The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1907-08-23
.ANEMORYOF THE WAR.
An Old Soldiers Story Of the Bat
tie Of Yellow Tavern. T..
JEB sTUART's LAST FIGHT.
Tho Wounded 0snsraI's Heroic 6rav-F
cry IN the Faes Of Dsath-custer's
Brilliant Charge ~ Been BY n Con-
fedsrate cavaIryman. D.

1.-THE most brilliant charge, ever
witnessed was made by Custer at, the
battle OF Yellow Tavern said an old
Confederate cavalryman. 1T was
near the beginning of what historians
now call the Wilderness campaign.
II was with Jeb Stuart, General
Fitx Lees division. Wickham's bril-
gade and Phil Sheritlan's troops We're
hanging on us like pack Of hungry
wolves, nipping us at every turn. Il,
I'VE left Hanover Junction about l
o'clock one night and reached Yellow
Tavern before 10 O'Clock the next
morning. We hadn't more than halted
at the Tavern when up comes Sheridan
and tries to drive US out. 1t: was
pretty tough struggle, a hand to hand
fight, and we fell back from the Tav-
ern, but held our position on the tele-
graph road leading to Richmond.
was with the battery on the extreme
loft wing, and 1t was about 2 O'Clock
In the afternoon when orders came for
the whole division, except the First
ginians, to dismount.
1T did seem good, l. can tell you,
after so many hours in the saddle, to
stretch out on the ground and take
a smoke-that is, all who had anything
to smoke. There was just one pipeful
among that whole battery, and the
boy who owned it passed it down the
hne, and each man took his turn puff
ing at It. When it was gone we all
began to speculate on what deviltry
Sheridan would be up to next and
how Jeb Stuart would head him of.
It wasn't long before some fellow
wished for drink of water.
"You know how 1t Is. When one man
wishes for water the whole company
begins to swear they are dying Of
thirst. jack Saunders and took q
bunch Of canteens and started over the
hill to q spring that he had seen that
morning. I was on my hands and knees
over the spring when heard saun-
ders' grunt of surprise.
:, There, only a few hundred yards
away, was considerable body Of cav
airy. Sure that 1t was our right wing,
I wondered to see them mounted and
in ranks. Just then the voice Of an Of
ficer rang out:
"'Cavalry! Attention! Draw saber!
1.-THE entire line moved forward at a
quick walk, and as the officer wheeled
his horse saw his face. My God, 1t
was Custer! The situation came to
Saunders and me like a fash. We
threw down the canteens and started
back to the battery on dead run. q
I" = sTrotv Clusters voice rang out
again. Then he shouted, Charge!
with wild cheers, his cavalry dash
ed forward in sweeping gallop, at
lacking our entire left wing at the
same time. We saw our battery taken,
our line broken and our men running
like sheep. Saunders and had but one
thought-to join our fleeing company.
As we reached the telegraph road
above the din of the battle heard Jeb
Stuart's voice. There he was, making
stand with handful OF men around
him.
1T seemed but a moment before Gus
ter's troops were coming back as fast
as they had gone forward. They had
met the First virginians. We greeted
them with the rebel yell and the last
charge in QUE weapons. Jeb Stuart
cheered US on-ah, how he cheered US!