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WAR SI Close Calls t Col. (t. N. Saus.-y, Many have related experiences of dangerously "close calls," showing narrow escapes cf individuals, which, if all could be put in print, would not only till volumes, but libraries. S une of these bordered upon the miracu lous. There were many instances where whole commands casun within the list of this category. With The Journal's permission, I will instance a few of these. Mc Clcllau had bent his mighty army as a great bow, nearly half way around the capital, alike of the Old Dominion and the young Confederacy. Daily accessions to his ranks intensified the peril to the heart of the youthful na tion. Spade and pick were busy fac tors strengthening the Federal posi tion and rendering mure gloomy the Confederate outlook. Johnson, at Seven I'ines, hud tempt ed the fickle goddess, and a severe wound from a shed fragment to his person, and a failure of success to his arms, hurt both his pride and his phy sique. It was then the great Virgin ian stepped upon the crimsoned stage of the bloody drama as its star actor. Mosby, then a scout, had penetra ted MoClellan's line and returned with such information as to start the caval ry command on a dangerous venture. Selecting eleven hundred horses and thrco guns, Stuart left Richmond on June 12, 18G?, for an investigation of lu'cClellati's right flank. A bold dash ' kcthc outposts of the regulars, but i..esc soon rallied behind a strong po sition on Totopotomay creek, and for a while delayed progress. Busy and industrious flankers soon found cross ings above and below that enabled ihu Confederate troopers to ugain put the Federal horses out of position and kept them on the move untM their or- I ganization was completely broken aud j driven from' the field. 11 uart soon j found he was within the lues of Me- I Clellan's right flank and between his army and its base of supplies at the white house, on the I'auumkey river. The Federal cavalry that had escaped ' soon apprised the main lino of the daring forces upon their right wing, and a ttrong force was thrown across the route by which Stuart hud broken through the Federal position. The escape of the train from Tunstal sta tion to the white house put the strong garrison there upon notice, and they promptly assumed tho defensive. Surpriso under these circumstances was no longer possible, and tho way back blocked by a strong force. Tho position of Stuart was very perilous, but the resourceful cavalier did not , Joso his wits. Promptly ordering the ooluinn for ward, he pressed along on or corre sponding to und iu rear of the line of McClelland's huge army. All night these troopers, under splendid guides, moved, und blazed their path with burniug wagons. Speed was now tho prime factor of tho forces; therefore, the command could not be cumbered with captured wag ons. Tho guards and teamsters were made prisoners, tho horses and mules detached and the movement prised steadily along. Daylight found the colurnnjin the viainity of Long Bridge on the Chick ahominy. Stuart's information was that he would find a pontoon here, re placing tho permanent structure de stroyed by his troopers two or three weeks before, during Johnston's retro grade movement up the peninsular. ' In this ho was disappointed. .A sharp rise in the river made the ford impos sible, so down stream tho column was turned, to find uo better conditions at Burn or Ford's bridge. This struc ture hud been sawed off on either side of the river and dropped into the stream, leaving these approaches us abutments, but with a fatal gap where once stood a good, secure bridge. Here was a continuance of the quan dary. How was Stuart to pass the swollen river and keep his artillery? About a fourth of a mile from the wrecked bridge was an abandoned to becoo farm. It seems like a provi dential supply of material for an im promptu bridge. Willing hands, with out tools, soon demolished tho struc ture. Lifting the sills upon poles, strong arms quickly transported these to the river end sucoceded in getting them across. These just lapped the gap between the abutments by about nine inohes. Quickly the weather boarding from the barn was brought, laid upon these sills, and an impro vised bridge was ready for the artille ry. In the meantime, most of the horses, under skillful hands, were suooosBful ty swum across the deep and rapid j liver. During the anxious hours the bridge was. under construction, Fitz Lee, v*itb a strong portion of the com mand and the artillery, took position in our rear to prevent any sudden eruption upon the working force. OR?ES. >y "Wholesale. iti Atlanta -Journal. , Happily, no attack was made. In 'act, no force approached the raiders while engaged in this perilous duty. Uecalliug the outpost and the guns, the whole