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[From tin- Klolmioml. \ u.. IHtpatch, April 16, 1899.]
RAID ON CATLETT'S.
One of General J. E. B. Stuart's Famous Dashes.
A PRIVATE SOLDIER'S RECOLLECTION.
Knew Something had been Found A Pitiable Sight Gloucester Never Backed Out The Ludicrous Side Gathering the Plunder.
To the Editor of the Dispatch :
I have been thinking for some time that I would jot down my recollections of General J. E. B. Stuart's raid on Catlett's Station during the war between the States. I was a private in Company G, 4th Virginia cavalry, but not one of those who could fight a battle or conduct a campaign, for I never knew anything about a battle except what occurred right in front or pretty near to me. So I shall only try to describe what I saw and did. I am a poor hand to recol- lect dates and places, but of circumstances I can remember a great deal. I see by a map of the battlefields of Virginia that there was a skirmish at Catlett's August 21 and 23 and October 24, 1864. I think it must have been on the two former dates that the raid of which I write occurred, for I know we were in and about there two days.
On the 2ist we had been marching all day, and passed through the town of Warrenton not a great while before night. My regi- ment came to a halt just in the town. We were received by the cit- izens with open arms, and what was much more to our liking, with a bountiful supply for the inner man. All were not able to take ad- vantage of what was offered, as we only stopped for a few seconds. Fortunately for myself, I halted just opposite a store containing al- most everything, and the occupant thereof rushed out, bearing in one hand a plate piled up with apple pies and in the other a plate filled with dried or smoked fish. I made a grab, and got a goodly portion of pie in one hand and a number offish in the other. Many of the other soldiers did the same. Never did viands taste better. The "pies" were consumed then and there, and the fish kept for future use.
