The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-14
CAVALRY RESUMES MARCH
ALONG JAMES RIVER.
March 8, 1865.

Fifty years ago today, after night :
exposure to pitiless rainstorm. Gen.
. Sheridan's cavalry column or 1900 men,
| on - raid west of Richmond. resumed
/ the destruction of Confederate property.
The James River Canal. ono of til"
main arteries OF traffic 10y which Cen.
I Lee received supplies for his army de-
( Tending Richmond, was tho immediate Oh
/ jcCt of the columns attention OF this
! day. and in spite Of food and tempest.
and roads and tuwpaths dcCp in mud.
the Northern troopers went about their
! task with cheerful resolution.
They felt that every act of destruction
on their part was a stroke toward end
ing tho war. Since leaving Winchester
! in the Shenandoah Valley on February =
to join Grant at Petersburg. they had de-
stroyed much property. and ridden hard
but always with feeling that the end
of the war was near at hand.
! The march had been one OF the hardest
! on record. but IL had not been without
! highlights and memories To bc cher
! ished in after Years Som" of the vet
Grams who rode with Sheridan can recall
; today the fields Of mud in which they
I tried to make bed Of fence rails under
flimsy shelter tents While their horses
stood exposed to tn" storm. ON that Bit
ter night of March So. IS
/ With the mornings light all tho Grum-
! blnGs and discomfort Of the night van
! ished The soldiers We're Young. and
they were living a life that had place
in history.
/ Thus far on their raid they had seen
parts of Virginia that had not before
been trod by Federal soldiers. Two
days had been spent at TN" pretty little
city Of Charlottesville. There many OF
the Northern soldiers had seized an on
portunity OF walking out to Monticello,
the famous home of the second President
OF tho United States.
Although it stood in tine enemys Coun-
try not one of Sherdan's soldiers who
saw il then would have failed 10 de-
fend it against marauder or vandal.
] This was true Of the Presidents homes
, throughout the war. Mount Vernon, the
homo OF Washington. was by taClt un-
Outstanding. neutral ground. while CON
tending armies held the south bank Of
tn" Potomac in turn.
An LA" for MY BOY Jube.''
All along the line of march the troops
had found themselves in a mood I" make
light OF their hardships and amidst the
steady downpour and the envelopinS
mud-whiCh encased men and horses
from foot to head-to make merry on
the slightest occasion.
At Charlottesville some of them who
We're printers had cUrnmandeered a
newspaper office and proceeded to get
ont the local paper. They took good
care to fill its columns with patriotic
Items. and gave them added spice by
inserting burlesque advertisements on
the familiar Southern notices regarding
runaway slaves. One Of these related
to MY boy lube" for whom a good re-
ward was offered. This referred to Gen
Jubal \. Early, who since the capture
of his command by Sheridan on March
had been a fugitive in the mountains
Another named was MY man Rosser"
reference to Gen. Thomas L. Rosser.
who had commanded the last OF Gen.
EarlyS cavalry.
In soldiers diaries Of the raid will be
found occasional anecdotes or the troop
ers' intercourse with the people they
met.
A picket on guard discovered two bar
rels OF native wine at the house of
doctor His companions shared his eager
ness in getting this wine. As the barrels
could not he carried off and thew had
not enough time to remain by them and
drink all the wine. they hit on the ex-
pedient Of carrying it off in bucket
and filling the canteens of the regiment. |
The doctors wife loaned them a !
bucket. When it was returned. with
prOfusc thanks. she expressed great sur
prise. saying. THAT is more than | ever
expected of Il Yankee"
Negroes Lend Hand
Thus far Sheridsn's men had subsisted
largely ION the country" They had
found the nciEhborhood Of Charlottes- 4
vile. and the upper James richer IN /
supplies than they had supposed posi- ,
Bile
At Charlottesville they had found moro
grain. flour. meal and bacon than they
could take awdv. Having supplied their
wants they gave tho surplus to the no.
Eroes. who flocked in the wake OF the
column. Such abundance greatly sur
prsed these sable follower.
Ono who had received A ham OK
claimed; 'Why. hrcss vo' soul. Massa,
OATS II" fiISt ham dis Chilc's a-had
since dc wan began"
The negroes. vii" III some WAYS vcrc
an embarrassment proved OF some
valu" as the raid progressed. Whenever
a wagon Was mirod. they gathered about
II and literally lifted it from the mud
Riding had become second nature to
Sherdan's troopers. but this raid tested
all their endurance and skill. Often a
rider foil asleep in the saddle. to wake
liz a Tuagmirc or quicksand. or to find
himself deposited over the head of his
horse in deep elastic red mud !,
Along the canal towpath, in dark and
rain. the going was often DANGEROUS
More than one trooper found himself
plunged into the canal The horse of
one reared at some object in its path
and losing its balance. went backward
into the canal. The trooper more by
luck than skill kept his seat, swan the
animal 10 landing place, and rode
ashore.
Flapjacks in the Rain.
Throughout the march the soldiers
''en had difficulty. in the sodden condi-
ton of the country. in building fires with
which to prepare their food, Even the
fencerail. the standby of the soldier on
a raid. failed to ignite
On more than one night coffee was i'm
possible. and a rasher of raw bacon and ,
square of bareback made the soldiers ,
supper.
The trooper who had skill and persist
ence enough to build a fire in a pouring ,
rain and could cook himself a batch of ,
The napjacks were not much to boast
of. being made merely of flour and :
water. with perhaps a little salt. baked :
n skillet. but they were sweet to the /
Tooth of the hungry trooper
anti