The National tribune., 1906-02-01

the rains of Spring had created such q
boggy condition of the soil that mount.
ed movements could be made only with
the greatest difficulty. This affair OF
the brigade was a scramble through
the mud and brush, against an enemy
always concealed, who yielded without
much resistance after delivering fire
the pistol being the principal weapon
used on both sides. This recOnnais-
sance having developed the fact that
the enemy was IN considerable force al
| Five Forks, the outpOsts were re-estab-
| 1ished on about the same lines, and
things settled down again for the night
On the morning of the 31st, the Second
Brigade, Col. Fitzhugh commanding
came out to ascertain the disposition
of the force in our front. and as the
| 1st u. S. Cav. knew the ground it OBJ
| ligingly went along for company. AL.
| though we met but little resistance oul
progress was necessarily slow, and the
skirmishers did not reach the Forks
until the middle Of the forenoon. Rs
| this time heavy firing was heard over
| in the direction of Crooks Division
slowly withdrew towards Dinwiddie;
the 1st u. s. Cav, as 1t reached Its
| former position, being permitted to re-
port back to the brigade. which was
found In the position which 1t had oc-
cupied during the previous day, at the
| forks Of the road about mile from
Dinwiddie The remainder of the divi-
sion was engaged with the enemy; and
the heavy firing, which was unmistak-
| ably coming nearer every moment. fndf-
Gated a severe conflict, In which our
forces were. evidently, not prospering.
1t may be explained here that the
enemys cavalry, reinforced by two di-
visions Of infantry, had marched In the
| morning from Five Forks to attack the
| left Of our line, which rested on Cham
berlain Creek. The first attack of the
enemy, which was made about 10 a
M, on Smiths Brigade OF Crooks Divi-
sion, was repulsed; but subsequent
attack on Davies's Brigade had been
more successful, and the enemy's in
fantry in great strength, had broken
through our lines. and having driven
Dayies's Brigade back on to the two
brigades Of the First Division, was dr1v-
ing this portion of the corps In some
confusion off in the direction OF the
Boydton Plank Road and the infantry
lines Of the Army of the Potomac.
The Reserve Brigade was directly in
the track of these retreating troops,
and had 1t kept it's position would
doubtless have spent such force as II
possessed without effect, and would
then have been involved and carried
away in the general confusion and re-
treat. Fortunately the Commanding
General was not one to yield easily to
defeat, and his staff officer reached the
brigade in time to withdraw 1t towards
Dinwiddie; then, as the flank OF the
victorious Confederate line swept past,
the brigade was hurriedly dfsmounted
and, in double time, plunging and
scrambling through the thick brush,
was soon In the midst of the struggling
riff-raff in rear Of Pickett's Division Of
Infantry. Not much persuasion was
required to induce these non-combat-
ant wearers of the gray to throw dawn
their muskets and take their way back
towards the Court House. large num-
Der Of prisoners being taken in this
way with scarcely the firing Of shot.
Our advance through the thick woods
and broken ground had been SO hurried
that the ranks were in considerable
confusion, the men Of the different reg
iments being to some extent intermin-
gled. but all pressing eagerly forward.
intent upon the work before them
Suddenly we came upon the rear of a
long infantry line lying down behind a
barricade OF rails-not firing, but ap-
parently taking 1t easy" They must
have supposed that we belonged to
their side, for they were totally indif-
ferent to our presence. and it was not
until our men were close upon them that
they became aware Of our character. A