command was noon across j the turbid stream. Then the impro vise <1 bri?gc was thrown into the river. Pressing forward, tho command, about l-J'l 1?. ni . reached the hanks of the .James, about thirty-miles below Rich mond. Here Home forage was secured, the horses fed, and the men rested. j After nightfall, the march was rc : sumcd. The command passed in sii^bt of over twenty of the enemy's gunboats and transports, but without mob-station, until it was about to re enter the Confederate lines, when a few shells from a scout gunboat were fired at the column, but without effect. Th e expedition brought into the Con federate lines 10D officers and men as prisoners, 2h'5 horses and mules, and destroyed property of the Federal crmy, that could not be moved, esti mated by competent Federal authority well up in seven Ggurcs. Tho troops engaged in this foray were two days and two nights enclosed behind the mighty Army of the Poto mac, and in their march in rear of and within three miles of General McClel lan's headquarters. This moviog column was totally lost to the Federals during this time. In breaking Mc Clellan's right, Stuart sustained the serious . loss of the gallant Latane, who fell while leading the charge that smashed the regulars and opened the way through the F.edoral lines. This was the only loss to Stuart. For this daring and successful feray upon the rear of the Putomac army, Stuart and his troopers received the hearty congratulations of General Lee in General Orders No. 74, June 23, 181)2. Fur two days Stuart and his troopers were completely shut off from any aid or assistance, and all that time in deadly peril of utter destruction; but be safely compassed the object of bis venture, with fru.' as before enumerated, and that with the loss of but ont; man, the gallaut Captain John Lataue. Nor were these the only fruits, for it was pructically upon the line bluzed out by Stuart on this raid that Jack son was directed t) move when he swooped down from the valley upon McCIellau's flauk, which terminated in the fcderul defeat in the seven days' battles of Richmond. There are few instances during tho four years of thatGcrce struggle where there was a closer call than in the Chicahomony raid. Sharpsburg had been fought, and history had recorded upon her tablet oue of the bloodiest of indecisive bat tics. When the sun sank to rest on the evening of tho 17th of September, 18(52, the crimson glow that veiled his face portrayed tho life blood of thou sands of bravo men who had that day grappled in deadly embrace for the mastery of that bloody field. Tho dawn of the 18th found these two giants facing each other where they had dropped from heroic exhaustion tho evening before, the one too terri bly punished, tho other too weak to assume the aggressive. Each, as he closely scanned his op ponent, watched for soruo aggressive or tactical movement whilo they rest ed upon their amir. Finally a brief truce was arranged for burying the dead. When darkness "rolled back the curUiu of the night and pinned it with a star" tho relative positions of the two armies remained unchanged. The active mind of Leo grasped the truth that reinforcements were rapidly coming to McCIellau's help, while none were within hail of his lines. Then he knew he. must yield the nor?h bank of the Potomac. Undercover of darkness his forces passed the river molested, and the morning of the 19th of September found the Army of Northern Virginia again on Virginia's soil. Then MoClellan suddenly be came aggressive. Ho rushed a corps in hot pursuit and thought he found tho way unblocked. But Lee had taken the neoessary presaution to pre vent any poaching upon his preserves. He had left Hill (A. P.) with 2,000 muskets and a fair complement of guns at Sheppardstown ford. These were so posted that their presence was not revealed to the hot pursuers. Into the Potomao they pushed. Hill al lowed them to swarm into tho river until they wore from shocmouth to armpit in the stream, whon he turned loose tho dogs of war with suoh terri ble and fatal energy ho tore tho ad I vanoing enemy into fragments. So terrible beoamo the confusion that order and command passed from this harnessed bos*, and in the stampede that followed, as many perished under the water as shell and ballet killed, until the bloodstained river became literally dammed with the slaughtered federals. I This dampened McClellan's aggres siveness, and lie sat down upon the north hank of the Potomac to rest, re cuperate and recover. Lee likewise improved this impromptu truce and waited the next move of McClellao upon the hloody chessboard. Public clamor, that hydra-headed monster, raved at McClellao*a listless ness and raged at his inactivity. Even Mr. Lincoln became urgently impa tient at this delay. The restless Stuart chaf"d at this enforced