Show TED COURAGE ved Enemy Refuse e to Pir ott on Rider oJ Youths Companion In the winter of 1864 Lees arm army was In camp along the Rapidan rIver The UrIon forces under Meade occupied the country countr across the General Mer Merritt rUt ritt was then 0 a commander td nd the cavary were bus busy making r 7 although the thc severity evert or of the weather had Ut other storY operations General Merrit Merritt tells this One One moring morning In February my division or of cavalry started th Instructions to the t the he force o tc Rapidan bringing on a a ag genera g ru n due time we found ourselves face wIth te the enem enemy and the river A lively skirmish wih with small eman ars arms began but the result WIts Insignificant The enemy declined tt to show tol beyond what was nees ar to wih with our skirmish lne line The breastworks were long and formidable but whether they were by t few W or many soldiers our mCl meat Ingenious us plans plang taie ailed to dis discover cover coer I It wa was finally decided that the oll only wa way to nale nake th the enemy show his fore force I was to try to co cross the ford ord In our It d the enemy was 10 tO be dI yen out of hs works nork it I If not rive drive US back 1 the probably with severe lQ leis to our under these conditions tlc the was as organized for It the 1 ork fr tho ad e guar guard o 3 a n ot oZ cavalry was Captin Captain Ash Asb HI con cont t that ohl hi his advance guard saId I It as hoped that this maneuver would drw draw the enem enemy from behind te the and cause him to display his force Ash advanced advanced with hIs squadron amid the wih aid stillness of death The ot firing was hushed and the silence whIch pre prevailed showed that the enemy was in intent intent tent on keeping us in ignorance of their numbers and determined to make us pay heavily for or Information The anxiety was intense We Ve kne knew that when the enemy opened fre fire at short range Tange our loss would be geat great and that the advance guard must be bethe bethe the frt first and greatest sufferers Ash Ashwith wih with hIs smal small command moved d on The works in frOH front gloomy sn silent nt de denuded denuded seemed deserted The men started to cross the ford and Ash pushed on ahead He gained 0 a poInt of vantage where because of a turn In Inthe inthe the rIver he could see the interior of the breastworks Just then the confederates opened fre tIre wih with 0 a withering volley Suddenly Ash commanded hiS hI squadron to re retire tre tire While he bending forward on his horses neck rode at a a rapid gallop along the river bank parallel to the breastworks followed as he came op opposite posie each ne new part of the works by byo volley o ey after volley no nb hope for him and We waited lo in intense anxiety On he kept in spie spite ot oC the storm of lead Then as he reached a pOint where his view of the confederate W wa S sun still stillmore more extended he raised his hat and wave waved i It over his head It was a a sigal signal of triumph To oui amazement the confederate moved b by admiration ceaSed fring firing In Instead Instead stead they mounted on their breast breastworks breastworks works as thick as they could stand and throwing their into the all air cheered him agaIn and again Ash reined up his horse and turning toward the confederates raised his hat hatIn hatIn In a graceful salute Then lie he rode Tode leisurely into our o own lines amid the cheers of both sides He had pUshed the work vork without the 10 Ions 15 ot of a aman aman man and had for himself seen and to every one else else a ful full force of works Infantry occupying the confederate Captain Ash said afterward that he had thought of the scheme of draw drawIng lag Ing out the force until lie he had bad badr r ach d the brink of the river and SS saw W th the treal number who occupied the works orkO Too To o on meant certain death to many of his command to retreat In Inthe Inthe the direct lne hue of f waa wa equally dis disastrous disastrous and the inspiration to do wh what t the he did seized him himI I need not say that as we cheered the theold thebold bold old rider our hearts went to th the g generous foe who t appreciated and act chivalrously act acknowledged a glant gallant |