The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-01-21
4 RIDE Win etH. ROBERT {. LEE
"reminiscences of the Civil War by
Judge E. c. Moneure. Of Caroline.

me TO write some OF my pefsS,is.
recollections OF the late war be
tween the States, and especially aiii
incidents of my connection with che
Confederate army, which | have IRE
quently related 10 them, and | am
sure that they in their youthful
DAYS thought that the war tales
OF their iather and his personal
.ouch with the incidents narrated
we're wonderful and ought to he wrl
ten upon the pages OF history.
hay, Ielayed this for a number OF
ears. until OF recen, years being
.r,ed Is others who have ia q
hem have been requested 20 write
hem Gown for publication IN some
aewsoap,r or in pamphlet form.
I rather smcnk from the task fof
.wo reasons. First. because there
nus, u -cessarlly be a good deal OF
;elf ia the variations; and second
because feel my incompeteney 20
write IN interesting and readable
story. however. have yielded 20
The reouest OF children and friends
ana make the attenp'; 50 muel ty
way OF preamble and apology
/ entered the war in April. 6i'
NJ nriyate in the Caroline Light
Drascons. afterwards Co. b. 9th
Va Cavalry. served as a private
until the fall of 1864. when was
promoted to second heutenancy,
The incident of which | now write
is concerning a ride with Gen. Robt.
II Ice. IL was in May, 1864. Our
cavalry had been operating on the
right flank of Gen. Lees army at
the battle Of Spotsylvania {. n.
We had been operating aOou'
Guiney's station, in Caroline eouh-
~ and had been pressed to sou'h
or west beside Of Mattaponi river
and were guarding the roads lead
inc across the river. and upon
Slturday. the 22nd day OF Ma!
1894 my company being then al
We.ches guarding the road ie"uins
from Guineys and also the one leau
iny from Paige's and Bowling Green
there we had a pair OF carr wheels
with 4 stove pipe laid upon tue
axles 10 resemble piece OF artiiiefy'
This we stationed on an elevation IN
The road fronting towards quincy ;
rs a deterrant TO the enemy au-
yanc and /, had its desired &c,
snlt Tor they came down IN l"i'
view but advanced no further.
At this point. about 4 O'Clock
saturday evening. an order was re-
ceiyed by my captain 10 send seN,
aral men who were well acquainted
with the country and roads at one
TO Spo.sylvania c. II. to report 10
Gen Lee. as he wanted them lo'
qnides 10 his troops on the mareh.
I was nut in charge of this detaI Of
several men. We proceeded at ONE
to Spotsylvania and found Gen. Lee
At Southworth' house, about one
mile and half from the { ii. on
the road TO Travellers Rest anu
Crutehfield's Mill We reac iel
this place just at sunset ana
norted TO Col. Taylor. Gen. Lee S ad-
jutant-general. There were many
Generals and other officers present,
most OF them We're mounted ana
Gen. Lee seemed TO be giving theii
directions as to marching. reeol-
lact that there were present Gems
A p Hill. Early, Anderson, W II.
r Lee and others. l heard some
of the conversations between Gen
Lee and his generals. in the course
Of which he directed Gen. Hill 10
withdraw his last troops from the
front of the enemy at 9 O'Clock, IN
less they should leave his front be-
fore that time. Gen. Early asked
Cen Lee If he should remove his
troops down the Mattaponi IN front
of Milford and Gen. Lee replied AT
once that Gen. Hancock had been
al Milford since early that morning
and had possession Of the hills on
the south side Of the river and Is
fortifying same. milford is at
least Is miles nearer TO Richmond
than Spotsylvania) After some
other few directions from Gen Lee
the other generals with their aldes
left for their commands. and Gen.
Lee with his staff mounted. ask
ed Col Taylor where in the group
should ride? Gen. Lee hearing
nv question. said TO me you ana
YOUR comrade come here and rue
bv nv side" Mr.. w. G. Jesse, now
living in Hanover county, was my
comrade. / rode up by the side OF
Gen. Lee and Jesse TO the rear
with Col. Taylor. The General ask
ed me my name and what was
Jesse's name. told him. he
then asked me il was acquainted
with the roads and country around
sDotsylvania c. H. and back through
Caroline? / replied that was
luite familiar with them. A por-
lion of Longstreet's corps with
quantity of artillery had preceded
several hours. We marched rive
miles down the road to Travellers
Rest. but we did not rest there.
We then took the road and proceed
I'd TO Mud Tavern" at the junction
Of the Telegraph road and the road
% Guiney's. At this point ! told
Gen. Lee that some of the enemy
we're down that road about a mile.
He asked me How do you know /
told him that we were there about /
noon and were forced back on
to Welch's. General Lee
halted moment and told Col. Tay-
or to tell Gen. Anderson to send /
regiment down that road TO
protect the troops passing at that
point. We proceeded Their along
he Telegraph road and crossed the
Ia river at Jerrell's Mil. lit must
De remembered that this was a
nights march in the latter part OF
Nay and our march was on MUDDY
Dad, filled with artillery and
roops) At a point half a mile
iouth Of Jerrell's Mill the artillery
md wagons, some of them broken
Town, caused a jam and congestion
n the road, whereupon some "cuss
words" were used, and Gen. Lee
poke very kindly to some Of the
nfuriated men and officers, who by
intuition seemed to recognize him,
md the road in a few minutes was
lear and all hands moving along.
We got ahead of the bunch OF
wagons and artillery and continued
Until we reached the intersection OF
he Bethany, Welch and Bowl
ng Green roads. At this point |
old General Lee that the enemy
we're about a mile down the road
md again / was asked how | knew.
told him | was with my command