance three times before he fired at
close range. The bullet from his gun
barely missed COmrade Breth. catching
his horse in the hip. The horse stag
gered over into a ditch at the side of
the road and fell. Comrade Breth got
off rather quickly and footed it into
camp. Another comrades horse fell
and he also was dismounted cavalry.
The Confederate reserve picket had a
ire built near the road at their station,
and when our advance guard charged
past, opened on them with their pis-
.ols. 1t was very dark and the Jumps
If powder burning and flying thru the
lir was a beautiful sight Col. Stetzel
lad heart failure" and instead of fol-
owing the advance halted the com
nand. When Lieut. GOntz found we Were
lot supported he returned with his
boys, receiving the same salute as they
lid at first. Col. Stetzel concluded he
lad found PryOrs command, and giving
he order "Fours right about Wheel"
We returned to camp. left in front. We
afterwards found out that it was a good
hing for us that we turned back, as
he Johnnies had cut a large tree across
he road and had artillery planted he.
lind It to sweep the road. We certain
Y would have got it in the neck If we
lad gone on. The following evening,
Ian. 80, 1863, Gen. Corcoran "Mike,"
IS his Legion called him) was ordered
ut with the 18th Ind, as fine regiment
IS ever went into battle the 18th Cav
lways thought the 69th, 112th, 130lh,
55th, and 164th n. Y, the 9th Mass,
65th and 167th Pa, Battery d, 4th L.
J. Art. the 7th Mass. Battery, and
he 11th Pa. Cav, to see what we could
10 with Pryor and his troops. A little
While before daylight on the morning of
he goth, Lieut.. Roper, with his detail
# the 11th Cav, charged the Confed-
rate picket, and supported by the regi-
ncnt soon came in sight of the enemys
anna, but the Johnnies kicked their
Tres around lively until they spoiled
he view. a few of heir picket force,
aid to have been n regiment, fell IL
ur cavalry charge. The rebels had
'lanted their artillery to sweep tho
Dads and the woods on the Suffolk side
f the plantation on which they were
amped, so that when our infantry and
rtillery, with the 18th Ind. on the
krmish line, came in range, they sal
ted with a heavy artillery fire. Our
rtillery went into position and the
ght was on. There was where Gen.
'orcoran missed ii. Pryor thought at
rst that it was only IA cavalry raid on
is pickets. and II Corcoran had charged
18th his force he doubtless would haveI
aptured most, if not all, of Pryor'si
ommand. Col. Spear made the re-
lark: Il am worth thousands of dol
irs. and j would give every dollar / am
'orth to be in command here for two
ours" Spear urged the General to
barge the 18th Ind. and he would sup
ort them with the cavalry, but the Gen
raj was afraid of beins led into a trap,
0 the golden opportunity was lost
he Confederatcs retreated to Frank
n, carrying most of their wounded
18th them, keeping our cavalry back
18th artillery sweeping the road One
the Confederates killed was n Cap
lin. a fine looking man, dressed in
ew suit of gray. / pitied him as he
~ there in his last sleep. In the
vening we returned 10 Suffolk with
bout 40 prisoners.-J. B. Stab, Co. G,
1th Pa. Cav, Hastings, Pa.