The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-12


~
HIN n. NIs.FFIIT,
states t.t.1'.t. Navy.
pie General r. -. Lees line OF COM
munication and destroy the army sup
plies that were stored in sllarlottes-
viIle allowing SIX guns OF the stuart
Horse Artillery and an imaginary force
of infantry that was being unloaded
"a charlottesville. the Blowing OF loco
motive whistles aiding vcryrmuch in
the great bugbear OF Infantry that
seemed to take such possession OF
Clusters plans. Reverse the position of
Stuart and Custer. Think you that Gem
eral Stuart would have changed his
course because he thought n few batta-
lions of infantry were embracing from
the cars at Characteristics? think not.
Read the history his campaigns and
note single instance In which he
ever changed ais course when once he
had mapped out HIS route. we lost In
the whole battalion two mon and eight
mules that were In the field. and could
not he caught. We lost III of our per-
sonai effects and telts. also n forge in
consequences of being unable to catch
tho mules.
do not think that the raiders did
any harm in the neighborhood. For the
requirements OF Brcathed and his bat
terry, the dear ladies' Of Charlottesville
presented them with handsome SILK
Tag. | was loser in a pan OF light
bread that ] had made that morning,
and fully expected to eat for supper:
pllt man proposes and God disposes.
was beautifully cxemplified In my case
Stuart reached us about tho time Gus
ter was going into Madison county. II
hegan to rain about dark. one OF those
cold. freezing March rains, that would
make fellow as IL he wished the
Yankees were in the Internal regions.
and in my fathers library sitting
by a red hot stove. AS the rain fell.
II turned into sleet. do not remem-
Der ever having experienced more
.disagreeahle day. Stuart passed us
about dark and met the enemy's rear
guard Mt Stanardsville. and had
slight engagement. Custer retiring tn
his camp. accomplishing nothing. hav-
ing let Jim Breatncd. with few of his
-cannoneers. bluff him and keep back
the best cavalry brigade in the Army
.
ments. the Fifth Michigan Cavalry.
was commanded by Colonel Russell
Alger. late Secretary OF War. and of
embalmed beef fame. General Custer
in his report uses the following Ian
guage that does not bear n particle
of truth upon the face of It:
Official Records, vol. a. series /,
page 1862: Tho pickets of the enemy
We're met about six miles from Char
lottesvlle. Here j discovered SUI
perior force OF the enemy's cavalry,
supported by four batteries OF artillery
in position. and very heavy force OF
infantry Imaginary. which have
learned was Early's division. To sat
isfy myself concerning the enemy's
strength and position ordered Cap
tain Ash, of the Fifth United States
Cavalry. with two squadrons OF his
regiments. to charge the enemy's
right flank. Captain Ash drove the
enemy backve CALAMITY. and succeeded
in capturing six caissons. filled witt,
ammunition, two FORCES and harness
of the enemy. Learning the vast SUI
periority OF the numbers OF the enemy
compared with my own, and the
strength OF his, position, I determined
to withdraw my command. which I
did deliberately and in good order.
After recrossing the Rivanna I burned
the bridge over that stream: also
burned a large flour mill at that
point. as we'll as two other mills at
different POINTS on my route. retired
on the road leading to Stanardsvllle."
First, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Mich
igan Cavalry, and the Sixth Ohio. and
Battery r, First Artillery (horse bat
ftery) Oh, for the days of "Ananias
and Sapphfra. that this miserable
barn burning vandal might have
dropped dead when he was penning
this report. Captain NJ. N. Moorman.
who was supposed to command the
of horse artillery. Confederate
States, on page 16S Of the volume Of
the official Reports gives as his loss
the following: fMoorman Battery. two
men and two horses captured; Chew's
Battery, ten sets harness. climber
with canteens, one forge. six tents.
five tent files, four tarpaulins, sixty
pounds axle grease. fifteen curry
combs and brushes, three public horses.
forty government bags; Breathed's
Battery. nine tents. two horses. three
and one-half sets of harness; N1cGre-
Egor's Battery. six sets of harness; three
tent flies, twelve brides. six saddles
and blankets. four halters. two mules.
four sklllets. two camp kettles. four
water buckets. In addition Breathed's
and Chews men lost heavily In prt-l
Pate effects" Shortly@after this raid.
the horse artillery battalion moved
from their beautiful camp (biddlng
'good-by to many friends, nevermore
ito look on that spot again) to the mud-
holes Of the vicinity of y Gordonsyille.
where they received new horses and
equipped generally, as a preparation
for that never-to- e-forgqtten cam
ipatgn OF 1861, the equal of which In
endurance. hard fighting and hard