rest. He ill-hrooked lethargy and must again turn time into oppor tunity. On the !Hh of October, 1802, he se lected 1,Sill) troopers under Hampton, Colonels Koonuy Leo and William E. .Jones and the ''boy major,'' .John Pelham, with four guns. With secre cy and speed Stuart moved fur Mc Coy's ford, and at dawn found the crossing and soon the whole command was safely across. This was not ac complished, however, without detec tion. Captain Logan, of the Twelfth Illinois eavalry, in command of a nearby picket post, took position where he could, unobserved, watch the moving raiders.. As early as 7:30 a. m. General Kenly, at Williamsport, and hy 10 o'clock General Prooke, at Hagerstown, knew of Stuart's move ment north ot the Potomac. Stuart pressed rapidly forward upon tho national pike and so close that ho literally trod upon the heels of Gen eral Coze's division that had passed just ahead of him, so close that Stuart possessed himself of several stragglers who carelessly loitered and fell into the Confederate hands. Fortunately for him there was no federal cavalry on the immediate lino of his match to attack or harass him. Strict orders had been issued hy Stuart not to molest the persons or property of citizens of Maryland. So his col umn pressed rapidly for the border land. Ouce across the Pennsylvania State line, foraging parties got active ly to work impressing Btock and cap turing United States government prop erty. Stuart reached Chatnbersburg at S p. m. on tho l()th. A demand for tho surreuder of the town was promptly acquiesced in. Here was found publia property and stores to the value of over a quarter of a million dollars. What could not be utilized by Stuart was destroyed. In Cham bersburg there were also 28tJ soldiers, mostly sick aud convalescent. The.so were paroled. Near this towu a huu gry raider approached a farm from which the ptale member* of the house hold had fled, leaving only the women and children. An application for food was answered with a scowling re sponse that there was none in tho house. The hungry Confederate said he had never before indulged in such, but his condition was so desperate he would have to satisfy his terriblo hun ger with one of the fat babies of the household. A demonstration that looked like he was in ''dead earnest" soon procured for him a bountiful sup ply of grub. Day dawn found the raiders in the saddle, with head of column turned toward Gettysburg, until the command had cros&ed the Catoclin mountains. At Cashtown, Stuart turned south ward and marohed though Fairficld to Etnmotsburg, which be reaohed near sunset on the 11th, having marohed 31} miles since leaving Chambersburg. After a few moments for rest and refreshment, the column resumed the march at a trot. Soon after dark a Federal oourier, bearing dispatches, was captured. Tho infor mation acquired was of great value to Stuart. From those dispatohes he learned Col. Rush had at Frederick City the 6th Pennsylvania cavalry, tho 1st Maine oavalry, Cole's Mary land battalion of oavalry, the 5th Con necticut infantry, the 29th Ohio in fantry and Battery "K," 1st New York Light artillery. And also that two brigades of infantry had embarked on trains with steam up, ready to be moved in any direction when tho true location of the raiders was positively determined. To avoid theso formidable dangers, tho head of tho column was turned eastward through Rooky Ridge for Woodsboro. Thus apprised of some of the forces placed to intercept him, Stuart continued all night at a trot, as speed was now the prime fr.otor of his movement, so that by daylight he en tered Hyattstown. In 24 bouts Stuart ha'.' marohed 65 miles and kept his artillery. At Hyattstown he was still twelve miles from the Potomac Under the direc tion of the ooolest and best of guides and scouts, Stuart pursued his route towards Poolesville. Passing on in tho direction of the mouth of Mono oacy, he encountered Pleasanton, who had determined the ford, at the mouth of the Monooaoy, as Stuart's intended crossing back into Virginia. From tho Federal stores at Cham bersburg the raiders had liberally sup plied themselves with blue overcoats. Clad in these, it was an ea9y decep tion to approach unmolested within close proximity of Pleasanton, when Stuart turned his troopers loose with ' 'Chargel" and speedily Pleasanton was broken. Pushing a gun after him Pelham opened a rapid fire whioh con firmed Pleasanton in tho belief the ford at the mouth of the Monooaoy t ? was Stuart's objective point. Hooney Lec, with the large convoy of captured bornes, turned off to the left and pressed forward for White's ford, trusting this point was left unguarded. His worst fears were realized, for the precipitous bluff overlooking end com manding White's ford was bristling with Federal bayonets. The situa tion seemed so