The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-02-21
STORIES
CAPh 'H1&.$,
AND WAR "
NOTED RAID AROUND ATLANTA
Important and Interesting Paper
Written by Col. William L. Curry
Columbus Pension Agent.


Columbus Pension Agent.
Col William L. Curry, United
States pension agent, Columbus, o.,
and who served as a captain In the
1st Ohio cavalry, has written a very
important and. interesting paper on
lKilpatricks raid around Atlanta III
August. 1864. This was read before
the Ohio commandery and found OF
such interest and importance that its
publication was requested by the edi-
tors of the u. S. Cavalry Association
Journal, which has published 1t in
full Colonel Curry points out that
during the last two years OF the war
the cavalry came under tho command
Of young men, who ut the beginning
were generally enlisted men. The
raid was ordered July 90 1864, to
destroy the enemy's communications
by burning bridges, filling up tunnels
and cuts, cutting telegraph wires and
destroying railroads and army sup
plies. The expedition was composed
Of FIVE brigades and two batteries.
The whole command numbered 4,S00
men, all veterans Of long service. The
expedition started from Sandtown
August 49, and the infantry all along
the line made demonstrations 10 mask
the movement. This did not how.
ever, deceive Hood who detached
Cleburne's division Of infantry to at
tack the cavalry and Fitzpatrick had
to fight It at Lovejoy. At the very
outset the enemy's cavalry was en-
countered and a stubborn resistance
made, The West Point railroad was
reached near Fairburn, and Longs
brigade dismounted and began tearing
up the road.
The brigade destroyed about a mile
Of track, when attacked by the cav
airy and artillery Of the enemy on
both the rear and left flank. The bri-
gade was ordered to mount and gal
lop forward 20 join the First brigade,
under Minty, which had crossed the
track and had the advance.
A lively fight was on at once, which
was directed by General Fitzpatrick.
During the battle Kilpatrick's head
quarters band, mounted on white
horses, were playing patriotic airs
with all their might. The enemy was
soon driven in confusion toward At
lanta but the fighting was thencefor-
ward almost continuous. The country
was thickly wooded and bad for cav
airy to operate in. Jonesboro was
taken after a sharp skirmish, and a
great amount of clothing and cavalry
stores destroyed The sky was light
ed up with burning timbers, buildings,
cotton bales, and again the head
quarters band was in evidence play
ing 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 fight
ing was lovely all along the line.
Finally the command was entirely
with two Of Cleburnes
brigades in the rear, the cavalry
brigades Of Ross, Ferguson and Mar
tin, about 1000 state troops and Gle
burne's remaining brigades on the
flanks and two brigades Of cavalry
with a division of infantry and a six
gun battery completing the line Alto
gether there were five brigades of in
fantry, 1S pieces Of artillery and
brigades of cavalry surrounding the
division. Fitzpatrick was born cav
alryman, and determined upon a saber
charge to get out OF the trouble. He
massed all his troops, put the artil-
ery In tho rear and ordered sabers
drawn The troops were formed in
columns Of fours to strike the enemy's
ine at different places. The enemy
had formed two or three lines with
behind barricades Of fence
'ails and logs. The lines were quick
y formed, and 4.500 sabers rang as
hey were drawn from their scabbards
md flashed in the sun. The bugles
'ang out Forward! Trot! Gallop!
Jharge!" in quick succession, and the
columns swept forward under the
spur with loud yells, scaling fences,
jumping dirches and barricades. Moth
ng could stop the yelling troopers,
md in an instant the men we're saber-
ng right and left among the enema
t is estimated that from 600 to 500
prisoners were sabered At one time
he command had over 1000 prison
RS I'm It's hands but tnese nearly all
escaped. The Confederate line was
to pieces wherever struck,
nd the whole command galloped
way triumphantly with Longs brig
de covering the retreat Cleburne
ollowed up furiously and Long had
light with him Of nearly an hour be-
ore driving him back. Tn this Col
mel Long was severely wounded. Tho
Whole command moved rapidly toward
1cDonough, marching all night in a
rain They did not get
he order to unsaddle until between 2
nd o'clock on the morning Of Aug.
l. The saddles had been on contin-
ously since the evening OF Aug 1S.