The National tribune., 1910-05-12
Stednlan's Affidavit.

body.-Wm. P. Stedman, Co. b. 4th
Mich. Cav, Washington, d. G.
Stedman's Affidavit.
To Whom 1t May Concern:
i, William P. Stedman. a member of
the late Co. b of the 4th Mich. Cav, to
the best of my belief and memory, make
this statement:
During the Summer of 1864, on the
Atlanta campaign, the railroads were
taxed to their full capacity. so that it
was impossible to ship horses to the
cavalry at the front. Therefore, as the
Troopers became dismountel they were
sent to the rear to take the place of in
fantry in the blockhouses, guarding
bridges on the railroad between Nash
Vile. Tenn, and the army in Georgia.
In August l and IS other men, under
lSergt jeremiah Craig, were sent to
lBlockhOuse No. 70, about Is miles south
of Columbia, Tenn. on the Nashville &c
Decatur Railroad. About the 1st of
September Serg't Craig was taken sick,
and went to the hospital at Columbia,
leaving me in command al the block
house.
Capt. J. NJ. Carter, of our regiment
(whO had no love for mel, was Acting
Provost Marshal at Columbia and he
had charge Of the blockhorsa between
! Columbia and Pulaski. When he learn
ed that / was left in command at the
! blockhouse he would not have it SO.
He sent Corp'f C. NJ. Bickford, who had
always been in the rear, to take my
place. At the organization of our regi-
ment at Detroit in 1862 Carter was
Second Lieutenant of my company. I
had some trouble with him at that time
and Col. Minty decided in my favor and
reprimanded Carter, who then deolared
he would get even with iae. Being a
man of vicious temper and revengeful
ri ltgrNI fF.a l,lI
circumstances will show
A few days after Bickford took COM
mand we received notice that Gen. JOS
| Wheeler. with large force of cavalry
and artillery, was coming down the
railroad. taking blockhouses and burn
ing bridges as he came. On Sept. IA
/ Wheeler's force came in sight about a
mile north of us. At once Bickford
turned pale, and asked If I would take
comnand. He said that he had never
been in a fight, and could not trust
himself. l told him if the men were in
favor of it 1 would do so. They all
agreed to the proposition. I prepared
f3r trouble at once In short time
three mounted men with a flag of truce
came toward the blockhouse. I asked
Bickford to go out with me to meet
| them. He did not want to go, but
after some persuasion he went with
me. When these men were about Is
rods from us / halted them, and asked
them what they wanted. They said
that they wanted to talk with the COM
mander of the blockhouse. 1 told them
that one could dismount and come for
ward and / would talk with him. All
three of them started forward I sharp
| iy halted them again, and told them
| that only one could come. Then one
dlsmounted, and came up to me and
| Bickford. He said that he was Col
James Wheeler. Chief of Gen. Wheel
er's staff, and by order of Gen. Wheeler
he was to demand the surrender of nv
command. He said that they had about
5000 cavalry and n fun battery of artil-
lery, and could take us in a half hours
time. l told him that we were there to
mold the blOckhouse against all corners
and not to surrender to anybody. He
smiled. and said that they had the ter
ribIe Texas Rangers, and if they were
let loose he would not be responsible
for what they did. 1 told him to let
them loose, and we would attend to
them. He said it was too bad to slaugh-
ter us, but he would have to do it,
Wheeler then retired around a hill
short distance away. The artillery
opened at once, also their sharpshoot-
ers. The engagement lasted five and
half hours by the watch, when they
withdrew. Gen. Wheeler left word at
a house near by, where he made his
Ibfti tCiS tIldl IL any OF our COM
mand were ever taken prisoners by his
command to let him know who we
were, and he would do all he could for
us. They changed their position seven
times, and once they fired on us with
grape and canister not more than 10
rods away. A man .by the name of
Roper, an old disabled Confederate
soldier who lived in the neighborhood,
told us that we killed eight and wound
ed 50 of Wheeler's men. I know that
ne took every team in the neighborhood
to carry his wounded away.
Early the next morning Gen. Rous-
seau, with division Of cavalry came |
along on Wheeler's trail. The General |
and some of his staff rode up to the
blockhOuse and looked at It, He was |
near Bickford, and asked who was in |
command. Bickford pointed me out, |
and said | was the man. The General |
rode to where 1 was, and shook hands |
with me, and said if my Governor did |
not commission me let him know, and |
he would get me a commission in a |
Kentucky regiment. 1 thanked him,
but told him that proposed to stay in
my own regiment. The General said |
that it was the best scrap he had ever
heard of. The blockhouse was struck
about 80 times, and it showed it.
The next day Bickford and another
man went to Columbia and reported the
engagement to Capt Carter. They re-
ported that | was in command in thel
fight. Carter would not have it so, but
insisted that Bickford should have the
credit for it, and he reported it that
way to Col Minty. who was at the, front
with his command Mnty, supposing
that Carter had made a correct report,
recommended Bickford to the Cover
nor of Michigan for a commission,
which he received; so, you see, Carter
got his revenge on me. But when we
joined the regiment several weeks after
wards the circumstances were dis
and my company was very much
diSpleaSed about it, The whole thing
was in the papers before we joined the