The National tribune., 1906-08-09

County, Pa, with some New Jersey re-
cruits; Co. NJ was from Ohio, and the
rest of the companies were from Penn
| sylvania, though there doubtless were
recruits from some of the other States
| Gov. Curtin had the regiment accredit-
ed to Pennsylvania. and commissioned
Harlan as Colonel; Spear as Lieuten-
ant-Colonel; StetZel, First Major; Weth-
erell, Second Major, and Runyon, of
went into camp at the head of Seventh
street, Washington. D. c., at Camp Har-
Ian. While Col. Harlan came out from
Washington see how his men were get
| ting along, he had the regiment out for
] inspection and parade. His first COM
mand was, Draw sabers." The rat
tling of the scabbards and flash Of sa-
| bers scared the horses. and the Colonel.
who was in front. had to fly for his life.
| That ended our first parade.
About the middle of October we
moved from Camp Harlan, crossed the
Long Bridge, passed Arlington Heights.
and went into camp near Balls Cross
| roads. Here the regiment was attached
| to Gen. Palmer's Cavalry Brigade.
| About the middle Of November. 1861,
we broke camp, recrossed the Potomac
at Long Bridge. passed the old duelling
ground at Bladensburg, and went into
CdUup dl Oul ilcAl HlONc was
by water to Fortress Monroe, where we
| went into camp at Camp Hamilton.
Here our active duty commenced and
continued to the close of the war. Some
| times the regiment was divided, part of
it serving with the Army of the James
and part of it with the Army of the Po-
tomac, with Mcclellan on the PENN
sula. After Spear became Colonel,
however, the regiment was consolidat-
Cd 1nff anta L
ly among the Southerners, as Spears
Cavalry.
Some Of the Cambria County boys
used to say IL they ever enlisted they
would either join the 18th or 18th Pa.
Cav. as the rebels always ran from the
11th and the 18th always ran from the
rebels, so a fellow was pretty safe in
either. regiment. We always gave a
good account of ourselves wherever we
were. and think were second to none
of the cavalry regiments in the service.
I do not intend writing a history of the
regiment, but want to give a few
sketches Of some Of its many scouts and
battles, and just at present I want to
tell the comrades how we didn't take
Richmond in February, 1864. Gen. But
Ter, then in command of the Army of
the James, thought that while Lee and
his veterans were busy with the Army
of the Potomac over about Culpeper a
cavalry raid might be made into Rich
mond, capture the officials of the Con-
federate Government, and release our
poor comrades who were suffering in
the rebel prisons Of Libby, Castle Thun-
der. Belle Isle, etc. Butler started Gen.
Wistar, with about 1000 infantry, two
light batteries of artillery and bri-
gade Of cavalry under Col. Spear, which
consisted of the 1st n. Y. Mtd Rifles,
Sd N. Y. Cav, 5th and 11th Pa. Cav.
and 1st District of Columbia M'td Rifle
men. The cavalry was to cross the!
Chickahominy at Bottom Bridge, dash
into Richmond, release the prisoners, |
and tear up things generally. A great
many of the boys had provided them
selves with plenty of matches, but they
only needed them to build fires where
we bivouacked, for while we were hot
enough in the morning when we tried |
to cross Bottom Bridge, 1t was Internal |
ly cold that night. and the matches
came into good play. The cavalry COM |
manG left Williamsburg about noon on
Feb. 6, marched all night, and, oh, but
it was dark. Several times during the /
night rockets were sent up by Johnnies |
at the top. Of the hill above Bottom
Bridge about o'clock on the morning |
of the 7th. The supposition was, from |
what had been learned from CONTRA
bands. that there was no artillery on
the rebel side Of the bridge. Scouts
were sent down to see how things were
about the bridge. They found the plank
and could hear the Johnnies
on the other side getting their artillery
into shape and laughing over the sur
prise they were going to give the Yam
KEGS. When 1t became light enough to
see we moved down toward the bridge.
The rebels opened fire on US with their
and as there was no bridge to
Cross all we could do was to march