The National tribune., 1908-11-05

'To add to our perplexities still fur
ther a report reached me a little after
sunrise that the Federals in large force
held Wflliamsport. I did not fully
credit this. and decided to push on.
Fortunately the report was untrue.
After a great deal OF desultory fighting |
and harassments along the road during |
the day nearly the whole OF the I'M
mense train reached Williamsport on |
the afternoon of the 5th. A part OF 1t, |
with Hart's Battery, came in next day,
Cen. Young having halted and turned
his attention to guarding the roao Iroi,'
the west with his cavalry. we took
possession of the town to convert IL INTO
a great hospital for the thousands OF
wounded we had brought from Gettys-
burg. I required all the families In
the place to go to cooking for the SICK
and wounded, on pain OF having their
kitchens occupied for that purpose py
my men. They readily complied. A
large number of Surgeons had accom-
panied the train, and these at once
pulled off their coats and went to work.
and soon a vast amount OF suffering
was mitigated- The bodies OF few
who had died on the march were buried
All this became necessary because the
tremendous rains had raised the river
more than 10 feet above the fording
stage OF water, anu VIC hOl poS-
sibly cross then. There were two small
ferryboats or flats there. which / i'm
mediately put into requisition to carry
across those of the wounded who, after
being fed and having their wounds
dressed, thought they could walk TO
Winchester Quite a large number
were able to do this. so that the flats
| were kept running all the time"
| The IndefatignbIe Fitzpatrick.
On the morning Of July Gen. XII
patrick was informed OF the retreat OF
Lees army and that a heavy train OF
| wagons was moving on the road TO
| Hagerstown, which train he was eX-
| pected to capture and destroy. Kill
patrick was directed to start at once
for Emmitsburg, where he would find
! Col. Huey's Brigade, which he would
take with him. At o'clock in the
afternoon he reached Emmitsburg,
finding Huey waiting eagerly for him,
md the column swept on without
halt for the Monterey Gap in the South
Mountain, for which the Confederates
were making. A portion of Stuarts
eavaIry was encountered at Miller's and
rorced off the road. The top of the
mountain was soon gained. and the
prey of the long wagon train seemed
/ within reach. Night was rapidly COM
ing on, tho, and it was raining in tor
rents. The Confederate rear guard
opened upon the cavalrymen with ar
Iillery and musketry, and at the same
! time Stuart attacked Col. Huey, who
was bringing up the rear. The road
thru the gap was narrow shelf be.
veen a steep bank on one side and
-eep ravine on the other. This did no
eter Fitzpatrick nor his men, whom h
Int in on a charge thru the peltinf
lowers. The Confederates were forced
ack and many prisoners taken. Still
cater perils confronted the cavalry
-nce the enemy was forming his line
sat half mile further on, with rein
sorcements constantly arriving. Pen.
rington's Battery, ever at hand wher
harp, quick work was needed, was
brought up, and replied to the enemy
attillery with its usual success. TheI
i Custer was ordered forward to clear
the road and attack the train, which
he did in the brilliant manner cllarac-
l.teristic Of him. In the meantime by
a road to Smitnsburg had been found by
which the 1st VT. Cav, under Lieut.
Col. Preston, moved to intercept the
nj train. which was thought to be that of
|, EwelPs Corps. The. guard of teamsters
were driven off, and the whole train
heavily laden with the spoils of the
/ country, was destroyed, save some 80
| wagons and a few ambulances filled
, ! with wounded officers, who were Sent
i back with the rest of the prisoners tc
!. Frederick. Md. BY o'clock on the
+ morning of the 5th Fitzpatrick hat
v battle flag and a large number Of horse;
and mules and several hundred wound
e ed confederates left upon the field. Ir
this exploit, known as the engagement
4 of Monterey Gap. which was sharp and
full of yicissitudeS and daring from the
1 first, Fitzpatrick lost only five Killed, 1C
!: wounded and 2S missing. 1t was 6
brilliant piece of work for the cavalry
8 in which it had badly outmanuvered its
: old enemy, Stuart Stuart was trying
{ his best to come to the rescue oi
\ his train, but had been successfully held
in check by Col. Pennock Huey witt
r his brigade. Suddenly, leaving this OBJ
!, Estimate opponent, Stuart sw~pt arount
a thru Emmtsburg to Mechanicstown tt
" cross the mountain and pen up Kilpat
a rick in the Valley. Fitzpatrick learned
r of his approach in time. and went int
O position on three hills which com
e manded the mountain roads by whicl
Stuart WAS expected. On the first hill
Hueys Brigade was posted with Full
ler's artillery, forming the first line o
battle. On the second hill, to the rea
and right, was Richmond's Brigad
with Elders Battery, and still farthe
to the rear and right was Clusters Bri
gade with Pennington's Battery.
The Fight Mt smithsburg.
Stuart opened the attack about 5:3
o'clock, but showed at once how muc
he was suffering from the well-directe
artillery fire directed upon him. H
persisted in the attack for an houl
when, seeing its hopelessness, he cease
with characteristic sudGenness, an
withdrew his men in the direction @
Wrightsville. Fitzpatrick did not pur
sue, for he was only too glad to sc
Stuart go and leave him in possessio
of his rich spoil of prisoners, wagon
and other captures. Fitzpatrick fe
back to Boonsboro, and late that nigh
succeeded in turning the fruits of hi
victory over to Gen. French. He learne
that Stuart had gone to HagerstowI
where he was barricading the road
and intrenching to protect the train
which filled the roads between theI
and Williamsport.
The morning Of July Kilpatric
started out to find Stuart. Gen. Bufor
came up with his division, and as h
outranked Fitzpatrick the latter place
his command at Buford's disposa
After a brief consultation it was d.
/ cided that Buford should go on I
Williamsport and attack, while Kilpa
rick would execute his original inter
4 ton against Stuart. He succeeded
surprising Stuart, who was expectin
him in quite another direction. TIL;