The National tribune., 1910-05-26

presently succeeded in forcing them out
of their works and back far enough to
| meaSurably stop the annoyance of the
men working on the bridge. The 7th
Mich. Cav. rushed over to the support
of its sister regiments, and was fol-
lowed by the 9Th N. Y. and nth Pa.
Cav from Devin's Brigade, also the 1st
and I'd u. S. Cav, which deployed in
front of the enemy's works under a hot
fire. For few minutes there was a
fierce interchange of volleys, but the
seven-shooting carbines of the Yankees
We're too much for even the superior
force behind the works, and the Con-
federates soon broke and fell back in
utter rout, leaving lot of prisoners,
wounded and not. in Custer's hands.
keenly as the Yankees wanted to pur-
sue them, they could not make it ef-
fective on foot, encumbered as they
We're with the arms which cavalry
man has to carry. Fitzhugh Lee did
not rally his men until he reached
Gaines's Mill, whittier Merritt speedily
followed with his mounted regiments.
and drove him back farther into the
country.
The Attack on Wilson and Gregg.
While all this was going on two small
newsboys came into the Union lines
with the Richmond morning papers for
sale, which, as can be imagined, were
eagerly purchased, even at the exceed
ingly good price of a quarter of dol
lar apiece. The stock was soon ex-
hausted, and officers and men at once
began to devour their contents, eager
for news from all the armies, but espe-
cially from that of the Army of the
Potomac. Measured by their feelings
and the way events had marched with
them, it seemed weeks since they had
cut loose from that army on the Po.
90 tta G<rIt tL,n
Mechanicsville road seemed to Davis
and Bragg an opportune time to deliv-
er the crushing blow they had been ar
ranging for since daylight. About IL
a. m, upon Davis's direction, Bragg
sent his heavy masses of infantry out
from behind the works directly upon
Wilson's Division. The dismounted
troopers opened terrific fire on them,
which somewhat disorganized the at
tacking column, but the mass was too
heavy for the Union troopers, and
pushed them off the field in some dis
order. The COn,ederates rushed for
ward until they came to a ravine, in
which Gregg had concealed a line OF
dismounted cavalrymen, whose Spencer
carbines opened with a blazing fire that
sent the Confederate infantry reeling
back to the cover of the works. The
repulse was so sharp and decisive that
Bragg and Davis, reckless as they al
ways were of their mems lives, did not
care TO renew the assault. The caval-
rymen's fire was admirably reinforced
by the artillery brigade, under Capt
Robinson, which had been doing ex-
|ceedingly good work in covering Gus
ter's assault on Fitzhugh Lee beyond
the bridge, and which now galloped
over to meet this fresh peril. As the
Confederates reeled under this scourge
of bullets shells and canister, Wilson
rallied his regiments, and made a coun-
tercharge that cleared the field Of the
enemy outside all the heavy intrench-
ments.
Having thus reduced the enemy to
Quiescence and fully emphasized his
lesson TO his men as to their entire
ability to take care of themselves un-
der all circumstances, Gen. Sheridan
withdrew with deliberation across the
Meadow Bridge. carrying off all his
wounded, their arms and his prisoners.
1t WAS an experience which filled the
hearts of the cavalrymen under him
with boundless confidence in them
selves and their great leader. The full
MONDAY sun of that long-neglected
arm of the service was now blazing
with all its splendor. The cavalrymen
felt themselves equal to anything, and
that the entire fate Of the Southern
Confederacy was in their hands.
(To be continued.)