The National tribune., 1908-11-19

fertile cornfieIds, covered with serried
| rows of hammered stalks beginning to
yellow for the harvest, We're at one
moment seen in their full glory of Au-
tumn's fruitful opulence. At the next
instant. as the heavy columns swept
| over them. they appeared as fiat and
shorn as if raZed by a tornado. The
sight filled the hearts of the soldiers
with enthusiasm. 1t was such an ex-
| hibition of power as seemed wellnigh
lrresisubie. and hope mounted high
| that the destruction of Lees army was
at hand. Another cruel disappoint-
ment, however. like that at Yorktown
| was in store for them. negro came
out of the Confederate lines with the
Information that the enemy had re-
treated across the river. His statements
were secuted at first, but as there was
no trace Of the heavy skirmish line
which had confronted them the night
before, and the columns moved out
| without encountering a single shot, the
negro's report began to gain credence.
AT $3.50 Meade had not believed the
| enemy gone, for he sent orders to the
corps commanders to push their recon-
nolssances until they found the enemy.
fitzpatrick had learned at 3 o'clock in
| the morning that Stuart was retreating.
and he ordered Custer to move at day-
break and reconnoiter toward Williams
| port. 1t was 8 o'clock before Custer
| reached this place, and he was lust in
time to see the last of Ewelrs Division
reach the opposite bank Fitzpatrick.
who had come up, took two brigades.
and rushed down to Falling Waters In
the hope of being able to catch some
BODY there. He encountered Heth's Di
vision, the rear of which was thrown
out two miles to cover the crossing
There was a brisk skirmish, which
drove Heth's rear guard upon him with
fem
ers Fitzpatrick pushed on, and came
upon Heth's main line about l.500
yards from the river Lanes Brigade
was in the works which had been
thrown up on the left, while Pettigrew's
was drawn up across the road, and
brockenbrough's. on the right reached
10 the WOODS. Clusters advance was led
by portion of the 9Th Mich. Cav. un-
DER Maj. p. A. Weber, which attacked
win great spirit. thinking 1t only had
slender rear guard to encounter The
Confederates, mistaking the cavalry for
their own, allowed it to come up quite
close before the error was discovered
ana then fell upon the Michigan men
mercilessly. killing Maj. Weber. Lieut..
Balza and many other valuable soldiers.
In the melee Gen. Pettigrew was NOR
tally wounded. The remainder of the
brigade attacked Brockenbrough, who
beat them off, when they went to the
dooiSldiiCe Oh lHeiT comrades OF the 9TH
Mich. and, dismounting, attacked Pet
tigrew's Brigade with such fiercaness
as TO drive IL back, and captured a
number of prisoners. Fitzpatrick by
THIS time saw what force he was con-
tending against. and called his men off
TO keep up a skirmish fire until the
infantry came up to their help. II was
fine opportunity for Siocum. who was
near with tie Twelfth Corps. to have
crushed and captured Heth's entire
command. but Sloeum did not reach
the ground until past IL o'clock, when.
the pontoon bridge being free. Heth
moved over 1t. leaving Lanes Brigade
10 oring up the rear The watchful
fitzpatrick saw the movement, and re-
wed his attack. Ruford came to his
= stance. and assaulted Broken
jugh sharply and successfully. The
Confederate infantry. however man
aged to keep the cavalry back until l |
O'Clock, when all that were not cap-
tured of Heth's Division passed over the |
bridge to Virginia soil. and the bridge
was pulled over to follow them.
Back to Old Virginia.
Meade, who seems not to have been
well served by his spies, apparentIv
knew nothing of the location of the
bridge at Failing Waters. and did not
have any of his heavy infantry columns
moving in that direction to support
Kilpatrick's aggressive attack. The
ayalry had therefore to show for this
achievement some 1000 prisoners. in
cluding one regiment, the 47th va.
two guns and three stand of colors,