The Washington times., 1911-11-30
COD. JOHN s. MosBY.

s. M0SBY.
that 'the people report that our pa
trolls will be badly whipped II we keen
them out much longer" It turned out
Just as the people said. On December
between his camp and the river. This
dispatch tells what happened:
Holcomb's Force Defeated.
Tibbetts to Torbert:
Yesterday morning q detachment of
fifty men Of the Twenty-first New York
| Cavalry under Lieutenant Hoicomb
was sent to patrol the country In the
vicinity of Morgan's and Howellsville's
Fords Of the Shenandoah. with orders
to return via wildwood. Full instruc-
tfons were given to- Lieutenant Holcomb
and he was cautioned to be constantly
on the alert and ready for an attack.
1t appears from the statement of n
officer who was with Lieutenant Hol-
comb that he was attacked when near
Miliwood by party Of about thirty
o, @ the enemy: who came up the road
party attacked them in the nank. There
was. apparently. no fight at all, but a
rapid and dissraceful night. Lieuten-
ant Holcomb Swas captured with about
fsrsy no sses. Is sas nsn: ssY. later
Holcomb was found at a house near
White Post badly wounded Three Of
his men were killed. twenty-seven cap
timated at thirty.ave." About this az az
fair Sheridan said to Halleck: II have
nothing to report except the surprise
and capture Of q party Of twenty-seven
the Twenty-irst New York Cavalry.
the second cavslrs division. The The Of. Z.
ficer In command was Lieutenant Hol-
missed him from ths service"
The credit for this. brilliant affair ID
due to Lieut. George Baylor. Of the
Twelfth Virginia Cavalry. whose home
been temporarily detached from his
regiment with about thirty men. In q
book he wrote Baylor gives an account
Of his encounter with Holcomb. anr
~ do not know whether Lieutenant
Holcomb IL dead or alive. II alive. this
may be some consolation to him: II
dead, as I had supposed from the ma
his memory. My comrades and myself
will cheerfully bear testimony to the
fact that Lieutenant Holcomb. Of all
the men In his command. bore himself
his utmost endeavors to rally his men.
and finding his efforts OF no avail, he
threw himself into the breach. and. fore;
most hRhtin8, 1ell. Az tnat thine ! mao
him by the splendid service he did while
acting independently and offered him
the command of q new company ! was
about to organize. He accepted y and
tne Tss day mSov we heard Of the tan Of Rich.
me he Justified the confidence / had In
his ability; With Bayior was = briilian,
whom whom I offered a lieutenancy. Unfortu.
nately he was killed q few days after
ward.
Scouting Parties.
Notwithstanding the warning Of this
disaster. Tibbetts continued to send
no doubt by sheridan's orders. parties
to scout along the Shenandoah. 1t
seemed to be Q reckless tempting OF
fate. Chapman got news OF 1t. and
saw an opportunity to strike blow
that would satisfy any curiosity Tib-
| belts might have about our crossing
the river. One of these parties, a
hundred strong, came daily to Berry's
Ferry and returned to camp by Mill
wood or White Post. Chapman crossed
With two Ssvs SURE thing ne
posted Richards on the Millwood road.
under cover. while he took position on
the other road. 1t was not long before
IN tSey tSe road az to to the ferry. although they
were cautious and had hankers out, they
passed Richards without flushing him.
They were a part of the Fourteenth
nd Sf Captain Miles. Rfs Richards ard sa saWe
| the signal for attack as soon as they
had passed him. When the order was
given, his men. with revolvers, rushed
in nth the % enemy's ranks. Miles had been
notified Of danger by q negro, but paid
no more attention to It than Lochiel
did to the warning OF the seer:
Hal iaushes. thou Lochisl my vision to
Proud bird of the mountain. thy plume shall
| be torn.
Tibbets Tells What Happened.
There was not much Of a fght, but a
good deal of a chase One Of Richards
men-"Bob" Walker-was bruised by a
saber; the other side was almost ami
hilated-twenty-six killed and wounded
We're left on the ground, and fifty-four
| with their arms, horses and equipments
| were captured. The following dispatch
from, General Tibbetts tells what hap
pened:
| December II. 1864
THE party sent to Millwood has just
returned. having gone to the river a,
! Berry's Ford. The patrol under Captain
Miles was attacked by about 300 (5ol
mand and a detachment from McCaus.
lands command. (None OF McCausland's
command was there Or anywhere near
]. 8. M Captain Miles was killed, one
lieutenant wounded and one lieutenant
captured. Our loss besides was 10 killed
and II wounded, with 20 prisoners. The
enemy. Immediately after making the
attack, recrossed the river and could
not be overtaken. because they were
not pursued) The citizens report thai
only 20 men were taken across the
| river" Tibbetts showed nearly three
times as many men and horses missing
as he reported to Sheridan. This mus
have been the last scouting party thai
Tibbetts sent to the Shenandoah. a,