intense, Col. Lee promptly requested the presence of Stuart. His reply was he was fully occupied and Lec must take the ford at all hazards. riacing his gun in battery, Lee pre pared his column for a chargi. How over, Lee's mind reverted to a certain game known to the cult as "draw," sometimes as "poker." A permissi ble feature of that game is "bluff." Calling up a trusty trooper he directed him to fix a white handkerchief to his sabre, advance upon the enemy and carry a formal demand for a surrender of the fort and its garrison, strength ening the demand with the informa tion that Stuart was i.i the Federal's immediate front with his whole force, and 15 minutes would be allowed for a reply. The limit expired and no re ply. H&ugers were thickening around the weary raiders. Action, prompt and effective uow became absolute. Forming his column for the charge, he opened with his one gun upon the strong position. Only a shell or two and in good order, with drums beat ing, the D9th Pennsylvania moved out with skirmishers well to the rear and marohed eastward down the river. The gate was open, the way clear, and at the ford and for the eminence rushed Hooney Lee and his troopers. There was no desire to bring the ene my to bay or bring on an aotion. What be wanted was simply the right of way back to "Ole Virginny." As soon as the ford and its approaches were secured, he rushed a courier back to Stuart with the joyful intelligence. Withdrawing from one position to an other, the gallant Pelham with his two guns, continued to keep Pleasanton and Pennington at arm's length. Stuart had in the meantime dispatch ed one courier after another to Butler, who still held the post of honor and danger. On the advance Butler was assigned the head of column; on the retreat, he brought up the rear. These couriers were dispatched with instruc tions for Butler to withdraw and meet Stuart with the portion of the raiders under his immediate command, at the junction of the roads. Oo Stuart's arrival at the intersection of the roadp, Butler had not arrived. Turn iug to Captain Blackford, his chief engineer, he remarked: "I very much fear we will lose our rear guard." Why so? asked Blackford. "Because I have sent four couriers to Butler with orders to meet me here, and he has not yet arrived." replied Stuart. "Let me try," then said Blaokford. Stuart paused a moment, then an swered: "If you will; but I fear the same fate will overtake you. If you will go, good-by." Dashing down the road Blaokford found Butler with his one gun in battery ready to repel an attack gathering around him. "Gen eral Stuart says withdraw instantly at a gallop, or you will be cut off," hur riedly exclaimed Blaokford. "I don't think the horses can move the gun at that pace," replied Butler. "Then abandon the gun and save your men." ejaoulated Blaokford. "Well, we'll see what can be done," coolly answer ed the gallant Carolinian. Ordering the gunners to limber up and mount, he direoted the men to move at speed. To Butler's glad sur prise the horses responded to whip and spur at a gallop and down the road the command went at a breezy paoe. Pelham and Stuart held Pen nington off, and as Butler rounded into the road to the ford, his command had to run the gauntlet of fire. It dashed through the fire into the river and were quickly on the other bank, safe from further molestation. Beside the stores and prisoners cap tured at Chambersburg, the raiders rounded up 1,200 horses and safely brought them into the Confederate lines. Stuart's luck had been marvelouB. After leaving Chambersburg, he marohed ninety miles inside of twen ty-seven hours, although cumbered with his artillery and a large herd of oapturcd horses and though wearied by the excessive tax of two days and nights of constant marohing together with some hours of sharp conflict, he foroed the passage of the Potomac un der the very eyes of foroes fresh and whioh largely outnumbered his own. His only oasuality was the wounding of ono man. Two men who had strag gled were oaptured. One more remarkable instanoe be fore this paper is completed: On the 13th of September, 1864, Lee's army I v/as oonoentrating at Warrentoo. His I flank movoment had flung Meade baok toward ManasBas. Stuart was ordered with two brigades to make a reoonnoi sanoo towards Catlett's station, on the O. & A. railroad, and report his ob servations promptly to General Lee. To perform this he passed through the little bamlct of Auburn and proceeded toward the line of the railroad. As he moved through the wooded country and oame to the open country that bordered the railroad, he was surprised to find Meade's army moving steadily northward. Stuart at onoe dispatched Major Venable to inform General Lee and advised a prompt attaok upon the marohing oolumn so as to out it in two, then beat each