The National tribune., 1910-06-23
KILPATRICK'S RAID.

Col. William L. Curry. United States
Pension Agent. Columbus o., and who
served as a Captain in the 1st OHIO
Cav. has written very important and
interesting paper on Kilpatrick's raid
around Atlanta in August, 1864. This
was read before the Ohio Commandery,
and found of such interest and inpor-
tance that its publication was request
ed by the editors of the u. S. Cavalry
Association Journal, which has pub
lished it in full Col. Curry points out
that during the last two years of the
war the cavalry came under the COM
mand of young men, who at the DeSln-
ming were generally enlisted men, He
thinks this brought a world of vigor,
daring and enterprise into the COM
mand, and fulfilled Gen. Sherman's ad-
monition that caution and prudence
should be small elements in the make
up of a cavalry officer. This was abun-
dainty illustrated in the raid which was
ordered July 20. 1884. to destroy the
enemy's communications by burning
bridges, filling up tunnels and cuts, cut
ting telegraph wires and destroying
railroads and army supplies. Prior to
Kilpatrick's raid there had been two
expeditions sent out by Gen. Sherman.
one under Gen. Stoneman from the left
flank and another under Gen. Ed. NC
Cook from the right flank. Neither OF
these had been as successful as Gen.
Sherman wished, and Stoneman's expe-
dttion had met with complete disaster,
himself and 1000 men being captured
The expedition was composed Of five
brigades and two batteries. The First
Brigade was commanded by Lieut. Col.
Robert Klein, the Second by Lieut. Col.
Fielder A. Jones, the Third by Col. Eli
H. Murray, and the two brigades from
Gen. Garrard's Division were command
i MI u II tx,txy ND rnt
Long. The whole command numbered
4,800 men, all veterans of long service.
Col. Murray was put in command OF
Kilpatrick's Division and Col. Robert L..
King in command of Murray's Brigade
The expedition started from Sandtown
Aug. IS, and the infantry all along the
line made demonstrations to mask the
movement. This did not, however, de-
ceive Hood, who detached Cleburne's
Division of infantry to attack the cav
airy. and Fitzpatrick had to fight it at
LOvejoy. At the very outset the enc
my's cavalry was encountered and
stubborn resistance made. The West
Point Railroad was reached near Fair
burn, and Longs Brigade dismounted
and began tearing up the road. Col
Curry gives an interesting picture how
they went about this:
Cavalry, when they become accus-
toned to this kind of work. would tear
up track very rapidly. When the or
der is given to dismOunt Nos. 1, 2 and 3
dismount, and No. 4 always holds
horses, remains mounted and leads the
pther three horses. No. hands his
reins to No. A. No. 2 ties his reins to
the bit of No. and No. to reins of
No. 2. The men then form along one
side of the track in close order, and at
command grasp the rails and ties and
turn the track over, and sometimes
half mile of tracks is turned before a
joint is broken. The men move along
rapidly, and many rods of the track
will be standing up on edge. If there is
time, the rails are then torn loose from
the ties by picks and axes. carried for
that purpose. the ties are piled up and
the rails on top of them, and then the
tires are fred; thus the rails are heated
in the middle and bent out of shape by
being twisted around trees or telegraph
poles. are left there to cool, and no
doubt some of them are there yet to
mark the trail Of the cavalry raiders.
The brigade destroyed about a mile Of
track, when we were attacked by the
cavalry and artillery of the enemy on
both the rear and left flank. The bri-
gade was ordered to mount and gallop
forward to joint the First Brigade, un-
der Minty, which had crossed the track
and had the advance"
n iiNtly light WIS On DIT once, WHICH
was directed by Gen. Fitzpatrick, whom
Col. Curry describes as looking the very
ideal Of a cavalryman. During the bat
tie Kilpatrick's headquarters band,
mounted on white horses, were playing
patriotic airs with all their might. The
enemy was soon driven in confusion
toward Atlanta but the fighting was
thenceforward almost continuous. The
country was thickly wooded and bad
for cavalry to operate in. Jonesboro
was taken after sharp skirmish, and
great amount of clothing and cavalry
stores destroyed. The sky was lighted
up with burning timbers, buildings, cot
ton bales. and again the headquarters
band was in evidence playing National
airs while the destruction was going on
The command was now in the rear OF
Hoods army. and, as Phil Kearny would
say, the fighting was lovely all along
the line. Finally the command was
entirely surrounded. with two Of Gle
burne's brigades in the rear. the cavalry
brigades of Ross, Ferguson and Martin,
about 1000 State troops and Cleburnes
remaining brigades on the fianks and
two brigades of cavalry with division
Of infantry and a six-gun battery COM
pleting the line. Altogether there were
hve brigades of infantry, 1s pieces Of
artillery and six brigades Of cavalry
surrounding the division. Fitzpatrick
was born cavalryman, and determined
upon saber charge to get out of the
trouble. He massed all his troops, put
the artillery in the rear and ordered
sabers drawn. The troops were formed
in columns of fours to strike the enc
my's line at different places. The enc
my had formed two or three lines with
infantry behind barricades of fence
rails and logs. The lines were quickly
formed. and $500 sabers rang as they
were drawn from their scabbards and
flashed in the sun. The bugles rang out
Forward! Troti Gallop! Charge."
in quick succession, and the columns
swept forward under the spur with loud
yells, scaling fences, jumping bitches
and barricades. Nothing could stop
the yelling troopers, and in an instant
the men were sabering right and left
among the enemy, who were fleeing in
confusion. 1t Is estimated that from
500 to 500 prisoners were sabered. At
one time the command had over l 900
prisoners in its hands, but these nearly
all escaped. The Confederate line was
smashed to pieces wherever struck, and
the whole command gailoped away tri-
umphantly, with Longs Brigade cover
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