The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-22
STUART'S DEATH;
HOW IT OCCURRED
True Story Of the Wounding Of
the Greatest OF Cavalry
Leaders.
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NEVER LOSES INTEREST
Extracts from Address by Colonel
r Y ~.
NEVER LOSES INTEREST
Extracts from Address byColonel
Winfield Peters Before Veteran
Cavalry Association.

Cavalry Association.
on the evening of the list of June
last while the Confederate Reunion
was on, Colonel winfield Peters. of
Baltimore, read before the Veteran Cav
airy Association of the Army Of North
ern Virginia lengthy historical paper
on the circumstances OF the wonnding
of General j. Il. p. Stuart, which Is
said by many to be the only authentic
account ever made public. Colonel
Peters obtained hts information from
the men who saw Stuart wounded. lie
was at the time lieutenant and was
on the Yellow Tavern battlefield. be-
tween the lines. getting the wounded
removed when stuart received his NOR
tai wound.
The narrative OF Colonel Peters, rs
related before the Ct4xalry Association,
Is very lengthy, but II ought.to ne pre-
served. and as he has kindly furnished
"Our Confederate Column" with the
manuscript. that part of which re-
ferred especially to, the wounding and
death OF General Stuart. Is given be-
low:
In introducing the subject. Colonel
Peters said:
Inc tHTee tCTuCidi, events
which deprived the Army OF Northern
Virginia of--next TO It's illustrious
commander, Lee-its most skilful, con-
summate. exalted and famed leaders
Were the losses by death of Lieutenant
General L. j. tStonewalD Jackson,
May 10, 1853; Major-Generi j. y. y.
Stuart, May L.. 1861, and Lieutenant
General A p. Hill. April 2, 1868.
The stories of how General jackson
1,Y FAY h.y liz .u.ft
men. and how General A. P. Hill fell
dead from a Federal rifle bullet. have
been accurately told. with particular
1ty OF details, by eye-witnesses. In JUS
ticc to historic truth. But the true
account, with minuteness. of the fata
wounding OF General Stuart still re-
mains unrecorded historically; yet va
riotrs differing stories of this calami-
tous event have gained circulation. of
how the life of the great cavalier was
sacrificed In the bloody and unequal
cavalry and artillery battle at yellow
Tavern. near Richmond, Va, on May
IL, 1864.
According to THE Campaigns of STU
arts Cavalry" by Major II. b. McClel-
Ian. A. A, G.,setc.. Stuart had thrown a
half.exhausted body of perhaps four
less the, losses incident to hard
1narchng-across the way ofR"Sheri-
dams 1900 cavalry and q large force
OF arti'lerg." all perfectly equipped
and supplied. in a mad dash TO enter
4ichmond. while Lee fought Grant with
odds of three to one at Spotsyivania,
fifty miles away. history records the
defeat of Grant and the failure Of
Sheridan.
Stopped Sheridan.
Sheridan. fresh and ready. had the
start. while Stuart. quitting General
Lees front. In desperate straits. ever
magnetic, divining Sheridans purpose,
with Wickham hot-foot OIL his rear,
called every cavalryman and gun. Car
tillery) come-at-able, united with him
at Beaver Dam LomaX and Gordon,
scarcely Stacking rein, threw his
meagre force in Sheridan's front and
upon his flank at Yellow Tavern,
where he arrived hours ahead of Sheri-
dan. AT Beaver Dam a desperate
night conflict occurred betweeH the
rear OF Sheridan and about 100 ofathe
First Maryland Cavalry and squad
ron of$the Third Third, Virginia at two diff
ferent points AS often before,s the
: heavy odds cut no Il gure with Stuart
and his trusty knights. though worn
and hungry. Confederates, partic-
pants in the Yellow Tavern fight, have
conjectured the figures at four or five
to one as the actual odds Few of the
enemy broke down or, dropped out on
their forced march,
After the lapse of forty-two years, II
has TRANSFERRED tina the two cavalrymen
who stood dismounted on either side OF
Gen. Stuart, mounted, close enough for
elbow to touch bootleg, have furnished
written statements of the dlreful trag.
ely of his fall, which are zorro bora
tive. and are likewise supplemented by
the testimony of their captain, SO thai
the combined narratives make n his.
torical, undisputnhle. record,
The two soldiers We're CorporalfJas
r. Oliver and Private Frederick j.
Pitts. of Company X, First Virginia
Regiment. Cavalry, composed OF Mary
land volunteers, and their captain was
Gus w. Dorsey, an officer probably
without a superior for bravery, skill
and devotion to duty; likewise the two
subaltern soldiers were MaTylande:s
+ Of highest, heroic type.
tain George r., Gather, had. in May
1861, joined the First Regiment Vir,
Kinia Cavalry, OF which Stuart was col
onel They served with and near hin
10 the end when he fell, among them
ana no ono doubted that no troop3 o.
cavalry under that superb cavalry
commander held a higher place in hi
esteem and affection Tof all IA solulerlA
and manly Qualities ,t
1T will boot nothing to dwell upof
xho time lost In tellinE this true stors
connectedly, Of Intense interest to sur.
giving Confederates and people and de-
scendants, since 1t is told by partic,
1pants In the fatal and fatefui event
strangely enough anticipating thu
equestrian statue OF Stuart, In Rich,
mond, Va, May goth. With imposing
ceremonies and unhounded enthusiasm
ana during the Jamestown ESp osl tion--