wing>in detail. Major Veoable attempted to reach Warrcnton over the route Stuart had couic, but to hia surprise be found Auburn in possession of a strong col umn of the enemy. By a more cir cuitous route he avoided the enemy and safely reached General Lee, later, however, than Stuart had timed. For seme reason General Lee did not accept Stuart <* suggestion and the proponed attack was not made. He remained in observation of the moving column long enough for Major Vena ble to have reached General Lee, and was anxiously awaiting the sound of Lee's guns in attack upon Meade's flank Despairing of this ho started to retrace his steps when to his sur prise he found a heavy column in his rear. Here was a great dilemma. Fr.mt and rear great columns of Fed eral troops were marohing. Along the railroad and the parallel dirt roads the bulk of Meade's army was pressing for Manassas, while behind Stuart the Second and Third army corps securely locked him in. Between these two colunis stood the two brigades, won dering what would be tho result. Stuart kuew his peril and rapidly con centrated his force between the sur rounding hills, which raised their friendly tops between his command and tho heavy columns of the enemy. Night kindly lowered the curtain of darkness over and around the belea guered troops. Rushing his seven cannons to the crest of the bills over looking the ford of Cedar Cre/,t. noth ing remained but to watch, wait and keep quiet. The troopers stood to horse to restrain any restlessness in their steeds, but ever and anon some hungry mule in the ammunition wagon would rouse the echoes of the hills with discordant brays. Stuart's hope was that General Lee would attaok and thus cause a diversion in his favor; but this hope vanished. Dawn found tho situation unchanged. The hope of concealment must vanish when the sun would rise. A few shots on the side of the enemy in the direction of Warren ton, warned Stuart that work was about to commence there. Now was the time for action. His seven guns rained shot and shell upon the surprised foremen. His left flank to ward's Catlett's station was his weak point and against this a strong coun ter attack was made. Against this Col. Kufiin led his splendid First North Carolina cavalry in a mounted charge. Ho over-rode a strong skir mish line of the enemy, most of whom surrendered, but his force was repell ed by the heavy infantry battle line, leaving their gallant commander dead upon tne field. The enemy was check ed by this charge of Ruffin, and Stuart, seizing the opportunity the ar tillery was withdrawu from the hills and with the baggage wagons pr.nacd rapidiy in rear of the enemy and by a bold dash were released from a trap that looked hopeless of escape. No less than six bold men had suc cessfully passed through the enemy's lines during the night, and acquainted General Lee of Stuart's great peril. Stuart coofidently expected General Lee would attack at or beforo dawn to relieve tension of this corduu around him. A part of Ewell's corps did move out to attack but they claimed the tiro from Stuart's guns passing through aud over the enemy arrested their forward movement. , The strain that night was severe upon the nervous tensiou of Stuart and his troopers, but these men had been with the gay and gallant cavalier in serious difficulties before and trust ed bis skill and sagacity would provide means of escape. Not to his ability, courage or nerve did Stuart attribute his wonderful escapes from these and other dangers, but to the God of hait'es did he ascribe his marvelous escapes, and on. down to the sad and painful episode at Yellow Tavern he gave the glory of all his achievements to the Lord Almighty. Here with his usual in trepidity he threw himself with about eighty men upon the head of a bri gade, saving Riehmond, but yielded up the life of as gallant a oavalier as ever drew blade or strode a steed. Sedgwick, one of the best corps oomm-inders in the Federal army, aud a companion in arms in the ?>ld army, said of Stuart: "He was the best cavalry officer ever foaled in America." Captain John Estin Cooke, the author, one of Stuart's military house hold, lovingly wrote: "Never was a cavalier like ours. Not Rupert in the days before; And when his stern, hard work was done His grief, joy, battlea o'er. His mighty spirit rode the storm, And led his men once more." ' Starting and Stagng. At the start in a long race, the: advant age often appears to be with, on- outsider. But the race is won not in starting but in staying. The Quality which, wins is staying power. It is so in the race of life. Staying power wins, and as a rule the best stayer is the man with the best stomach. All Jmysical strength s derived from food which is properly digested and assimilated. 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