Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-10-03

49, 49,
General Price continued his retreat
undistnrbed and reached Arkadelphia,
100 miles south on the Washita. There
his force united with scattered detach-
ments. the aggregate numbering about
$500 men.
Old Foes Meet Again.
Sept. 10. 1868. two months after the
affair ut Falling Waters, where Gen
eral r. e. Lee crossed the Potomac on
his retreat from Gettysburg. the last
clash of arms In that campaign, the
troopers in blue and gray, under Gen
eral Judson Fitzpatrick and General j.
q. B. Stuart. reopened the old fight
for the mastery of the Rappahannock
line. Lee retired his whole army be-
yond the Rappahannock and also south
OF the Rapidan. a tributary of the great
river. General George q. Meade. his
victor, pushed forward with the Army
of the Potomac to the Rapphhannock
and Sent his cavalry across to clear the
road for an advance to Culpcper Court
House. Stuart was guarding the Get
b}6RuAS iOluo VIII htn btVVl'iH
Fitzpatrick led a division across the
Rappahannock early on the 18th, hop
ing to surprise the enemy and rush
upon the courthouse u%nnpposed. Stu
art sent his Wagons aud disabled
horses BACK behind the Rapidan and
deplpyea mis- corps for the defense of
Calpeper. Kilpatricf's leading brigade.
under Colonel II. q. Davies. Jr., ross
ed the Rappahannock at Kclly's ford
at 6 a. M. driving the enemy's pickets
back toward Brandy Station. on the
railroad. where two regiments of Stu
arts troopers were in line supported
by three guns. Davies men were
checked by the fire. and tie brought
up two guns. with which The enemy's
pieces were soon silenced.
Fitzpatrick ordered Davies to make
a detour through the woods and attack
in the direction of Culpeper The Con-
federates encountered on the new
route were driven back to the court
house. where Davies found his ad-
vance disputed by another large force
of cavalry supported by three guns.
Bringing up a battery to shell Stuart's
line, Davies sem in two battalions of
the Second New York cavalry on a
charge.
Sabering Cannoneers.
In front Of the charging troopers
were a ravine and a creek with a steep
hill and a rocky road on the other side.
The road was swept by shells, but the
line dashed forward calamity up to
the muzzles of the guns. Using their
sabers only, the New Workers drove
out the ~cannoneers and captured two
pieces. together with twenty men and
an officer.
The capture of the guns, which be-
longed to Thompson's Virginia bat
terry, gave Davies control of Culpeper.
but as he pushed on after the retreat
ing enemy his line encountered an
other battery posted In thick woods
near the railroad. Stuart In person
was directing the fight. Davies sent
the Fifth New York on q charge
against the guns. but the ground In
front was broken. and when the line
struck the crest of the hill 1t was at
tackled by superior numbers and fore
ed back. Fitzpatrick quickly galloped
to the head of the discounted troopers
and. rallying them. led on through a
heavy fire toward the battery. Davies
led up his own regiment. the Second
New York. TO support the Fifth. and
both regiments dashed into the woods
together.
Fearing a second repulse, Davies
called up the First West Virginia cav
airy. which had just been supplied
with the Spencer repeating rifle. a
weapon which became a favorite with
the cavalry. The West Virginians had
not fired a shot that day and sprang
from their saddles with a will. Rush
ing into the woods. the fresh troops
turned the tide with their rapid fire.
and the whole line moved forward
again.. Stuart withdrew his guns and
retreated to the Rapidan. On the
morning of the 18th the troopers in
blue and gray scowIed at one another
across that barrier. The Federal cav
airy had taken Culpeper and cleared
the country between the two rivers Of
enamv.