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STUART’S RIDE AROUND MCCLELLAN.

to General Stuart, to whom the latter sent a politemessage. The casualties in this skirmish wereslight — one man killed on each side, and aboutfifteen or twenty wounded on the Confederateside, mostly saber-cuts.

We halted for a short time at Old Church, andthe people of the neighborhood, hearing of our ar-rival, came flocking out to greet us and wish usGod -speed. They did not come empty-handed,but brought whatever they could snatch up on thespur of the moment, rightly

supposing that anything toallay hunger or thirst wouldbe acceptable to us. Some ofthe ladies brought bouquets,and presented them to the offi-

MAP OF STUART’S RIDE AROUND MCCLELLAN.

in my front. Just beyond the hill, I ran into aforce of Federal cavalry drawn up in column offours, ready to charge. Just as my advance-guardwas about to run into him, I heard their com-manding officer give the order to charge. I fellback and immediately notified General Stuart ofthe presence of the enemy. Captain Latane, com-manding a squadron of the 9th Virginia , wasdirected to move forward and clear the road. Hemoved up the hill at a trot, and when in sight ofthe enemy in the road gavethe command to charge, andwith a yell the men rushed for-ward. At the top of the hill,simultaneously with Latane’sorder to charge, a company ofFederal cavalry, deployed asskirmishers in the woods on theright of the road, were stam-peded, and rushed back intothe woods to make good theirretreat to their friends. Thehead of Latane’s squadron,then just fairly up the hill,was in the line of their retreatand was separated from therest of the squadron, cut off bythe rush of the Federals, andborne along with them up theroad toward the enemy. I wasriding at the side of Latan6,and just at the time when theFederal company rushed backinto the road Captain Latanefell from his horse, shot dead. The rush of theFederals separated myself and six of the leadingfiles of the squadron from our friends, and we wereborne along by the flying Federals. Although theFederal cavalry both in front and rear were infull retreat, our situation was perilous in theextreme. Soon we were pushed by foes in ourrear into the ranks of those in our front, and aseries of hand-to-hand combats ensued. To shootor to cut us down was the aim of every Federalas he neared us, but we did what we could todefend ourselves. Every one of my comradeswas shot or cut down, and I alone escaped unhurt.After having been borne along by the retreatingenemy for perhaps a quarter of a mile, I leaped myhorse over the fence into the field and so got away.

Now came the rush of the Confederate column,sweeping the road clear, and capturing manyprisoners. At this point my regiment was re-lieved by the 1st Virginia , and Colonel Lee con-tinued the pursuit. The Federals did not at-tempt to make a stand until they reached OldChurch. Here their officers called a halt, andmade an attempt to rally to defend their camp.Fitz Lee soon swept them out, and burned theircamp. They made no other attempt to stand, andwe heard no more of them as an organized body,but many prisoners were taken as we passed along.We had surprised them, taken them in detail, andfar outnumbered them at all points. The Federalforces, as we afterward learned, were commandedby General Philip St. George Cooke , father-in-law

cers as they marched along. One of these wasgiven to General Stuart, who, always gallant,vowed to preserve it and take it into Richmond ..He kept his promise.

We were soon far in rear of McClellan’s army,which lay directly between us and Richmond. Itwas thought probable that the Federal cavalrywas concentrating in our rear to cut off our re-treat. We kept straight on, by Smith’s store,through New Kent County to Tunstall’s station,on the York River Railroad. I had been in chargeof the Confederate advance-guard up to the time■when Colonel Fitz Lee came to the front with the1st Virginia, relieving the 9th of that duty. Whenwell down in New Kent County, General Stuartsent for me again to the front. Hurrying on, I soonreached the head of the column, where I found.tliegeneral, and was directed by him to take thirtymen as an advance-guard, and to precede the col-umn by about half a mile. Further, I was directedto halt at the road running from the mills to theWhite House long enough to cut the telegraphwire on that road; thence to proceed to Tunstall’sstation on the York River Railroad, at whichplace, the prisoners had informed the general, acompany of Federal infantry was posted. AtTunstall’s station I was directed to charge the in-fantry, disperse or capture them, cut the tele-graph, and obstruct the railroad. Here was ourpoint of danger. Once across the railroad, w 7 e werecomparatively safe. But in possession of the rail-road, with its rolling-stock the enemy could easily